Increasingly, libraries are offering programs specifically targeted to the homeless that provide opportunities to talk with library staff, social workers, job counselors, and other social service specialists. Customers who spend the better part of each day with us include a growing number of the homeless, those experiencing mental illness and or substance abuse issues, or those who need help following a variety of personal or family traumas. Many arrive at opening time and spend most of the day reading, using the computers or the WiFi, or simply enjoying a safe place away from the elements.

The Fox article goes on to report findings from the Healthy Library Initiative published in the journal “Health Affairs,” wherein librarians said that they found themselves acting as social workers but did not have the training required for this role. “Daily, we find ourselves helping to refer customers to shelters, mental health services, and even sometimes stepping in to help those “immediately at risk for drug overdose.”

Many public library systems are taking steps to help librarians address gaps in knowledge about providing health information and other services for our customers most at risk. Libraries are hiring nurses and social workers. Resource lists are at the ready for staff. Libraries such as  Denver Public Library make resources lists available online via their Community Assistance Resources  page. Increasingly, training classes and resources are offered to library staff and security support personnel to help de-escalate issues, make connections, and better serve customers in need.

How is your library responding to this need? Share your tips and resources in the comments.

Resources

“Libraries can be a health lifeline for people most at risk.” November 11, 2016. Fox News Health Blog.

Healthy Library Initiative 

The post Libraries Are A Lifeline first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

During my two decades in public libraries, I’ve had a few dark valleys—failures, rejections, malaise—in the midst of many more soaring triumphs. I experienced a particularly dark valley some years ago. I found myself worn down and not sure of the next path to take in my career.

Barrientos’ advice mirrored my journey back from that valley to my personal peak:

1. Take some time for yourself and let it sink in.
   Once I recognized I’d slipped deeply into a valley, I called my mother and my mentor, in that order. Then I knitted an infinity scarf for my mentor. I gave that scarf all I had—all my thoughts, pain, and worries. When I cast off, the scarf dragged the floor! I had to knit her another.
2. Read Brianna Marshall’s blog post “We need to share our rejections.”[3]
   I’d read inspirational works like Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly. I had not read Brianna Marshall’s blog before this assignment; her rejection was for a dream job. Like Barrientos and me, Marshall experienced a low point but is now back on top. I like the way she described her peak: “I love my challenging, bewildering, and slightly mysterious job.”[4]
3. Once you feel a little better, make a list of goals, both short and long term. What do you want to accomplish this period? Who can help you? How can you do it?
   My goals: recharge, refresh, and roar back to the top!

My first goal was to recharge in the profession. First I accompanied a colleague to an ALA Midwinter Meeting. Although I was not on a single committee, I shook a lot of hands and met new people, learned a great deal of new practices, and had an absolute blast.

Next, I wanted to get more involved, grow my professional network, and refresh my knowledge. I got on committees with ALA and PLA, attended the ALA Leadership Institute and the PLA Results Boot Camp, blogged for PL Online, got elected to the board of the DC Library Association, got more involved with the Virginia Library Association, and so much more.

I looked beyond my personal valley to help others. I mentored and coached staff, friends, and new librarians. After I won a board election against an opponent, I invited her to join the committee. I have given others challenging work on committees followed by ample praise, a reference on LinkedIn, and opportunities to shine. I’m leading an upcoming webinar on tips for new managers.

One day during my journey, a kind, funny librarian I’d met in a preconference and talked with briefly at a state conference mixer said, “You! I want you on the _____ Committee!” I didn’t know then that she was the incoming president of the association, and she didn’t know that the offer she extended was just the hand I needed to pull me that last few steps out of that dark valley. I love it up here on this peak in the clouds. Like Barrientos and Marshall, I’ve found acceptance, opportunities, learning, and exciting challenges at work, through professional associations, and in life—a way out of a valley.

Finally, I haven’t knitted any extra-long infinity scarves in a long, long while!

References:

[1] Quetzalli Barrientos, “Getting rejected in the library world. What now?” ACRLog, February 15, 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Brianna Marshall, “We need to share our rejections,” Brianna Marshall [blog], October 13, 2014.

[4] Ibid.

Further Reading:

Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, New York: Avery, 2012.

The post Roaring Back from Rejection: Managing the Peaks and Valleys of Your Library Career first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I’ve challenged myself and others to take a hard look at our sacred cows since attending the 2015 Public Library Association’s Results Boot Camp led by Sandra Nelson and June Garcia. In the camp, we discussed the many hours staff spend on doing things that have little, if any, impact on serving our customers. For example, well-meaning artistic staff can spend hours creating mind-blowing monthly bulletin boards. Yes, they delight, but do they transform or reach new audiences in proportion to the hours spent monthly de-installing, prepping, and installing the new? Can we market books without the equivalent of the Macy’s display window behind them?

Structured Debate to the Rescue

When I challenged sacred cows like the traditional book club, staff and colleagues became very frustrated with me; I felt physical harm could be my fate! Dattner’s structured debate suggestion might save me. Members of the team charged to argue for the status quo could argue that the book club is a staple of public libraries, deservingly so, as they invite everyone into our libraries, make excellent use of the “library as place,” promote literature and reading, and give us opportunities to regularly interact with our customers, thereby nailing many of our service goals and objectives.

Debaters from the other side could quote Nelson and Garcia’s work: “If an activity serves less than 5 percent of the target audience, it is not effective. No further evaluation is necessary.”[2] Many staff put in hours of preparation only to serve the same two to five people month after month. (One book group leader said she didn’t want any new attendees to join her monthly book club! The few devoted attendees were all she needed.) Becky Spratford, author of Support Groups for Book Discussion Leaders and acclaimed blogger of “RA for All,” agrees. On our telephone call she said, “Book clubs should evolve.” She mentioned Skype meetings, notes posted on library blogs for virtual users, and ways to support community book groups. “Don’t be afraid to scrap a flagging group and revive it later in a completely revamped format, or not at all!”[3]

With structured debate, we could all save face but still have spirited discussions about our sacred cows. Are they serving our strategic plans? Are we maximizing our shrinking resources, and moving our needle forward toward innovation and transformation?  We just may bring the book club into the twenty-first century and hook more of our target audiences.

Next, let’s have a structured debate about the unwieldy, outdated, reference collection taking up prime real estate in many libraries today. What sacred cows does your library have that need examination and a structured debate?

References:

[1] Ben Dattner. “How Structured Debate Helps Your Team Grow.” Harvard Business Review, December 10, 2015.

[2] Sandra Nelson and June Garcia. “How Can You Evaluate the Effectiveness of Activities?” PLA Results Boot Camp, 2015.

[3] Becky Spratford. Phone interview with Kimberly Knight. December 28, 2015.

Resources:

Spratford, Becky. “Support Groups for Book Discussion Leaders,” Booklist, Vol. 112, No. 8. December 15, 2015.

The post Tackling Library Sacred Cows with Structured Debate first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

A poll of my colleagues in the DC Metro area public libraries found that most librarians didn’t know about National Friends of the Library Week – an interesting oversight considering that this year marked the Tenth Annual Celebration, sponsored by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.

Happily, not all Friends were forgotten. The contributions of the Friends of the Lodi Public Library in California were celebrated with an article in the local Lodi newspaper.^[1] As with most Friends of the Library across the nation, the Lodi Friends (led by co-managers Deborah Westler and Diane Freggiaro) run a busy used bookstore that raises funds for equipment, programming, and services. For example, they purchased a self-check machine for the children’s room and funded a refresh of the library’s website. Recently, however, they really burnished their advocacy chops. Not only did they film an ad to promote the library, but they also purchased ad time to show it before movies at the local stadium in order to reach a new audience.

Despite my blunder this year, how do you think the Friends of Palisades Library responded to my funding request during their special week?  A unanimous, “yes,” as they nearly always do.  I thanked them profusely because I’m grateful to them every day of the year! So what is the best way to thank Friends like these?

United for Libraries has suggestions, press kits, and $250 grants awarded to Friends of the Library groups with the best celebrations of Annual Friends of the Library Week.^[2] “Applicants will be judged on creativity and innovation; involvement of Friends, library staff, Trustees, and/or advisory committee; recognition of Friends group, and promotion of Friends group to the community, school, students, and/or faculty.”^[3] The 2015 application deadline was December 2, but the award is offered annually. The 2014 winners were the A. K. Smiley Library in Redlands, CA, that did a western-themed, “Friends Roundup” and the Logan County Library in KY that celebrated all week with a mayoral proclamation, a media campaign, and events all week that drove Friends membership up by 10%.

Next year, I won’t miss the opportunity to thank our Friends formally during National Friends of the Library Week. I plan to participate in the United for Libraries annual celebration and perhaps even compete for the award. I’ll need competitors, however. What are your plans to celebrate your Friends next year?

Sources

[1] Cathey, Kyla. “Recognizing the Hard Work of Friends of Lodi Public Library.” Lodi News-Sentinel: (16 October 2015). Web.

[2] United for Libraries: http://www.ala.org/united/.

[3] National Friends of Libraries Week Awards: http://www.ala.org/united/grants_awards/friends/friendsweek.

The post How Did You Celebrate National Friends of the Library Week? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Bell analyzes the work of Sydney Finkelstein, author of “Jon Stewart : Superboss” and consults Richard Dougherty, President of the consulting firm Dougherty and Associates,  former Director of University of Michigan Libraries, former professor in UM School of Information, and Past ALA President.  He concludes that a library leader who creates an environment in which staff wants to work and the community is eager to use the library could be considered a good or remarkable leader.  Superbosses, however, recognize that their “leadership legacy is much more about the success of those you influence and their accomplishments than anything you might achieve on your own.”  Superbosses see themselves as a “link in a chain” in great library leaders of the past and the future—naturally passing on the wisdom and opportunities that were passed down to them from former leaders and mentors.

Jon Stewart groomed and developed Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and John Oliver in the comedy industry.  Who are the superbosses in libraries?With input from Dougherty, Bell recognizes superbosses in academic libraries including:  Susan Nutter at North Carolina State University, Wendy Lougee at University of Minnesota, Jim Neal at Columbia, Betsy Wilson at University of Washington, and Jim Mullins at Purdue. Also noted were Hugh Atkinson of the Hugh C. Atkinson Award, jointly sponsored by ACRL, ALCTS, LLAMA, and LITA, and the lesser known Ralph E. Ellsworth, former Director of Libraries of the University of Iowa.

Who are our superbosses in public libraries? I can point to a few superbosses in my career, who still invest the time in mentoring front-line library leaders like me:  Trudi Somerfield selected me for my first leadership position.  When I began working for her, I was an enthusiastic, children’s librarian focused on the “big picture.” She taught me to take care of the details by sending me off to Continuous Quality Improvement Training.  Chang Liu, Director of Loudon County Public Library, had many of us in “Chang’s Army” at Arlington Public Library.  She is still open to my calls and offers sound advice.  Micki Freeny, former Director of Prince George’s Public Library in Maryland and administrator in DC Public Library, will take the train all over the DC Metro area to deliver her encouragement and solid truths.  Have you ever seen Eva Poole, Director of Virginia Beach Public Libraries, without a smile on her face?  She recently gave me a morning of encouragement and inspiration in my career endeavors.  While I only worked briefly with her, Jennifer Giltrop was a change agent who generously guided co-workers, steering many to development opportunities. In addition, you can take any of her advice to the bank!

Bell challenges us all to bring a little or a lot of superboss to our leadership by recommending subordinates for leadership development, creating opportunities for them to tackle tough tasks, allowing them to achieve and to fail, and supporting them as they pursue a higher level position—leaving our legacy by growing the next generation of library leaders and superbosses.

I’m fired up to become a Superboss.  I owe it to those I lead and to the superbosses in my life.  Who is your Jon Stewart?  Call out the superbosses in your career!

Bell, Steven.  “Library Superbosses Lead By Creating Careers | Leading from the Library.”  Library Journal , September 2, 2015.  http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/09/opinion/leading-from-the-library/library-superbosses-lead-by-creating-careers-leading-from-the-library/#_

Finkelstein, Sydney.  “John Stewart:  Super Boss.” Harvard Business Review.  July 30, 2015. https://hbr.org/2015/07/jon-stewart-superboss

The post Who are the Jon Stewarts of Libraries? Call out our Superbosses! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

If you don’t have a hard-wired makerspace incorporated into your public library building, can you follow Provenzo’s 4-step process to create makerspaces where you are?  His recommendations:

1. Find the Space: Provenzo found the perfect place in his school’s library:  an always open, dedicated space where students could go any time before, after, and even during classes.   Since it was not a shared space, students did not have to pack away equipment and projects between visits.  Many public libraries—like the Nashville (Tenn.) Main Library, San Francisco Public Library’s the Mix, and the Fab Labs at DC Public Library’s Central MLK Memorial Library—have carved out similar space in existing buildings to make high-tech havens for teens and other interested in the maker movement.  However, you can have success with makerspaces in swing space or pop-up space in your library.  Joslyn Jones at the Bowie Branch of Prince George’s Public Library converted the branch’s meeting room into a teen space during after school hours and has incorporated makerspace activities partially by joining Google’s Maker Camp program at www.makercamp.com.  She received free supplies, weekly guidelines, and updates on projects she could make with her group.  Similarly, Sara Morse, Manager at the Nashville (Tenn.) Library’s East branch has a maker closet full of library supplies equipment that the kids pull out during makerspace time after school.

2. Find the Money: You will need seed money.  The amounts are dictated by the space needs and type of projects planned.  Provenzo highly recommends writing as many grants as you can with the student’s help to supplement any funds that might be available through the school or organization.  Crowdfunding like that on Edutopia’s site is another funding source he recommends.  Public librarians have found funding support through the library, Friends of the Library groups, Library Foundations, schools, and other community partners.

3. Find the Tools: Provenzo recommends the Makerbot 3D printer brand and found it provided an extra option for “stretching their creative muscle.”  Ideapaint, a special paint that turns regular walls in the white-boards, is recommended for the walls to allow users to write plans directly onto walls.  He noted that Makey Makey got the kids thinking about programming and making something new out of everyday items.  Finally, Provenzo invested in Chromebooks for his school’s makerspace which gave kids ability to access Code.org, TinkerCad.com, and other STEAM web sites from home in the makerspace.

4. Find the Students: Word of mouth helped Provenzo drum up interest in the makerspace.  Many students began hanging out in the library as soon as they heard a makerspace was coming.  They also advertised in the school newspaper, on announcements, and fliers around the school.  Maker contests helped spread the word, too.  Once the equipment and some students made the space home—the rest took care of itself.

All are ideas any sized-public library can use to bring more teens, kids, and creativity into our spaces.   I’m looking forward to the challenge; my home system DCPL, just approved pop-up makerspaces at branches around our system.

The post Creating a Space for Makerspace first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Anne Womack, Youth Services Collection Development Librarian in Arlington, VA, used Diary of a Wimpy Kid series as an example to describe her dilemma. “From our . . . vendor, we are given the purchase price of $13.95 for one e-copy of the book. If our library patrons go on Amazon they can buy it for $7, half the price. Our customers end up getting frustrated with long wait lists and not enough copies to satisfy the demand because they cannot understand why we’re not buying more copies.”

Womack further points out that in the teen e-book market,a title like “Jodi Picoult’s . . . Off the Page, would cost libraries $59.97 for one e-book. The library might be able to afford 1-2 copies at that price, but that would not meet the demand. Some publishers sell e-books to libraries for 12 months, or maybe for a specific number of check-outs. Then the library has to purchase the title again. It becomes quite a headache for staff!”

A collection development professional in the neighboring DC Public Library shared that concern. While the limited checkouts and renewal license fee structures offered can save libraries money in the short-term, collection specialists must be diligent about e-book collection management efforts to keep up renewals and with demand. Still, she finds the strain necessary since the busiest “branch” of the Library is now the online Virtual Branch where customers are borrowing “all things digital” including e-books.

Hope may be on the horizon for libraries in the e-book market according to Matt Enis in a July 28 article, entitled: “E-book Vendors Anticipate Big Five Licensing Terms Becoming more Flexible.” He notes that revenue growth from e-books to the Big Five Publishers from individual consumers is far lower than the doubling sales they saw from 2010 to 2011 and 2011-2012. The slowing e-book sales growth to consumers suddenly makes the library market an attractive partner again. E-book vendors are expecting the Big Five Publishers to experiment with new fee structures and pricing that can lessen the strain on library budgets in the near future.

This good news can’t come too soon for Vickery Bowles of Toronto Public Library and collections specialists across the United States. Anne Womack crystalized this sentiment: “We would love for the Big 5 publishers to recognize libraries as partners, as a means to get their books into the hands of hundreds of readers who may very well purchase more of the same book/author in the future.” Should the forecast for more favorable pricing structures bear fruit, hope is indeed on the horizon to combat “unsustainable” e-book prices to libraries.

Ennis, Matt. “Ebook Vendors Anticipate Big Five Licensing Terms Becoming More Flexible,” Library Journal Online. July 23, 2015.

Lou, Ethan. “High Ebook prices ‘unsustainable,’ says city’s top librarian,” thestar.com. June 18, 2015.

The post Is There Hope on the Horizon for Unsustainable E-book Prices? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“The Political Librarian” is slated to be EveryLibrary’s venue and platform for the advocacy work they do.  Their motto is “Any library initiative anywhere matters to every library everywhere.”  EveryLibrary trains, coaches, and consults library stakeholders and supporters to increase civic awareness to win campaigns and funding at the local level for libraries.They offer campaign advising, training, keynote speakers, and Rapid Response funding to help libraries in crisis gain grassroots community support. EveryLibrary is a donor-supported, nonprofit Political Action Committee that focuses on local library ballot initiatives. “The Political Librarian” launch date will mark EveryLibrary’s third anniversary as a national political action committee dedicated to libraries.

The post EveryLibrary to Launch “The Political Librarian” first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Library as Refuge
A recent Public Libraries Online, The Little Library That Lent a Hand, detailed how the Ferguson Municipal Public Library District in Missouri remained open during the recent protests, encouraging protesters to take refuge in the library as a quiet place to ponder, a safe area, and even as a space for learning and meals when schools were closed. We celebrated the library director, Scott Bonner, for remaining open as an oasis to those exercising their rights. He is amongst the 2015 Library Journal Movers & Shakers.

The Library as Educator about Rights
Public libraries across the country have gone even further to aid communities working for social change. The New Orleans Public Library has hosted “Know Your Rights” seminars for teens and adults in partnership with the New Orleans Police Department. It offered an opportunity for communities to meet and foster relationships with officers from the local precinct. Moreover, residents could ask real world questions such as those listed on the publicity flyer, “Do I have to show my ID?”, “What does reasonable suspicion mean?,” and “When does an officer need a warrant to perform a search?”

Oakland Public Library responded with “Listen, Learn, Participate: #BlackLivesMatter,” an ongoing series of programs. OPL has placed itself directly into the center of the community, providing information and discussion on issues surrounding racial inequality. They are hosting lectures, documentary films, and maintaining an online finding aid for researchers seeking to learn more through the libraries collections. Read more about their work at http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/blogs/from-main-library/listen-learn-particiate-blacklivesmatter-event-series. Similarly, the Multnomah Public Library in Portland, Oregon established a resource page for researchers studying the issues at https://multcolib.org/blog/20141211/%E2%80%9Ci-can%E2%80%99t-breathe%E2%80%9D .

William “Billy” Martin,  renowned civil rights attorney and guest on MSNBC’s Politics Nation, presented “Is Stand Your Ground Law a Great Idea Today?” at the DC Public Library. In Wisconsin, public librarians partnered with the ACLU to host “Know Your Rights! AN ACLU Workshop at Milwaukee Public Libraries,” a series of discussions in English and Spanish.

The Library as a Launch Pad for Civic Engagement and Civil Rights
A group called “Utah Against Police Brutality” held a series of planning and organizing meetings at the Salt Lake City Public Library. Partnering with the Salt Lake City Tribune, the group held the “Town Hall Meeting on Deadly Force:  A Community Response to Police Shootings” also at the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Minneapolis high school students gathered in front of the Minneapolis Central Library on Nicollet Mall to share poetry and remarks before marching around the downtown area to protest the recent deaths of unarmed black men Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO and Eric Garner of New York City. A group of Activists calling themselves “First Night against Police Violence” planned a “die-in” to protest police brutality in front of the Boston Public Library in the Copley Square Area during the First Night celebration to celebrate the New Year.

Customers are turning to public libraries as an oasis for information, and even as a place to express their civil rights. Many public libraries are taking the lead in educating customers about their civil rights and supporting the community. How is your library responding?

Sources

“Is Stand Your Ground Law a Great Idea Today?,” http://dclibrary.org/node/46956

Kristina G, on Jan 13, 2015 (8:30 AM) “Know Your Rights! An ACLU Workshop at Milwaukee Public Libraries / Conozca sus Derechos! Un Taller en Milwaukee Public Library,” http://www.mpl.org/blog/now/know-your-rights-an-aclu-workshop-at-milwaukee-public-libraries-conozca-sus-derechos-un-taller-en-milwaukee-public-library

Lonetree, Anthony. “Students rally in Minneapolis against police brutality,” Star Tribune Updated: December 8, 2014 (5:15AM) http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/285041591.html

“Police Brutality Town Hall,” Salt Lake City Weekly. http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/police-brutality-town-hall/Event?oid=2720511

Quinn, Garrett “Protests against war, police brutality planned around Boston First Night activities,” December 29, 2014 (6:31 PM) http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/12/protests_against_war_police_brutality_first_night_boston_2015.html

“What Libraries Do: Scott Bonner, Ferguson Municipal Public Library, MO,” Library Journal, Movers and Shakers 2015, Community Builders: March 15, 2015. p. 58 Volume 140, No. 5.

Zeman, Marybeth. “The Little Library That Lent a Hand: Ferguson Municipal Public Library,”: Public Libraries Online, February 12, 2015. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2015/02/the-little-library-that-lent-a-hand-ferguson-municipal-public-library/

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