inclusive public spaces - Public Libraries Online https://publiclibrariesonline.org A Publication of the Public Library Association Fri, 06 May 2022 17:08:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 Inclusive Birding through the Library https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2022/05/inclusive-birding-through-the-library/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inclusive-birding-through-the-library Fri, 06 May 2022 17:07:59 +0000 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/?p=17878 In May 2020 Black birder Christian Cooper had the police called on him in Central Park in New York City. One result of the media frenzy that followed was that it brought attention to the long history of bigotry and exclusiveness in the birding world.

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]]> In May 2020 Black birder Christian Cooper had the police called on him in Central Park in New York City. One result of the media frenzy that followed was that it brought attention to the long history of bigotry and exclusiveness in the birding world. I had only been birding for a few years but Cooper’s experience was not the first time I’d heard about the struggles of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women birders.

How can public libraries help make birding more equitable? To answer this question, we need to know what we are up against. Here are some “fun” facts and quotes I dug up:

  • Bird naming has traditionally honored “people with connections to slavery and supremacy” (including James Audubon who bought and sold slaves). [1]
  • At the National Audubon Society “the membership is 72 percent female, but the executive staff is 75 percent male—and the organization has never had a female president in its 114 years.” [2]
  • Ornithologist Drew Lanham has written nine rules for Black birders, including: “Don’t bird in a hoodie. Ever.” [3]
  • “Nature reserves and wildlife refuges tend to be located in remote areas that lack diversity.” [4]
  • “Birding trips with straight men have been very difficult,” says Chase Mendenhall, a cisgender gay man and curator of birds at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Straight spaces often feel hyper-competitive and masculinized, he says, which can suck the fun out of birding and “make more queer people left out of the team.” [4]
  • “Information on how accessible parks, hiking trails, and birding locations are is frequently incomplete or non-existent, making it difficult for people who experience accessibility challenges to find places to go birding.” [5]
  • “People give you that weird look when you say that you are a birder. People still think that it is a hobby for retirees, ornithologists, naturalists, professional photographers etc.” [6]

As community spaces, public libraries have the potential to reach birders (and all people) that do not feel welcome in other spaces. My library, the Hillsboro (OR) Public Library (HPL), has two branches next to ADA-accessible parks, one wooded and the other with ponds. Because of these natural areas, experienced and novice birders are already drawn to the area. Our task, then, is to engage those who might be excluded elsewhere.

One passive programming idea we used to engage young people and families was to put out bird feeders that can be viewed from the juvenile and young adult area with bird identification posters on display nearby. We also put up a white board for anyone to add their latest bird and mammal viewings as they enter the library.

That all sounds easy but most libraries are not next to parks and many may not be able to add an easily viewable bird feeder. What are some other inclusive options?

  • Create a display for #BlackBirdersWeek (book recommendations below).
  • Reach out to local BIPOC and LGBTQ+ birding groups and offer to put up their flyers on the community board.
  • Find out if your local Parks and Rec department offers birding programs for youth and minorities and help advertise.
  • Offer a neighborhood Walk with a (Birding) librarian program to your local senior or community center.

If none of those are available and your library has the resources, start your own inclusive birding group or take patrons on virtual birding trips using social media. In 2020 when our branches closed due to the pandemic, myself and another HPL staffer started BiblioBirders in which we took videos while birding locally and explained the identification process.

In addition to feeling excluded because of appearance, people are also left out due to cost and accessibility. Making birding kits (with binoculars and identification books) available for check-out are a great way to reach those with financial barriers to birding. Philadelphia public libraries started offering birding backpacks in 2017. “You can certainly spend a lot of money on birding if you buy expensive objects and go on lavish trips, but you can also go to the library and take out a backpack, and walk or take the bus to a local park,” says BirdPhilly founder Tony Croasdale. [7]

As always, include materials written in the languages of your community and in large print as much as possible. There are also a number of audio or braille options available through The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.[8] For maps of outdoor spaces with ADA-accessible paths go to https://birdability.org. Birdability also offers inclusivity guidance documents, including language and planning tips.

Title Recommendations for Your Library

  • Birding for Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers, by John C. Robinson (Wings-on-disk)
  • Represent! 2020 by Nadira, Regine L. Sawyer, Jesse J. Holland, Christian Cooper (DC Comics)
  • Bird Boy (An Inclusive Children’s Book) by Matthew Burgess (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
  • Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney (The University of North Carolina Press)
  • The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham, Ph.D. (Milkweed Editions)

Further Reading and Resources

References

[1] Fears, Daryl. “The racist legacy many birds carry.” The Washington Post, June 3, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2021/bird-names-racism-audubon/

[2] Saha, Purbita, et al. (2019, May 3). When women run the bird world [News Post]. Retrieved from https://www.audubon.org/news/when-women-run-bird-world

[3] Scott, Jacqueline L. (2020, June 2). What you should know about black birders [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/what-you-should-know-about-black-birders-139812

[4] Jones, Benji. (2018, June 29). For the LGBTQ Community, Birding Can Be a Relief—and a Source of Anxiety [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.audubon.org/news/for-lgbtq-community-birding-can-be-relief-and-source-anxiety

[5] (2022, April 14) https://gis.audubon.org/Birdability/

[6] (2022, April 14) https://www.birdingiscool.com/

[7] Johns, Alaina. “Philadelphians Let Their Inner Birder Fly with Birding Backpacks at the Free Library.” City Wide Stories, September 30, 2019. Retrieved from https://citywidestories.com/2019/09/30/philadelphians-let-their-inner-birder-fly-with-birding-backpacks-at-the-free-library/

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]]> Investing in Your Library’s Experience Economy https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/08/investing-in-your-librarys-experience-economy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=investing-in-your-librarys-experience-economy https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/08/investing-in-your-librarys-experience-economy/#respond Wed, 24 Aug 2016 04:29:43 +0000 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/?p=10157 Do community members rush into your library, grab a few items, and leave, or do they view spending time there as time well spent? The answer to that question may determine whether you are participating in the experience economy, as described by Joe Pine in his and co-author James Gilmore's now-famous work, "The Experience Economy."

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]]> Do community members rush into your library, grab a few items, and leave, or do they view spending time there as time well spent? The answer to that question may determine whether you are participating in the experience economy, as described by Joe Pine in a recent interview.[1] Pine and co-author James Gilmore updated their now-famous 1999 work, The Experience Economy, in 2011[2] and it continues to have relevance as libraries seek to compete for people’s time.

In its simplest terms, the concept behind the Experience Economy is that our culture now seeks to spend its money on memorable experiences rather than on services or goods—and we do so in all sorts of venues, not just in the traditional realm of entertainment. An experience can have elements that are entertaining, educational, escapist, or esthetic; the best experiences incorporate all four of the “e” adjectives. It is a business theory at its core, explaining where people choose to spend money and why they make the choices they do.

Libraries aren’t businesses, and money seldom changes hands between library users and the library. This particular societal trend, however, has significant potential to impact libraries. That’s because discretionary spending reflects what people value. Libraries compete for people’s time, attention, and goodwill every day, and we are much more likely to be successful if we understand what society values.

Permanent Experiences

Libraries have created any number of experience-oriented spaces. The Cerritos Library is a well-documented early adopter of the experience ideology, saying the book “served as an inspiration to make the library more interactive and user friendly,”[3] and “images and exhibits on display as well as sounds emanating from the Rainforest and aquarium areas add to the multi-sensory experience of the visitor.”[4] Families find a radically different experience at Explore Outdoors, Anythink Libraries’ certified outdoor classroom, a creative space in which young children explore the world around them through activities such as climbing or building. Family Services Director Lynda Freas refers to the classroom as a “library destination.”[5] In experience economy language, it is an attractive and dedicated space (entertaining) that encourages the development of motor and cognitive skills (educational) and provides materials that support dramatic play (escapist).

One-Time Experiences

For many public libraries, however, a lack of funding or space—or both—can preclude creating permanent, experience-oriented spaces. In that case, one-time events can offer a different sort of experience. A quick Internet search of what libraries are offering comes up with an array of events that invite library users to engage with us on the library “stage.” Nearly any event that features staff or patrons in costume is likely an immersive experience. Library offerings range from life-sized mascots and book character greeters to ComicCon, cosplay, or pop culture tie-ins. Experiences are far more than dress-up, though. Escape Rooms, Murder Mystery Theatres, and props for do-it-yourself photo booths are interactive and memorable as well. Some experiences are worthwhile enough that they can even raise awareness for funds for the library’s Friends group or foundation.

A library-sponsored Downtown Abbey-themed event drew women dressed in period wear.

A library-sponsored Downtown Abbey-themed event drew women dressed in period wear. Courtesy of Kokomo-Howard Public Library.

Runners sporting antler headbands and blinking noses at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library’s annual Rudolph Family Fun Run

Runners sporting antler headbands and blinking noses at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library’s annual Rudolph Family Fun Run pose for multiple photos of their experience while raising money for the library’s endowment fund. Courtesy of Kokomo Herald.

Evaluating Experiences

The evidence that we have succeeded in creating an experience economy, according to Pine, is that community residents will view spending time at the library as a good investment. They will also begin to feel a sense of belonging.[6] It’s an excellent purpose for offering carefully crafted customer experiences and a great benchmark for evaluating what we offer our communities.

References
[1] Joseph Pine, “Are We Living in the Experience Economy?” by Blake Morgan, Forbes, July 26, 2016.
[2] Joseph B. Pine and James H. Gilmore, The Experience Economy (Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011).
[3] “About the Library Today,” Cerritos Public Library, September 2, 2009.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Lynda Freas, “Explore Outdoors at Anythink Wright Farms Certified by Nature Explore,” Anythink Libraries, March 18, 2013.
[6] Blake Morgan, “Are We Living in the Experience Economy?”

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]]> https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/08/investing-in-your-librarys-experience-economy/feed/ 0 FYI Podcast – Engaged and Inclusive: Institutional Approaches to Racial Equity and Social Justice https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/04/engaged-and-inclusive-institutional-approaches-to-racial-equity-and-social-justice-podcast-episode-010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=engaged-and-inclusive-institutional-approaches-to-racial-equity-and-social-justice-podcast-episode-010 https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/04/engaged-and-inclusive-institutional-approaches-to-racial-equity-and-social-justice-podcast-episode-010/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2016 20:47:23 +0000 http://publiclibrariesonline.org/?p=8895 In Episode 10, we talk to Sarah Lawton, Neighborhood Library Supervisor, Madison (WI) Public Library and Tariq Saqqaf, Neighborhood Resource Coordinator, City of Madison, Office of the Mayor, about how libraries can address racial disparities and create more inclusive public spaces. The Madison (Wis.) Public Library is working with local government to establish racial equity and social justice as core principles in all decisions, policies, and services. We discuss this model which focuses on dismantling structural barriers to equity through both an “equity impact tool” and participation on Neighborhood Resource Teams (action groups that support communities in identifying and addressing community needs). Recorded live at PLA2016 Conference in Denver.

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Resources Related to This Podcast:

Engaged and Inclusive: Institutional Approaches to Racial Equity and Social Justice – PLA 2016 Conference Program Handouts and More Information

Madison, Wisconsin Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative

Madison, Wisconsin Neighborhood Resource Teams

Equity and Equality are Not Equal

Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race & Equity

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