SSLLI

1. Telling Our Library Stories
Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute Year 11
Marianne B. Reeves
July 2015

2. Introduction
Mylene and her 8-year-old son Lukas are
regular visitors to the Jupiter Branch library. This
story begins when Lukas, who has a learning
disability, attended the library’s creative writing
program with his friend. Mylene was moved to tell
how her son’s participation in the program boosted
his confidence.
“Thank you for being inclusive of children with all
learning abilities. Though both boys were nervous
and intimidated at first, once they saw that the
program was not like school, they had fun. After
class, both boys – on their own - wrote short stories
with drawings and used the adjectives they had
learned.”

3. The Telling Our Library Stories leadership
project identifies current practices and suggests
new procedures for generating, gathering and
sharing the stories that reveal how the services of
Palm Beach County Library System libraries and
librarians are not only informational but
transformational.
Purpose
Story has the power to touch hearts and
make positive change. Crowd-funding websites are
filled with compelling narrative that moves
ordinary people to contribute to extraordinary
projects to make a difference in our world. Human
beings are wired to share and connect to stories.
The Mission of the Palm Beach County Library System is to “Connect Communities, Inspire
Thought and Enrich Lives.” This project serves as a tool to gauge the fulfillment of that mission. Telling
our library stories expresses the library’s connectedness to the community and demonstrates that the
library cares about it’s customers.

4. Overview
In November of 2014, the charge was set to investigate how to create and maintain a story bank of
kudos, comments and anecdotes about PBCLS services and resources that can be shared with the public
and used in fundraising and marketing campaigns. A combination of research, numerous in-person
discussions, and a focus group study provided valuable information about:
 The current methods used for collecting patron feedback.
 What an effective story bank structure would look like.
 Recommendations for going forward.

5. Research
Nicole Hughes, Public Information Services
Manager
Nicole Hricik, Public Relations Specialist
Adam Davis, Manager Main Library and
Outreach Services
Peter Brandt, Director Library Information
Technology
James Larson, Library Experience Coordinator
Suvi Manner, Acreage Branch Manager
Anne Alsup, Jupiter Branch Manager
Jennifer Webb, Jupiter Assistant Branch
Manager
Jing Yan, Head of YS, West Boynton Branch
Susan Kelly, Head of YS, Lantana Branch
Ellen Kentner, Librarian, Loula V. York Branch
Amanda Wolf, Librarian, Acreage Branch
Chris Jankow, Librarian, Acreage Branch
Bea Ceruti ,Head of YS, Gardens Branch
Lisa DeLaRondia, Director Palm Beach County
Public Affairs Department
Karlyn Voss, Director of External and
Government Relations, Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh
Sharon L. Morris, Customer Service
Coordinator, Broward County Libraries Division
and 2007 Library Journal Mover and Shaker
Dagmar Lopez, Assistant Branch Manager,
Osceola Library System
Tracy Zampaglione, Public Relations
Administrator, Orange County Library System
Jennifer McQuown, Youth Services Manager,
Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
Margaret Kavaras, 2014 Google Policy Fellow
American Library Association; developer of the
“Living Stories, Living Libraries” project on
Tumblr.
Professionals interviewed during the information gathering stage of the project:

6.  Patron comment cards (How did we do today?) are
available but do not specify the “personal ask.” These
comment cards have the potential to lead to stories but
currently there is no standard procedure for evaluating
and compiling these cards.
 Evaluations for adult programs are not consistently
distributed, completion is not encouraged and most
have only rating numbers circled and little or no
narrative comments.
Assessment
 Lack of an online “tell us your library story” form to invite feedback from patrons who rarely come to
the physical library yet still use electronic resources such as databases, e-books, streaming video and
music from home.
 Staff may not recognize the importance of telling our stories, are not aware of story gathering
opportunities, or do not have the training to make the “personal ask” for stories when engaging with
patrons.
 Targeted story collection occurs during special events throughout the year but it is infrequent.

7. Library systems and organizations that effectively
tell their story.
 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/about/story/
 Orange County (FL) Library System
http://www.ocls.info/campaign/librarytales/defa
ult.asp
 Initiative of the American Library Association
http://ilovelibraries.org/real-stories
 Living Stories, Living Libraries page on Tumblr
http://living-stories-living-libraries.tumblr.com
 Food Retailer Publix
http://mypublixstory.com
Effective Storytellers

8. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
 February 2013 - Telling Our Story Committee; one of six pillars of a 5-year Strategic Plan
 Existing CLP processes revealed:
1. No culture of story gathering in the organization.
2. Lack of a useful mechanism for collecting stories.
3. Stories collected and utilized sporadically, usually around a particular campaign or
marketing initiative.
 CLP’s plan for collecting stories:
1. A mapping document identifying targeted groups and defining sharing tools.
2. A process to identify key messages that demonstrate the library’s impact and methods to
encourage staff to use these messages.
3. A plan and process for sharing items 1 and 2 with staff, board, Friends and community.
4. Stories collected will be entered into an Excel spreadsheet, color-coded by topic and
searchable by keyword.
5. Tools to evaluate effectiveness of communication methods.
6. Recommendations for the use of Social Media that specify the rights and responsibilities,
best practices, and expectations for all.
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/about/strategicplan/documents/StrategicPlan-approved.pdf

9. Deliverables
1. A mapping document to identify how stories
can be identified, received and collected.
2. A web form to invite patrons to share stories
and photos on the library’s webpage.
3. Methods to encourage all staff to be library
advocates and encourage patrons to share
their stories.
4. A recommendation for a Story Bank
Coordinator to develop and manage a
Microsoft Access database as a story bank
repository.
According to the Families USA publication How to Create a A Successful Story Banking Program,
“the first step to building an effective story bank is to develop an infrastructure that allows an organization
to seamlessly collect stories, work with “storytellers” (consumers willing to share their stories), and
coordinate story distribution.” With this goal, the following recommendations are offered.
Bonacci, Cate. How To Create a Successful Story Banking Program. Washington, DC: Families USA. 2015.

10. Website
Users
Story
Sharing
Tools
Telling Our Story
Website
Stories told
to staff
How Did We
Do Today?
forms
Surveys
Letters, calls
and email to
Managers
Program
Evaluations
Social Media
Story
Tellers
Bookmobile
Users
Tour
groups Authors
Community
Leaders
Teachers Books by
Mail users
Library
Board
members
Friends of
the Library
Families
TeensChildren
Program
Presenters
Volunteers
Program
Attendees
Special Event
photo kiosk
Outreach
Organizations
Story
Gatherers
Adult
Programmers
Adult Literacy
Project Staff
Branch
Managers
System Youth
Services
Creation
Station Team
Front Line Staff
Community
Relations
Books-By-Mail
Youth
Services
Child Care
Outreach
Talking Books
Service
Book Club
groups
Embedded
Librarians
Staff at Special
Events
Story Bank
Coordinator Speakers Bureau
representatives
Deliverable 1a: How stories will be identified, received and collected.

11. Target
Groups
DonorsMediaCommunity
Stakeholders
Potential
Users
Current
Library Users
Staff Library Board
Outlets
Happenings
Monthly
guide
Annual ReportBooks & Bytes
E-Newsletter
Video
Testimonials
Social Media
Posts
Telling Our
Library Story
webpage
Story Bank
Coordinator
Friends of
the Library
Speakers Bureau
Groups
Community
News Media
Deliverable 1b: How stories will be shared with targeted groups.
Check It Out
staff publication
Library
Volunteers
Beyond the Book &
monthly podcasts

12. Deliverable 2: Suggested web form/consent form to invite patrons to share stories and photos.
 In June of 2015, West Boynton and Belle Glade
branches were selected as runners-up in the
SirsiDynix Love Your Library Contest. The two
winning entries, from patrons Osmara and Laura,
showed the effect that PBCLS programs have on
the community.
 The Internet is where many library users are.
Peter Brandt, Director Library Information
Technology, confirmed that adding a web form to
the existing library webpage would be an
appropriate and efficient method to collect stories.
 Karlyn Voss, Director of External and
Government Relations, Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh, recommended that frontline staff
invite patrons to complete the online form at a
catalog in the library. This encounter between staff
and user can be relationship building.
Tell Us Your Library Story
First Name*
Last Initial*
Email*
Phone*
Please provide a valid email address or phone number so
that we can respond to you. This will only be used for
Library communication and will not be displayed.
Library Visited* (Select from drop down menu)
What’s Your Story?*
Attach photo here.*
If you submit your library story, we may publish
your story on our website or in our print newsletter
and other print publications.

13. Deliverable 3a: Methods to encourage all staff to be library advocates.
According to Karen Voss of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, in order to foster a culture of story gathering,
there needs to be increased awareness of the organization’s story. At CLP, the Telling Our Story
Committee developed a process to identify key messages throughout the year that demonstrated the
Library’s impact. These messages were regularly shared with staff through passive and active education.
Key Message Example: Our print and digital
resources help students complete assignments
so that they can achieve school success.
Passive Education Active Education
 Email message to all staff.
 Print message in Check It Out
 Post message in break room.
 Encourage managers to
discuss current message in
staff meetings.
 Have managers hold training
sessions in ways to share the
message with the public.
 Make story sharing and
collecting part of every staff
member’s initial training.

14. Deliverable 3b: Methods to encourage all staff in story collection.
 Always be on the lookout for potential storytellers in day-to-day activities.
 Be familiar with all story collection tools (web form, How Did We Do Today? Form, program
evaluations, social media platforms, using the branch iPad)
 Identify those patrons you know by name and actively ask for and listen to their stories.
 Challenge staff to reach out to a favorite patron and ask for a story to be eligible to win a prize.
 Give potential storytellers context and reasons to share their stories; the “personal ask.”
For example, “What would our community look like without its libraries?”
“Tell us how the library helps your family.” or “How have librarians helped you?”
Ongoing Story Collection
Targeted Story Collection
 Host a story gathering program for patrons to be
interviewed and have their story recorded.
 Host an essay competition for children and teens.
 Send an email or text message to users to tell their story
and be entered in a drawing for a prize.
 Prepare to invite patrons to share stories when at
special library and community events.
 Create a calendar to highlight yearly opportunities for
inviting stories, e.g. National Library Week in April.

15. Deliverable 4: A recommendation for a Story Bank Coordinator to develop and
manage a Microsoft Access database as a story bank repository.
According to Cate Bonaci, author of How To Create a Successful Story Banking Program, “choosing
one person to coordinate collection efforts and story circulation is crucial for an effective story bank.”
The IT department of the PBCLS has the capability to create a web form that will automatically convey
information from the form directly to a Microsoft Access database. The database can be designed with
additional fields for metadata such as demographic information and interview notes.
The Responsibilities of the Story Bank Coordinator
 Create a rubric to identify which How Did We Do Today? forms offer valid leads.
 Send a note of appreciation to those who shared their stories.
 Determine which stories and or comments need to be referred to a manager or department head.
 Develop the story further though vetting, fact-checking, and conducting a more in-depth interview.
 Tag the stories by category. Suggested tags include: Education. Workforce and Economic
development. Neighborhood vitality. Government services. Community health services. Books by
Mail. Adult programming. Computer classes. Children’s programming.
 Respond to requests for stories.

16. Proposed Implementation
PHASE ONE
ACTION ACTORS
Determine web form content Outreach, Community Relations, Administration
Develop web form for library webpage IT staff, Story Bank Coordinator
Create Microsoft Access database IT staff, Story Bank Coordinator
Test web form and database IT staff, Story Bank Coordinator
PHASE TWO
ACTION ACTORS
Create rubric for How Did We Do Today? forms Community Relations, Story Bank Coordinator
Train managers on procedure for sharing
HDWDT forms
Story Bank Coordinator
Begin inviting website users to share their stories Community Relations
PHASE THREE
ACTION ACTORS
Develop advocacy training for staff Administration, Outreach, Story Bank Coordinator
Develop story collection training for staff Story Bank Coordinator, Community Relations

17. Outcomes
The “Telling the Library’s Story” project will be
measured in these key ways.
 First, all staff will recognize the importance of
capturing and passing along relevant stories
and contact information. They will understand
who to share their stories with or where to
best direct patrons with transformative stories
to share.
 Second, the “Telling the Library’s Story”
Story Bank Coordinator will identify those
stories that require follow-up and tag those
ready for use. This will yield a readily available
databank of searchable stories for a variety of
purposes.
 Finally, procedures will be set in place for
identifying and researching patron comment
cards that may lead to a powerful story.

18. Benefits
 Library staff will better recognize the need for advocacy and a culture of story gathering will be
fostered within the library organization.
 Guided by the “personal ask,” staff and patrons will form and strengthen positive relationships as a
result of the process of recording customer stories.
 Stories about service will not only affirm the efforts of those staff that offer exceptional service but
increase their visibility within the library organization.
 The stories shared will increase the awareness of library services, especially those newer services that
patrons might not realize are available.
 Additional tangible benefits will be evident by increases in the following areas:
 Website hits
 Program attendance
 Door counts
 Print and digital circulation
 Requests to volunteer
 Friends of the Library membership
 Donations
 Community and government support for libraries