How University Libraries can use community engagement strategies to consult with and involve stakeholders in decision making about the future of their libraries.
8. INFORM
Provide clear,
targeted,
consistent
information
CONSULT
Actively seek feedback
and views from
stakeholders
INVOLVE
Use workshops to
gain a greater
level of
participation
COLLABORATE
Work together to find
solutions via boards
or committees with
clear parameters
EMPOWER
Delegate decision-
making to empowered
stakeholders
Who are our stakeholders? Uni executive, academics of all types, students of all types, professional staff of all types, community members in our regions.
Timely, accurate, consistent, targeted information for stakeholders. We decide, but we let you know what we’re doing. Examples include posters, websites, email messages, briefings…
Classic feedback gathering via interviews, email responses, surveys. We decide, but we want your feedback and we promise to take it into account. Lots of consultation is like this.
Here, we’re sitting beside you, and consulting you in a more active way. We might design workshops where we can brainstorm ideas. We are more connected with you, but we still make the decision in the end.
Here, we want you to work with us to actually build the solution. We might delegate some decision making to you. You might be on a project board or an advisory group with us. We know we’ll get a better result if you’re working with us. But we probably make the final decision…
Here’s an option – we give you the knowledge, skills and resources to make a decision on our behalf. An example might be allowing a student group to decide on furniture selection from a range set by us and our architect, and within a certain budget. We need to have very clear parameters within which the decision can be made.
From the left (inform), the focus is quite broad – we are likely informing a wide range of stakeholders, but the involvement we require from them is minimal.
To the right (empower) we are likely to be working with a very small targeted group, but expecting a lot from them.