Building Leadership Skills: Community Engagement Instructor: Gail Griffith An Infopeople Workshop Winter, 2009

This Workshop Is Brought to You by the Infopeople Project Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis. For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

Introductions Name Name Library Library Position Position A number: A number: –On a scale of 1-5, how engaged would you say your library is with its community? (1= low, 5 = high)

Workshop Overview What is an engaged library? What is an engaged library? –aligning library services with community priorities Make yourself and your library visible Make yourself and your library visible –image and the power of language Identify and connect with communities and stakeholders Identify and connect with communities and stakeholders –how connected are you? –What kind of partnership are you looking for? Pragmatic partnering Pragmatic partnering –reaching out and saying yes –partnership planning

Questions for the Group How does your library already engage with its community, and what are the benefits? How does your library already engage with its community, and what are the benefits? Whose job is it to help the library engage? Whose job is it to help the library engage? How might engagement look different in a public, academic, school, or special library? How might engagement look different in a public, academic, school, or special library?

Examples of Engaged Libraries Education: Howard County, MD Education: Howard County, MDHoward County, MDHoward County, MD Community Issues: Johnson County, KS Community Issues: Johnson County, KSJohnson County, KSJohnson County, KS Museum/Theatre Partners: Charlotte- Mecklenburg, NC Museum/Theatre Partners: Charlotte- Mecklenburg, NCCharlotte- Mecklenburg, NCCharlotte- Mecklenburg, NC Community Centers: Chicago, IL Community Centers: Chicago, ILChicago, ILChicago, IL Others you know about? Others you know about?

What does your library have to crow about?

Words That Work Weak Good, nice, worthwhile Good, nice, worthwhileStrong Critical, essential, Critical, essential,vital The goal: use strong, powerful language without falling into library jargon or ‘flavor of the week’ phrases! Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, by Dr. Frank Luntz (2007)

Which is stronger? ProcessResults

How Connected are You?

What other partnership opportunities do you see?

Pragmatic Partnering What are you looking for in a partnership? What are you looking for in a partnership? –levels of involvement –formal v. informal –short-term v. long-term Are partnerships born or made? Are partnerships born or made?

Generating Energy for Partnering Round One 1. Person #1 is a potential partner whose task is to suggest ideas for projects to the other group members. 2. Person #2 and #3 must say No (followed by whatever reason you like) to every idea that is mentioned. 3. Keep generating (and reacting to) ideas until time is called.

Round Two Person #2 is now the potential partner whose task is to suggest ideas for projects to the other two group members. Person #2 is now the potential partner whose task is to suggest ideas for projects to the other two group members. Person #1 and #3 must say Yes, but.. (followed by whatever reason you like) to every idea that is mentioned. Person #1 and #3 must say Yes, but.. (followed by whatever reason you like) to every idea that is mentioned. Keep generating (and reacting to) ideas until time is called. Keep generating (and reacting to) ideas until time is called.

Round Three Person #3 is now the potential partner whose task is to suggest ideas for projects to the other two group members. Person #3 is now the potential partner whose task is to suggest ideas for projects to the other two group members. Person #1 and #2 must repeat the idea they heard before saying Yes, and…(followed by a statement that builds on the suggestion) to every idea that is mentioned. Person #1 and #2 must repeat the idea they heard before saying Yes, and…(followed by a statement that builds on the suggestion) to every idea that is mentioned. Keep generating (and reacting to) ideas until time is called. Keep generating (and reacting to) ideas until time is called.

Exercise #4: Creating a Partnership Plan a. Small groups b. Choose a community partner from the map you developed earlier c. Develop an initial partnership plan using the Exercise questions d. What powerful phrase will you use to describe your partnership or project?

Exercise #5: The Elevator Speech As individual: develop your speech using powerful words As individual: develop your speech using powerful words In groups of 4: Practice with timer In groups of 4: Practice with timer Listen and give feedback Listen and give feedback Pick one speech to share with the group Pick one speech to share with the group

Workshop Evaluation