The document outlines resources and strategies for community engagement efforts by libraries. It discusses what community engagement entails, including building ongoing relationships to collectively benefit the community. A variety of tools and examples are provided, such as the Edge Initiative benchmarks, the Libraries Transforming Communities program, and case studies of specific library engagement programs. Challenges of and rewards from community engagement efforts are also addressed. The overall message is that the community itself should be viewed as part of the library's collection, and libraries should actively engage with their community.

1. 1
Community Engagement
Stephanie Zimmerman
Training & Development/HR Coordinator
Library System of Lancaster County
szimmerman@lancasterlibraries.org
717-207-0500 x 1281
Presentation Outline with Resources Links
1. What is Community Engagement?
a. Community engagement refers to the process by which community benefit organizations
and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a
collective vision for the benefit of a community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_engagement
2. If we’re already doing this, why are you presenting on the topic?
a. Let’s look at the Edge Initiative http://www.libraryedge.org/benchmarks
3. How do we do this?
a. Check out ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) information at
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transforming-communities
ALA’s partner in LTC is the nonprofit Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org/
LTC is made possible through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
i. "Great ‘Resources for Libraries’ area of site with tools designed to help libraries
strengthen their role as community leaders and bring about positive change in
their communities. http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-
transforming-communities/resources-for-library-professionals
ii. In the Public Innovators Lab Workbook at
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/sites/ala.org.transforminglibraries/files/co
ntent/LTC_Binder_FINAL_0.pdf is the Cycle of Public Innovation
iii. Also a “Step-by-Step Guide to ‘Turning Outward’ to Your Community” at
http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/sites/ala.org.transforminglibraries/files/co
ntent/LTCGettingStarted_DigitalWorkbook_final010915.pdf
b. Also look at “The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories of Community Building” -
http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/ULCReport.pdf
c. See this blog post titled “Libraries and community engagement” at the blog “Sustaining
Community” https://sustainingcommunity.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/libraries-and-
community-engagement/ which links to much more.
d. Also see WebJunction’s Betha Gutsche’s post “The Engaged and Embedded Library:
Moving from talk to action” at
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/Engaged_Embedded_Library.html which
includes many resources and case studies.
e. ARSL (Association for Rural & Small Libraries) – “Community Engagement: Small
Libraries Go Big” - http://arsl.info/2013/03/community-engagement-small-libraries-go-big/
f. See the site Creating the Future at http://creatingthefuture.org/ co-founded by Hildy
Gottlieb and Dimitri Petropolis. Hildy authored the book “Community Engagement Step-
by-Step Action Kit” which sounds good. http://www.help4nonprofits.com/Engagement-
AK/CommunityEngagement-ACTION_KIT.htm
i. Community engagement involves actively implementing a specific process
towards activism such as the 8-step guideline listed below:
1. Determine the goals of the plan
2. Plan out who to engage
3. Develop engagement strategies for those individuals you already know
4. Develop engagement strategies of those individuals you do not already
know
5. Prioritize those activities
6. Create an implementation plan
7. Monitor your progress
8. Maintain those relationships
ii. They also mention 3 effective tools
http://www.help4nonprofits.com/NP_Mktg_3EffectiveTools_Article.htm
1. Writing

2. 2
2. Speaking
3. One-on-one Conversations
g. Great resource from Infopeople that can be found as a course on WebJunction at
http://learn.webjunction.org/course/view.php?id=77 – “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know
- Meaningful Community Engagement” from Joan Frye Williams and George
Needham
4. Examples of Community Engagement in Action
a. WebJunction – “Great Ideas for Innovative Community Engagement” -
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/great-ideas-for-innovative-community-
engagement.html
i. Mentions a Facebook experiment that spawned over 150 community-generated
ideas on the future of Miami’s libraries - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-
fishman-lipsey/100-great-ideas-for-the-for-the-future-of-libraries_b_6551440.html
b. PA Forward - http://www.paforward.org
c. Cumberland County Library System Consensus Building Process -
http://www.cumberlandcountylibraries.org/?q=Building_consensus
d. Geek the Library - http://get.geekthelibrary.org
i. WebJunction – “Community Engagement and Staff Development at All Levels” -
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/community-engagement-and-staff-
development-at-all-levels.html
e. TEDx Event - https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/tedx-program
i. What Do You Geek?, Mary Stein at TEDxLSU -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNLO27Hevjc
ii. TEDx NJLibraries slideshare from Peter Bromberg at
http://www.slideshare.net/pbromberg/tedx-and-libraries-a-partnership-for-
community-engagement?qid=57375ec7-00ec-48ee-b5f0-
e4e40207985d&v=default&b=&from_search=1
f. WebJunction – “Transforming Library Space for Community Engagement” -
http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/transforming-library-space-for-
community-engagement.html
g. HPL (Houston Public Library) Mobile Express - http://houstonlibrary.org/our-
partners/community-engagement
h. WebJunction – “Teaching Tech to Patrons” -
http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/learn-by-doing-teaching-tech-to-
patrons.html
5. Challenges vs. Rewards
a. Slideshare – “Community Engagement the Challenges & Rewards” -
http://www.slideshare.net/jonbward/community-engagement?qid=57375ec7-00ec-48ee-
b5f0-e4e40207985d&v=default&b=&from_search=5
6. Your Charge
a. R. David Lankes, "The Community Is Your Collection." From ILEAD 2014 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AzGUfpT7Jc&index=3&list=PLX5frlby3mLpdnC
_oJWlyYWmf5-4Se0G2