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Whether they’re searching the Internet, watching television, or browsing social media, Americans are bombarded with information related to their health, but the messages they’re receiving may not be understandable, reliable, or even credible. Faced with confusing medical terminology, conflicting reports, and a constantly changing healthcare system, people are looking to their local public libraries for guidance. That’s why the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) is partnering with the Public Library Association (PLA): to help libraries meet the challenges of keeping up with evidence-based health resources and producing successful health programming.

Announcing Promoting Healthy Communities

PLA and NNLM are thrilled to announce Promoting Healthy Communities, a new nationwide initiative that will increase public library workers’ health knowledge and skills related to reliable health information resources, as well as support programs related to health and wellness. Throughout the nine-month initiative, PLA and NNLM will:

· Assess health information needs among public librarians in order to improve existing educational opportunities and develop new ones designed to meet the unique needs of public libraries.

· Share free resources, information about successful library programs, and professional development opportunities by holding training programs and webinars, publishing articles and podcasts.

· Unveil a new website (coming in early 2018) for public librarians that gives them easy access to training, tools and resources for consumer health information, health literacy programming and more.

Join Us In Person

The Promoting Healthy Communities initiative will include two in-person learning opportunities.

· “Public Libraries Supporting the Health and Wellness of Your Community,” Sunday, Feb. 11, at the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver. At this “unconference” event, attendees will be invited to connect with their fellow librarians to discuss the health-related topics that are most relevant to their needs. The session is open to all Midwinter Meeting registrants. Learn more and register for the Midwinter Meeting.

· “Stand Up for Health: Health and Wellness Services for Your Community,” Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at the PLA 2018 Conference in Philadelphia. This one-day preconference will review core competencies of providing health and wellness services; coach participants through understanding their communities’ needs; and explore how to create fun and informative health-related programming for different age groups and special populations. Pre-registration is required, and up to fifty $500 stipends are available. Learn more about the stipend opportunity.

Other Ways to Connect

Public librarians can find their regional office and access its resources at https://nnlm.gov/regions.

NNLM offers a wealth of resources that public libraries can use to engage their communities on specific health topics, such as:

· health outreach, nutrition and food labels, and health insurance;

· funding opportunities and awards available to public libraries; and

· microlearning videos to inform library staff about NNLM resources.

Finally, as Health Literacy Month (October) draws to a close, take advantage of the free Health Literacy Toolkit created by NNLM and the American Library Association (ALA). The toolkit includes customizable tools to raise awareness of how libraries support health literacy in their communities, including key messages, program ideas and downloadable marketing materials.

We look forward to connecting with you in the months to come.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, under Grant Number 1UG4LM012346-01 with the University of Iowa.

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In today’s fast-paced environment of constant technological, demographic, fiscal, and social change in our communities, we have to be nimble and ready to meet opportunities and push through challenges. Dynamic planning practices provide the tools to be in touch with our community members, empower staff, and engage stakeholders in order to continuously meet the needs of our communities.

What is the Dynamic Planning Institute?

The Dynamic Planning Institute—to be hosted in Washington, D.C., (October 5–7, 2016) and online (September–November)—is a workshop that spotlights the many tools and resources available, rooted in design thinking, community engagement, evaluation, data analysis, risk management, and more. This professional development opportunity is truly unique in that it meets participants where they are and allows them to integrate dynamic planning into their daily work. Participants can choose to create a plan by the end of the year or just practice using some of these new tools, and they will be connected to a like-minded community striving for success. The workshop is an especially good fit for small libraries that don’t have the time or staff to devote to a large-scale planning effort.

The power of dynamic planning can be explained through the example of using a lever. A dynamic process is defined as energy and effective action, usually through continuous and productive activity or change. When a dynamic force is applied to a lever that force is multiplied many times and thus the performance is improved with less effort. The more dynamic efforts that are applied, the greater the potential of that force obtaining the desired results. It allows us to focus our efforts on lifting the heavy loads of our community needs. The plan is like a fulcrum, if it is placed closer to the needs of the community, greater results will be accomplished. Without a plan (fulcrum), library efforts can be wasted and less can be accomplished. Dynamic planning requires periodic refreshment of change in order to retain energy and progress.

With dynamic planning, you focus your efforts for the greatest results.

Benefits of the Dynamic Planning Institute

Participate in the PLA’s Dynamic Planning Institute if you want to:

1. Continuously revitalize your library while increasing impact.
2. Assess your library’s strengths and limitations.
3. Produce a commonality of purpose that bridges library staff and leadership, increasing staff’s morale and job satisfaction as informed partners.
4. Determine clear strategic priorities and realistic goals based on your community’s greatest needs.
5. Provide a basis for ongoing evaluation and informed improvement.
6. Strengthen responsible accountability to governing authorities and the public while ensuring the most effective use of the library’s resources.
7. Anticipate and respond to the challenges of a changing environment, ready for opportunities and funding possibilities.
8. Incorporate innovation, flexibility, and stakeholder engagement.
9. Create a living document with actionable pathways and an inclusive one-page plan.
10. Explore tools and resources to help with community engagement, decision-making, risk-taking, innovation, staff empowerment, and project management.
11. Apply best practices in dynamic library planning using the most updated methods and tools for communicating and achieving continuous results.

It’s not too late to sign up for PLA’s Dynamic Planning Institute! The deadline for applications is Friday, August 19. Click here to apply.

Stephanie Gerding, MLIS, (http://stephaniegerding.com), is a library consultant, trainer, and author on library planning, grants, training, advocacy, and technology topics. Stephanie provides professional development and evaluation consultations for clients around the world and online, including public, academic, state, and special libraries, as well as nonprofits.

Recent projects include developing and delivering PLA’s new Dynamic Planning Institute; Regional Trainer for PLA’s Project Outcome; project management for the IMLS/Gates grant funded Continuing Education Connector project led by the Chief Officers of State Libraries (COSLA), evaluation and training for CA’s Infopeople, training needs assessments for state and national organizations, online trainer for PLA’s Turning the Page advocacy program, consulting and training on the technology benchmarking Edge Initiative, and advisor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She has written four books including The Accidental Public Library Technology Trainer, and Winning Grants. She lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and engaging nine-year-old daughter.

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These outdated views of what libraries were create a negative impact on our libraries and tend to erode support for libraries with this logic: if libraries stand for books, and if books can be downloaded from the cloud at the drop of a dime, then why do we need libraries? Library members and frequent visitors know better. In fact, our regulars have been visiting public libraries for so long they have witnessed our transformation from pre-computers to free Wi-Fi and can testify to how libraries have impacted their lives.

Not only do the new videos align with the E’s of Libraries, they support the initiatives of Project Outcome, which focuses on outcome-based reporting favoring impact over numbers and helps librarians demonstrate to local funding authorities the difference the public library is making in the lives of their local residents. And if increased viewing, creating, and sharing of video content is the direction our society is headed (see Pew Research Center’s log of articles about online videos), then certainly our clever and creative use of these videos in our own libraries can be quite impactful.

So, how do we put these videos in the front of those who need to see them?

Because the films were intended for you to use in your library, they are devoid of library names or patron names, making them perfect for repurposing. Extend the E’s of Libraries brand by not only posting the videos to your existing media channels but also consider creating additional digital content. For example, when posting information about your library’s job events link to a locally created web page that displays the video created for employment and relevant statics[1] to accompany that video:

• Every day, 300,000 Americans get job-seeking help at their public library.
• In a year, 30 million people use library computers and internet access for employment or career purposes.
• Ninety-two percent of libraries provide access to online job databases and resources.
• Seventy-six percent of libraries help people complete job applications online.

Perhaps people who do not normally view the library as a place to get job help will think twice after seeing the video.

Consider using them in local PSAs, incorporate them into your talks and speeches, and play them at your next Friends meeting. The videos can also be created as a tool to request additional funding. For example, if your library is seeking to be that entrepreneurial spot in the community, show the video to your funders and let them know that you aspire to be that place, and that you need their support to get there.

The possibilities are endless! What’s most important is that you use them. If you found an impactful and powerful way to use the videos in your library or have some ideas on how you might use them, you are welcome to post in the comments below.

Resources

PLA Premieres Library Advocacy Video Series at National Conference

Project Outcome – Looking Back, Looking Forward

Public Library Association Conference in Denver showcases new advocacy series

Public Library Association Advocacy Videos

References

[1] “Employment,” Libraries Transform, accessed May 18, 2016.

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The E-Rate program is built to “help libraries gain affordable, high capacity broadband. . . ; boost library participation in the program; and increase the efficiency of the application and review process” for eligible libraries. Furthermore, the “Got E-Rate?” page lists information about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reforms of the E-Rate programs and what this means to libraries, particularly public libraries. The page has a lot of information that may or may not be difficult for you to decipher, so I recommend taking a look at “Library Leaders: E-Rate Opportunities Take Center Stage” by Marijke Visser.

Visser breaks down the main take-aways of the E-Rate program with these points:

1. About $1.5 billion has been added to the funding for the E-Rate program
2. The American Library Association, Public Library Association, state library agencies, and other organizations will produce E-rate resources that are aimed to provide libraries that are interested in applying for E-rate funding with “communications, education, practical tools, and technical support.”
3. Increasing broadband capacity is not simply for rural libraries, but also applies to suburban and urban libraries that may need to expand their services.

After reading both of these articles, I had a few initial thoughts:

1. As a librarian, I am (typically) aware and/or reminded of the digital divide in communities. Connecting and working with librarians throughout the state and nation has exposed me to the different resources available (or unavailable) to public libraries and the disparities between communities. However…
2. …as an individual, I tend to forget about things like the “digital divide.” This is easy to do when I’m in my own little world, streaming music from my iPhone on my way to work, and watching Netflix on Apple TV at home. But…
3. ..the digital divide is real. Just take a look at the statistics, “How Americans Go Online” published by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Library Project. The graph shows the correlation between lower income and education levels with lower access to Internet usage at home and in general. Race and geographic location affect the result.

The Internet is a necessity for not just checking email or research, but also for applying for jobs, learning new technological skills, and gaining confidence. If a person is unable to have broadband access at home, it is all the more imperative that their local library have sufficient access to not only bridge the gap in the digital divide, but also in digital literacy. What are your experiences with broadband access in your community?

Sources

“Got E-rate?” Got E-rate? Web. 22 Feb. 2015. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/goterate

“Library Leaders: E-rate Opportunities Take Center Stage.” District Dispatch. 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/01/library-leaders-e-rate-opportunities-take-center-stage

“How Americans Go Online.” Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/09/25/how-americans-go-online/>.

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