Chicago Stories of Community Building

ABOUT THIS REPORT

In late summer, 2005, Co-Director Jody Kretzmann and researcher Susan Rans from the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University agreed to visit several Chicago Branch Libraries to investigate the role of public libraries in neighborhoods. This report illustrates a variety of ways local libraries contribute to community development, looking at multiple layers of involvement: individual, voluntary associations, institutions, economy, place, and, importantly, the stories they tell about themselves in their communities. The Urban Libraries Council hopes this report will spark other communities to investigate the catalytic work of libraries in their communities, to understand the rich contributions being made, and to tell their stories. Northwestern University, EvanstonIL Based CommunityDevelopmentInstitute, Kretzmann andSusanRansattheAsset- Chicago PublicLibraryFoundation Underwriting: Editing: Copy: Publication and Research Chicago PublicLibrary. and MaryA.Dempsey, Commissioner, President oftheUrbanLibrariesCouncil, Executive Board,andMartínGómez, Idea: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE ISBN: 1-885251-33-5 Printed intheUnitedStatesofAmerica the work. ers toreproduce,publishorotherwiseuse otherwise usetheworkandauthorizeoth- irrevocable licensetoreproduce,publish,or purposes, aroyalty-free,non-exclusive,and (IMLS) reserves,forFederalgovernment Institute forMuseumandLibraryServices Susan Rans.Allrightsreserved.TheU.S. Libraries Council,JodyKretzmann,and Copyright ©December2005.TheUrban Services. and theInstituteforMuseum&Library Trust, ChicagoPublicLibraryFoundation, Council, EvanstonIL The UrbanAssetsStrategyGroup, Danielle Milam,UrbanLibraries Engaged Library: URBAN LIBRARIESCOUNCIL The ChicagoCommunity Chicago StoriesofCommunityBuilding Jody NAE IRR OLO ...... 31 . . LIBRARYENGAGED TOOLBOX 28 . HERE” HAPPEN “GOOD THINGS LEARNED: LESSONS 26 . . AND WEBS BRIDGES CHAPTER 8 24 . SPACE COMMUNITY CHAPTER 7 22 . . ECONOMY FUELING THE CHAPTER 6 19 . TOGETHER FITTING CHAPTER 5 16 . FOR THE YOUNGPEOPLE CHAPTER 4 13 CULTURE . . CONNECTIONS CHAPTER 3 10 PARTNERING . INSTITUTIONAL CHAPTER 2 7 . DEEPLYEMBEDDED CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OFCONTENTS ...... 4 ...... 2 .

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY THE Chicago StoriesofCommunityBuilding Engaged Library: NO LONGER A PASSIVE In community andanagentforchange new libraryisanactiveandresponsivepartofthe of culture,quietanddecoruminanoisyworld,the repository ofbooksandinformationoranoutpost lished) anddiversecommunity settings. ent publiclibraryscenarios(new, renovated andestab- works arediscovered,nurturedandexpandedindiffer- followed the“people”trailtoseehowsocialnet- role oflibrariesinbuildingcommunity. Researchers es attheChicagoPublicLibrary, lookingcloseratthe Northwestern Universitytoinvestigateseveralbranch- Based CommunityDevelopmentInstituteat Foundation, commissionedresearchersintheAsset- Chicago CommunityTrust andChicagoPublicLibrary Libraries Council,withgeneroussupportfromThe This reporttakesthatlineofinquiryfurther. TheUrban ment anddevelopment. new socialnetworksandattractingfurtherreinvest- nity canturnaplacearoundphysically, encouraging Feldstein describehow‘planting’alibraryincommu- experiences witheachotherotherwise.Putnamand together differenttypesofpeoplewhomaynotshare libraries alsohavethecapacityto“bridge”–bring organizations “bond”togetherpeopleoflikemind, a uniqueandpowerfulrole.Whilemanyplaces In theworldofcommunitybuilding,locallibrarieshave connections. vation, callinglibrariesa“bridge”forbuildingsocial community activistLewisFeldsteinmakethisobser- Community Better Together: Restoring the American the Restoring Together: Better , HarvardSociologistRobertPutnamand . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY community: mobilizing layersofassetsalreadypresentinevery cessful communitybuildinginvolvesdiscoveringand The researchersbeganwiththepremisethatsuc- 2. Findtheleaders.Aconcertedefforttodiscover be encouragedateverylevel. community. Thisactivityoutsidethelibraryshould way street’thatpositionsthelibraryatcenterof in theciviclifeofcommunitycreate‘two- Branch managersandstaffthattakeanactiverole Get outsidethedoors.Successfulcommunity/ 1. LESSONS LEARNED engagement catalysts. social infrastructure.Theyareimportantcommunity tionships andnetworksthatcontributetostrong nect toallpartsofacommunity, buildingthoserela- community trust.Withtheseassets,theycancon- ship bythecommunityand,aboveall,alevelof nections tothelocaleconomy, asenseofowner- free communityspace,technologyresources,con- Libraries cometothetablewithawealthofassets: where toengageinthefabricofcommunitylife. inquiries thatlibrariescanusetodecidehowand publication providesexercises,activities,and a varietyofways.The“toolbox”attheend life andhowtosupportcommunityengagementin tion librariesatthecenteroflocalcommunity’s sons learnedstimulatethinkingabouthowtoposi- Chicago PublicLibrary. Thethemesaroundtheles- istration andseveralbranchmanagersofthe networks, basedonconversationswiththeadmin- tions andsuccessfulstrategiesforbuildingsocial The storiesgatheredhereuncoverwebsofconnec- and itsdreams the storiesthatdefinecommunity, itshistory the profileanddynamicsoflocaleconomy the physicalinfrastructureofcommunity assets presentinthearrayoflocalinstitutions the powerofrelationshipsinvoluntaryassociations the skillsandresourcesofitsindividuals, library relationshipsareproactive. ence. who’s who inacommunitymakesallthediffer- library’s andcommunity’s benefit. locally. Alloftheseactivitieswillreboundtothe your servicestothem,spenddiscretionaryfunds Set upreciprocalrelationshipswiththem,advertise 5. Supportlocalbusinessesandinstitutions. opportunities tomakethelibraryindispensable. lar situationsofneighborhoodyouthallprovide Cultural attributes,familyrequirements,theparticu- Discoverandcontributetotheuniquecapac- 4. “yes” tonewideasthatfallwithinyourmission. Go beyondtheobviousandbepreparedtosay Becreativeaboutwhatthelibrarycancon- 3. of communityactivities. work withthepeoplewhoarealreadyatcenter attending civicevents—allcanbewaystofindand Reading localpapers,askinglong-timeresidents, libraries canplayinbuildingvibrant communities. istration, thereisnolimitto therolelocalbranch leadership inCityHallandatthe centrallibraryadmin- unique neighborhoodcommunities. Withsupportive physical environmentallcometogethertocreate tutions, theneighborhoodculture,economyand mobilized. Individualgifts,localassociationsandinsti- characteristics ofbothlibraryandcommunityare When librariesengagetheircommunities,thebest for buildingsocialnetworks. vestment. Supportnewbrancheswithresources attention toareasthatmayhaveexperienceddisin- A newlibraryinaneighborhoodbringshopeand 8. Supportlibraryinvestmentsthatjumpstart to andamongcommunitypopulations. tion tocommunityissues.Makethelibraryabridge attend events,developrelationships,andpayatten- All staffshouldbeencouragedtolearnnames, 7. Createacommunity-mindedcultureamong the librarybecomesincommunitylife. more peoplefeelownership,theintegrated ways beyondsimplybeingmeetingspaces.The Public buildingsarecommunityassetsinmany Makethelibrarybuildingacommunitycen- 6. ter. ities andconditionsofthecommunity. tribute. community redevelopmentefforts. library staffandvolunteers.

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Introduction NOT LONG AGO, just anothersymptomofthedisease. The futureappearedbleak,withthelossoflibraries communities thrive. empty, lackingthebuzzoflocalrelationshipsthatmake places, neighborhoodsthatlackvitality. Placesthatwere failed communities;impoverishedplaces,dangerous We werebombarded withimagesandstereotypesof about increasingisolation,disconnectionandpassivity. today’s busy, impersonalworld.We werewarned Similarly, muchwasmadeofthelosscommunityin another pillarofcommunitylife. hand wringingaccompaniedtheproclaimedlossof reduced, acquisitionspostponed.Deepsighsand patients onlifesupport.Hourswerecut,staff tioning theoutlayofscarcetaxdollarsforthese stores andcafes.Localelectedofficialsbeganques- killed bytheinternet,television,largechainbook- for publiclibraries.Theyweredyingoralreadydead— a seriesoffuneralannouncementswerebeingissued present inanycommunity. covering andmobilizinglayers ofresourcesalready Successful communitydevelopment involvesredis- make communityliferichand vibrant. many assets,which,oncemobilizedandconnected, all economiclevels,urbanandrural,theypossess exist everywhere.Theycomeinallshapesandsizes, of communitiesisthatactive,strongneighborhoods The countervailingevidencecominginfromhundreds COMMUNITIES BUILDING VIBRANT ing bodyofresearchdemonstrates thatthemore most importantworkacommunity cando.Agrow- build. Findingandconnecting existingassetsisthe strong bedrockuponwhich anycommunitycan Taken together, alloftheassetslistedprovide outside itcanunleashtremendouspotential. nity totellthosestories,itselfandtheworld of storiesthatdefineit.Findingawayforcommu- that generatewealthanddistributebenefits. unique localresources,enterprises,anddynamics opment inneighborhoodsare ing. tionships, istheheartandsoulofcommunitybuild- individuals. Makingtheseconnections,buildingrela- Find waystocreateconnectionsbetweengifted ering andinventoryingindividualgiftsisnotenough. opportunities forthemtobegiven.Simplydiscov- communities areawareofthesegiftsandprovide brings tothegroup.Thebestandmostcreative viously existed. lasting, multi-facetedrelationshipswherenonepre- who sharetheirinterests.Associationsbuildlong- and churchgroupsconnectindividualstoothers ternal organizations,bowlingleagues,bookclubs, ests andgoalsformassociations.Gardenclubs,fra- gathering places. spaces, roads,facilities,transportationcentersand physical environmentofacommunity;itsgreen- physical communityarealwaysthestartingplace. gifts andskillsofresidentstheassets the keytolastingsolutionscomesfromwithin.The resources fromoutsidethecommunityareneeded, Stories. Economy. Physical Environment. Institutions. Associations. Individuals. there. the communitycanduplicatewhatisalready No plan,solutionororganizationfromoutside ties andincubatorsforcommunityleadership. property owners,gatheringcenters,economicenti- They canbeinvolvedwiththelocalcommunityas businesses, andlibrariesallhavearoletoplay. of community-building.Parks,schools,churches, found there.Involvelocalinstitutionsintheprocess support theindividualsandpowerfulassociations have withinthemaseriesofinstitutionsthatcan ly-focused Successful strategiesforcommunitydevel- Finally, everycommunityhasarichfabric , and The localeconomyisacomplexwebof Every individualhasgiftssheorhe All communities,nomatterhowpoor, Individuals whosharecommoninter- relationship-driven Other assetsincludethe asset-based . Althoughsome , internal- libraries arecriticalassetsinthisprocess. stronger acommunitybecomes.Vibrant local assets thatareconnectedandmobilized,the alysts forbuildingsocialcapital. Putnam andFeldsteinshowedthatlibrariesarecat- approach tobranchlibraryactivityandexpansion, examination oftheChicagoPublicLibraryandits and onefocusedexclusivelyonlibraries.Inan community buildingstoriesfromacrossthecountry, Robert Putnamdefinessocialcapital: Putnam’s centralargumentin improve. residents, economicactivityincreases,andschools with strongsocialcapital,crimedecreasesforall activity thatbuildssocialcapital.Inacommunity those whomaynotbeinvolvedinthecommunity Social capitalhastheabilitytotransformlivesof those networks. social networkshaverealvalueforthepeoplein ness. Thecentralinsightofthisapproachisthat reciprocity, mutualassistance,andtrustworthi- Social capitalreferstosocialnetworks,normsof In hislandmarkstudy, TRUST NETWORKS, NORMS AND otherwise. PutnamandFeldstein pointtotherole ple whomaynotshareexperiences witheachother networks thatbringtogether different typesofpeo- They areuniquelypositioned to“bridge”--build libraries aresignificantcommunity institutions. In thismodelofcommunityengagement,local an agentforchange. active andresponsivepartofthecommunity decorum inanoisyworld,thenewlibraryisan information oranoutpostofculture,quietand No longerapassiverepositoryofbooksand dote tohisowndirepredictions, with activistLewisFeldsteininproducingananti- ty lifeandrelationships.In2003,Putnamjoined the countrythatshowedaresurgenceincommuni- respectfully disagreed,citingstoriesfromaround despair forthefutureofourdemocracy. Others tistically supportedthatitcausedmanyreadersto That argumentwassocarefullyresearchedandsta- that socialcapitalwasonthewaneinAmericanlife. In and Revival of American Community American of Revival and Restoring the American Community American the Restoring Better Together Better , PutnamandFeldsteincollected Bowling Alone: The Collapse The Alone: Bowling Bowling Alone Bowling Better Together: Better . , sociologist was

5 INTRODUCTION 6 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY engaged theircommunitiesinavarietyofways. from severalneighborhoodbranchesthathave Public Libraryforacloserlook,collectingstories Northwestern UniversityreturnedtotheChicago Asset-Based CommunityDevelopmentInstituteat Public LibraryFoundation,researchersfromthe The ChicagoCommunityTrust andtheChicago Urban LibrariesCouncilwithgeneroussupportfrom this vision.Inreport,commissionedbythe elected officials,andsometoolsforimplementing a concertedeffort,supportfromadministrationand How dolibrariesstimulatesocialnetworks?Ittakes COMMUNITY PLAYERS ENGAGED LIBRARIES AS keeps themcomingback. predictions, isdrawingpeopleintothelibrary, and the internet,ratherthanbeinglibrary-killerof reinvestment anddevelopment.Theyrevealthat a communityaroundphysically, encouragingfurther dents. Theyshowhow‘planting’alibrarycanturn branch librariesplayinbridgingrichandpoorresi- fabric ofcommunitylife. order todecidehowandwhereengageinthe activities andinquiriesforlibrariestoundertakein The lastsectionofthisreportprovidesatoolbox-- work catalystsandcommunityplayers. makers intoavidsupporters.Theycanbenet- contribute tosocialcapital.Theycanmakepolicy building thoserelationshipsandnetworksthat they canconnecttoallpartsofacommunity, all, alevelofcommunitytrust.Withtheseassets, sense ofownershipbythecommunityand,above nity space,connectionstothelocaleconomy, a to thetablewithawealthofassets:freecommu- munities--can trulybuildcommunity. Theycome charged withbeingmoreengagedintheircom- creativity inprogrammingandoutreach, Libraries--if giventheresourcesandsupportfor Mary A.Dempseyforherinsightsandperspective. they askedChicagoPublicLibraryCommissioner library systemsareapparent.To testtheselessons, themes andlessonsincommunitybuildingfor its facilitiesandneighborhoodisunique),common Although eachstoryisunique(asbranchand Photo: Todd Patrick Deeply Embedded ON THE NORTH SIDE Northtown Chamber ofCommerce,theNorthtown held OfficerandBoardMember postsinthe much apartofWest Ridge.Overtheyears, shehas tinuous presenceatthebranch thatmakesherso and finally, BranchManager. Butitisn’t onlyhercon- as achildren’s librarian,thenactingBranchManager, munity. ShehasbeenatNorthtownfor19years,first the mostrecognizedpeopleinWest Ridgecom- And lotsofpeopledodropby. Infact,Roseisoneof to dropby. can alsoseein,andifRoseisthere,theyarewelcome tant partofthisbigwindowisthatanylibrarypatron arrayed onthewindowsill.Probablymostimpor- trophies andotherassorted,well,stuff,thatRosehas of GreenBayPackersmemorabilia,bobble-headdolls, library spaceifshelookspasttheamazingcollection glass windowfromwhichavisitorcanseethewhole Branch Manager, RosePowers.Theofficehasabig Just totherightofentrancesitsoffice patrons atalmostanytimeoftheday. one ofits10,000squarefeetisfilledwithavariety library-sponsored programsandclasses.Andevery 100, isbookedeverydaywithcommunitymeetings, Urdu/Hindi, andBengali.ItsAuditorium,withroomfor lections inEnglish,Russian,Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, It servesanincrediblydiversecommunity, andhascol- Northtown isoneofthebusiestbranchesinChicago. Appearances aredeceivinginthiscase,however, as commercial buildings. house, anditissurroundedonbothsidesbyother 1962; ithasthelow-slunglookofagymorfield California, youmightmissit.Thebuildingdatesfrom Library’s NorthtownBranch.Drivinginacaron of CaliforniaandDevon,sitstheChicagoPublic of Chicago,afewdoorsnorththebusyintersection CHAPTER 1

7 CHAPTER 1 8 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY at Warren, DianeSchilz,hadstartedaTeen Board she’d findteens,Warren Park.TheParkSupervisor young people,soRosewent to theplacesheknew The BlueSkiesprojectalso required theinputof business people,”shesays. its Secretary. “ThatwashowIbegantoknowthe She hasbeenontheBoardeversinceandtodayis join thenewBoardofChamber, and sheagreed. and heagreed.Hesurprisedherbyaskingto She askedhimtojointheBlueSkiesadvisoryboard Chamber ofCommerceatthetimeRose’s visit. that hewasworkinghardtoresurrectadormant is itsVPforCommunityRelations.Andithappened Park andWest Ridgecommunities,andIrvLoundy institution, hadlongbeeninvolvedintheRogers appointment.” DevonBank,alocal,family-owned Devon Bank,soIcalledhimupandmadean one thatappearedmostoftenwasIrvLoundyat weeks, lookingfornamesIsawoverandover. The “I wenttothelocalpaperandreadeverypagefor munity were. ment wastofindoutwhotheleadersincom- awarded aBlueSkiesgrant,andRose’s firstassign- and familiesintheircommunities.Northtownwas staff tocreateinnovativeprogramsforthechildren skills ofcommunityleaders,businessesandlibrary Public LibraryFoundation,combinedtheeffortsand The ChicagoCommunityTrust throughtheChicago Librarian. Theaward-winningproject,fundedby back intheearly‘90swhenshewasChildren’s munity totheBlueSkiesforLibraryKidsproject Rose creditsherinitialinvolvementinthelocalcom- RELATIONSHIPS OF A WEB the community.” to lead.You needtomakeapositiveimpressionin Bungalow group?You neverknowwhereit’s going relationship with]theGardenSocietymaygo,or word spreads,”shesays.“Whoknowswhere[the these peopleareinvolvedinmultiplegroups,so a goodexperiencewithme,then,inmostcases, get toknow[neighborhoodleaders]andtheyhave is acentralpartofherjobasBranchManager. “IfI To Rose,thisnurturingofcommunityrelationships Rose Powers. anything intheneighborhoodwithoutbumpinginto other neighborhoodassociations.It’s hardtodo Ridge HistoricChicagoBungalowClubandmany member oftheNorthtownGardenClub,West Kiwanis ClubandtheHighRidgeYMCA.Sheisa new webofrelationshipsforthe NorthtownBranch. movers andshakersthatRose hopeswillprovidea The Bungalowownersinclude somecity-wide stuff, manyofthemhadnever beeninherebefore.” things likethathere.Tons offolksshowupforthat grams onrestorationandwindowssiding And theylovethosebungalows.We’ve hadpro- world folksintheneighborhood,earthmothers. Chicago BungalowClub.“Thesearethesave-the- for them.”AnotherwastheWest RidgeHistoric Literary Society. “IexpandedtheYiddish collection a fewgroupstoNorthtown.OnewasYIVO,Yiddish meetings itcouldholdinitsfacilities,IrvLoundysent When DevonBankhadtocutbackonthenumberof needs abookorsomething,he’llcallmeup.” “He referstomeas‘littleRosie’,hisgirlfriend.Ifhe ship withthesittingalderman,BernieStone(50th). a cityemployee,butshealsohasgoodrelation- Friends. Rosestaysneutralinpoliticalmatters,as nity andhasrunforpublicoffice,isafounderofthe Mike Moses,alawyerwhogrewupinthecommu- and theydon’t tryto“domyjob.They’regreat.” for libraryimprovementswhenRoseasksthem, community,” shesays.TheFriendsraisemoney believe thatthelibraryisanimportantpartof coming backbecausetheywereeducatedto know usfromwhentheywerekids.Theykeep this communitygrewupinand its activityhasincreased.“Manypeoplewholivein existed beforeRosebecameBranchManager, but The FriendsoftheNorthtownLibrarygrouphad involvement inthefutureofNorthtownBranch. Increased visibilityledtoincreasedcommunity books fortheSummerReadingProgram. the KiwanisClubunderwritespurchaseof later sheservedasKiwanisPresident.To thisday, Club sponsoredRoseformembership;afewyears lunch asguestspeaker. Oneseniormemberofthe local KiwanisClubandbroughtRosetoa mer DirectoroftheYwasalsoamember the HighRidgeYMCA,afewblocksaway. Afor- Involvement withtheparkledtoinvolvement branch’s auditorium. facilities thatcan’t beaccommodatedinthe Program; thebranchrefersgroupstopark’s campers participateintheCPLSummerReading between theparkandbranch.Warren Parkday Northtown branch,andalong-termcollaboration was thebeginningofaTeen AdvisoryBoardatthe teens felttheyneededfromthelibrary. Thisinquiry there, soRosemetwiththemtofindoutwhat folks whoonlyusethelibraryforInternetaccess. And theInternetstationsbringinadifferentsetof staff. TheGEDteacherlivesinthecommunity.” week—same teacher. It’s liketheyarepartofthe have aTruman GEDclassthatmeetsheretwicea meets heretwiceaweek—sameteacher. We also “We haveanESLclassfromTruman Collegethat done aroundherebefore.” ture becausetheyalreadyknowitandit’s been ests. Theydon’t needtolearnabouttheirowncul- everybody else,becausetheyhavethesameinter- clientele. “Isaid,exactlythesamewayIdofor Rose howsheprogrammedforIndianandPakistani ing aninfluxinSouthAsianpatronsonceasked One branchmanagerwhoselibrarywasexperienc- Auditorium. Friends whenneeded.Andallofthemfillthe ances, aredoneonashoestringwithhelpfromthe many otherprograms,includingauthorappear- and discussionsofJacktheRipper. Theseand held. She’s sponsoredworkshopsonFengShui Chicago BotanicGarden,gardeningclasseswere Through theBloomingBranchespartnershipwith do aworkshoponarrangingweddingflowers. She broughtintheGethsemaneGardenCenterto strations fromavarietyofneighborhoodcultures. come inhere”.Therehavebeencookingdemon- gramming toattractpeoplethatdon’t normally ming goingatNorthtown;“Itrytododifferingpro- In response,Rosekeepsarichvarietyofprogram- WAYS LIKE A FAMILY INSOME use oftheNorthtownBranch. and allofthemincreasethevisibility, activityand The connectionsgooninaneverexpandingweb, the 24thDistrictandlocalpolice. led tonewrelationshipswiththeCommanderof Beat MeetingsandgotRoseinvolvedinthem.That Avy Meyers,isactiveintheCommunityPolicing word outaboutlibraryprograms,butit’s producer, Town NewsMagazine,notonlyhelpshergetthe appearances onthelocalcableaccessshow, North in theIndianandPakistanicommunities.Her Club; theChamberofCommercegavehercontacts The BungalowownersintroducedhertotheGarden community. tionship buildingprocesswiththesurrounding other neighborhoodlibrariestouseintheirrela- some lessonsandreplicabletoolswillemergefor examine eachofthesethreads.Inthismanner, our guide,wewillbringintheseothervoicesand space alibraryprovides.UsingRosePowersas nesses. Anotherthreadinvolvesthephysical ple ofdiverseculturesandneighborhoodbusi- tutions, neighborhoodgroups,youngpeople,peo- these librarians,waystoinvolvecommunityinsti- threads runthrougheachofthestoriestoldby both libraryandcommunity. Somecommon process ofrelationshipbuildinghasbenefited Managers hasbroughttolightwaysinwhichthe But aseriesofconversationswithotherBranch good.” cess ofherefforts.Asshesays,“Continuityis ty inthecommunityisanimportantpartofsuc- introduces themtoeveryoneelse.Andherlongevi- connector—someone whoknowseveryoneand alone. To besure,sheisararekindofperson, to betheconsequenceofRosePowers’efforts the lifeofsurroundingcommunitymightseem The centralroleplayedbytheNorthtownBranchin STORIES OF A WEB some ways.” can comewhentheyneedus.It’s likefamilyin Branch. “Iwantthemtoknowwe’rehere.They For Rose,thisisallpartoftheroleNorthtown ming forthem. often now, andshe’dliketodomoreprogram- Rose. Misericordiaresidentscometolibrary Mexican folks.Theyallcameandlovedit,”says friends, neighborhoodresidents,Indianfolks, packed. “Itwasn’t justtheirfamilies,but library inJuly2004andtheAuditoriumwas munity. Thegroupgavetheirfirstconcertat dents. Heproposedthattheysingforthecom- had organizedasinginggroupmadeupofresi- But aFriendsmemberwhovolunteeredthere their residentsoffthelargecampusforevents. Misericordia staffhasbeenwaryofbringing ern edgeofthecommunity. Foryears, and physicallychallengedadultssitsontheeast- Misericordia, thelargegrouphomeformentally

9 CHAPTER 1 10 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Institutional Partnering “WE’RE ALL IN THIS “WE’RE ALL benefits fromtheengagement. actions aren’t one-waystreets,however. Everybody has interactedwiththemovertheyyears.Theseinter- and recountstoriesofthewaysinwhichlibrary the moversandshakersofNorthtowncommunity for thesamereason—theconnections,”Rosecanlist connections madelongbefore thenewdoorsopened. Irving children’s librarian,revealstheimportantroleof with Tony PowersandRamona Thompson,theAustin ence ofthenewbuilding,butafurtherconversation of thisactivitycancertainlybeattributedtothepres- and usethelibrarydifferentlyatdifferenttimes.”All meeting rooms—“groupsofusersthataredistinct internet users,folksattendingmeetingsinthenew munities ofpatrons—researchers,leisurereaders, city forcirculation.Itsfacilitiesareusedbymanycom- Austin Irvingisnowthesecondlargestbranchin higher now.” visibility withothercommunityorganizationsismuch very difficultnottofeelourpresencephysically. Our statement, BranchManagerTony Powersadmits,“It’s throughout atwo-storystructure.Inbitofunder- new libraryis15,000squarefeetofspacespread building onitsbusystretchofIrvingParkRoad.The square footstorefronttothelargestandmoststriking into itsnewhome,andintheprocesswentfroma800 southwest ofNorthtown.In2001,thebranchmoved for thestaffatAustinIrvingBranch,afewmiles Making connectionsissomewhateasierthesedays CONNECTIONS CHAPTER 2 lege,” saysDr. Guengerich.“Butmoreimportant,I Irving BranchandwithTony isbeneficialtothecol- “Clearly, Ifeelthatourinteractionwiththe Austin “We havegreatcommunityresources.” us toreplicatewhatWrightprovides,”saysTony. staff refersthemtoWright.“There’s no needfor or askwheretheycanstudyfortheGED,library And wheneverlibrarypatronsrequestESLclasses, club displaysitsworkinthelibrarygallery. liographic instruction.TheWrightCollegecamera faculty andstudentsusethelibraryasasiteforbib- Wright programs,”saysDr. Guengerich. Wright “Tony servesasavaluablesourceofinformationon Wright makedecisionsoncommunityprograms. College, helpingthePresidentandfacultyat serves onthePresident’s AdvisoryBoardatWright ticularly richforbothorganizations.Tony Powers The partnershipwiththeAustinIrvingBranchispar- Project Partnershipwiththe15thPoliceDistrict. Elementary School,andthePositiveAlternatives Festival, anAdopt-a-SchoolpartnershipwithGray Neighborhood EthnicFoodandEntertainment dent theatricalcompany, anannualArtFairand Orchestra, anannualculturaleventsseries,aresi- ples aretheNorthwestChicagoSymphony neighborhood institutions.Someimportantexam- years, thecollegehaspartneredwithavarietyof relationships withthelocalcommunity. Overthe Guengerich hascommittedtheCollegetobuilding opportunities thathisinstitutionprovides,Dr. College. Inadditiontotheclassesandtraining Dr. CharlesGuengerichisthePresidentofWright dents. dents and4,200AdultLearningSkillsProgramstu- regular creditstudents,6,000adulteducationstu- the question.Wrightservesapproximately6,500 whom tuitionatafour-year collegemightbeoutof high, andcommunitiesofworkingclassfamiliesfor language, communitieswherethedropoutrateis includes communitieswhereEnglishisnotthefirst tion. TheareaofthecityservedbyWrightCollege readiness programstoESLandGEDtestprepara- from traditionalacademicclassestojobtrainingand serves avarietyofconstituencieswitheverything Chicago. Likeallcommunitycolleges,Wright of WrightCollege,onetheCityColleges northern edgeoftheservicedistrictiscampus munities ofPortageParkandDunning.Onthe The AustinIrvingbranchservespartsofthecom- OPPORTUNITIES CREATING COMMUNITY share acommunity.” institutions committedtothehumanities.Andwe out thatitallmakessense.“Afterall,we’reboth dren’s programmingaswell.Tony Powerspoints Arts, RamonaThompsonhasapartnerinherchil- just needtoworktogether".IntheCenterfor organizations inthecommunity," shesays.“You to createcommunityandinteractwithother use moreresources.“Butyoudon'tneedmoney both theCenterandAustinIrvingBranchcould the relationshipwithlibrary. Sheadmitsthat Center fortheArts,valuesenergysuppliedby Jennifer LaCivita,theDirectorofPortagePark tion continues. that thelibraryhasitsnewbuilding,collabora- other duringthoseyearsinthebasement,andnow used materialsfromthelibrary. Eachenhancedthe art teachers;writingclassestaughtbythecenter greatly enhancedbytheparticipationofCenters children’s storytimessponsoredbythelibrarywere ming andofferings.Theysharedteachers.The two organizationsbegantocooperateonprogram- sharing morethanthespacewithlibrary. The The ArtsCentermovedintothechurchin2000, Park CenterfortheArts. ularity ofthechurch’s othertenant,thePortage increased duringthoseyears,partlyduetothepop- Park Road.Butthebranch’s circulationactually residential street,farfromthefoottrafficonIrving moved tothebasementofashutteredchurchon library building,theAustinIrvingcollectionandstaff During theyearsthatittooktoconstructnew CHURCH BASEMENT CREATIVITY IN THE community issues.Italsoserves asamethodfor points out.We workwithcommunityleaders on Park ChamberofCommerce,” Dr. Guengerich “Tony PowersandIsit on theBoardofPortage library regularly, andsupportslibraryprograms. Portage ParkChamberofCommercemeetsinthe many otherrelationshipsintheircommunity. The Tony PowersandRamonaThompsonhavebuilt OTHER CONNECTIONS life fortheresidentsofourcommunity.” are designedtomaintainandimprovethequalityof together, Ibelievethatwecreateopportunities think itisbeneficialtothecommunity. Working 11 CHAPTER 2 12 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Englewood Branch,notesthatherimmediateneigh- Keisha Garnett,BranchManageroftheWest relationships withlocalinstitutions. Other BranchManagerswemetarealsobuilding ty.” very visiblepresenceofthelibraryincommuni- Syndrome’ totheBranchLibrarian—youare your users.There’s alotofthe‘Mayberry says Tony. You haveadifferentrelationshipwith “That’s thefunthingaboutworkingatabranch,” karate tournament. Ramona hasevenservedasajudgeforhisannual as hehadhelpedthelibraryoveryears. Ramona andotherlibrarystaffhelpedhimrecover, When Mahmoudhadafamilytragedy, Tony, karate schoolacrossthestreetfromlibrary, Bambuoyani, isaparticularfriend.Heruns One boardmemberoftheChamber, Mahmoud for metopromoteactivitiesatWrightCollege.” Tony toreportonandpromotelibraryactivities, reminds us,“we’reallinthisforthesamereason.” good workdoneinacommunity. AsRosePowers engaged withotherlocalinstitutionsamplifiesthe gramming, notduplicatingeffortsandstaying Collaboration, complementingeachother’s pro- Mexican neighborhood. tions wasacauseforcelebrationinthelargely library. Theadditionoftwonewcommunityinstitu- riculum topicswerefeaturedatthenewbranch for the2005-2006schoolyear, collectionsoncur- Village community. When thenewschoolopened School CouncilofanewhighschoolintheLittle Branch collaborateswiththePrincipalandLocal Teresa Madrigal ofthenewlyreopenedToman munity andculturalresearcheachweek. group thatbringsmemberstothebranchdocom- and hasalreadybeguntocollaboratewithonechurch tions inanycommunity. Sheplanstovisiteachone, borhood hasover300churches,importantinstitu- Culture Connections “AFTER 9/11, special,” saysRose. together andtry, thenyou’vereallygotsomething you’ve gotcommunityleaderswhoarewillingtowork reach strategiestothelibrary’s new neighbors. “If Chamber ofCommercearehelpingtodevelopout- expand Bosniancollection.Hercontactsatthe began toresearchthecultureandisplanning Bosnian refugeesinthecommunitywasgrowing,she hearing fromacommunitycontactthatthenumberof Rose tokeeplearningandchanging,however. After The diversityofthelocalcommunitydoesrequire grams welcometheentirecommunity. reflect theunityofcommunity. Allofherpro- English. ButRoseisadamantthatthelibraryalso growing itscollectionsinlanguagesotherthan the neighborhood’s culturesinobviousways,like sity, andtheNorthtownLibraryhastriedtocelebrate The West Ridge communityfindsstrengthinitsdiver- along aroundhere.It’s reallyverynice.” overseas, everybodyseemstomakeaneffortget all thedifferentgroupsthatarefightingeachother she’s gladshedid.“AlltheyearsI’vebeenhere,with neighborhood networksmadeherreconsider, and descent wereundersuspicion.Butthestrengthof seemed toberisingduringthedayandpeopleofArab getting permissiontoclosethebranch,astension Powers remembersadifficultday. “Sheconsidered in thisneighborhood.”BackatNorthtown,Rose a lotofpeopleassumedtherewasgoingtobetrouble the enormouscommunity ofLittleVillage, or, asneigh- On theoppositesideofcity fromWest Ridgelies LITTLE VILLAGE IN WORKING TOGETHER CHAPTER 3 13 CHAPTER 3 14 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY everything sparkleswithpotentialforher. river. NowthatthenewToman hasjustopened, branch intheMcKinleyParkcommunityacross children’s librarian,spentthoseyearsatanearby three years.Teresa, whohadstartedatToman asa tied, LittleVillage wentwithoutapubliclibraryfor reconstruction requiredtheoldlibrarytobeemp- facility, asitwasalongtimecoming.Becausethe Toman Library. Sheiseagertoshowoffhernew Teresa Madrigal istheBranchManagerof building. Itisatrulyspectacularplace. library, butwiththewarmthanddignityofold essary technologicalupgradesneededinamodern a libraryofover15,000squarefeet,withallthenec- sign inEnglishandSpanish.Theexpansioncreated lar stonearches,abrightatriumandwelcoming Then thenewadditioncomesintoview, withsimi- brick andterracottafaçadehighwindows. sees thebeautifullyrestoredoldbuilding,withits As avisitorapproachesfrom26thStreet,shefirst library inthecommunity. people inthecommunitygrew. Toman istheonly building, ithadoutgrownitselfasthenumberof library openedin1927andisconsideredahistoric after acompleterenovation.Althoughtheoriginal Toman BranchbuildingreopenedinJune,2005, the ChicagoPublicLibrary’s Toman Library. The A fewblockssouth26thStreetonPulaskiRoadis associate withtheirculture. every weekendtobuythegoodsandfoodsthey they liveasfillthe26thStreetshoppingdistrict for peopleofMexicanheritagenomatterwhere below theageof25.LittleVillage isadestination youngest populationsinthecity, withalmost60% tions, mostlyMexican-American;ithasoneofthe home tooneofthecity’s fastestgrowingpopula- takes quiteawhiletotraverse,evenincar. Itis River allthewaytocitylimits,LittleVillage bors callit,LaVillita. StretchingalongtheChicago cial requirements. Mexico, sheseesthisprocess asonethathasspe- says. Andbecauseshewas bornandraisedin the oldlibrary. “Iamreintroducingmyself,” she people whonowlivetheredon’t evenremember Because ofthegrowthcommunity, many munity haschangedsincethelibraryclosed.” has deepconnectionstothecommunity, “thecom- Teresa isquicktopointoutthateventhoughshe RE-ENGAGING they canfindstrength.”Teresa wants touseher she says.“Iwantthistofeel liketheplacewhere home. “Thelibraryshouldbe thatplaceforthem,” quate asshetriedtolearnthe languageandfinda She tellsofthemanywaysin whichshefeltinade- kindergarten.” didn’t knowthelanguage,soIfeltlikewasbackin an adult,andIalreadyhadacollegedegree.But She tellsofherarrivalinChicago.“Icamehereas so differentthantheoneinwhichtheygrewup. family togetherwhilemakingtheirwayinaculture Little Village, motherswhostruggletokeeptheir Teresa feelsaspecialdedicationtothewomenof COMMITMENT A PERSONAL time withoutalibrary.” says. “Theywaitedforthreeyears.Itwasalong the lifeofcommunityafteritstimeaway, she All ofthesearewaystobringthelibrarybackinto otherwise knowaboutthelibraryorhowtouseit. way, asitwillbringinmorepeoplewhomightnot Little Village, Teresa wouldliketoprovidethemany- Although therearemanyoutletsforESLclassesin accommodations. community filledwithchildren,thesearenecessary “I’d liketodofamilyreadingdaysaswell.”Ina club orclass,workontheinternet,”shesays. “Moms canbringkidstostoryhourthengotheir dren’s eventsatthesametimeasadultevents. Rosa Reyes-Sanchez,aretryingtoschedulechil- and Teresa andherlong-timeChildren’s Librarian, All ofthechildren’s programmingisalsobi-lingual, grams aswell. She isplanningliteracyandfinancialpro- Mexican paperstofindoutwhat’s happeningthere. encourages folkstocomethelibraryread many patronsdidnotknowexisted.Shealso to communicatewithrelativesinMexico,aservice She ispromotingE-mailuseasaninexpensiveway clubs andinternetclassesinEnglishSpanish. based onitsculture.Sosheisstartingadultbook ming thatmeetstheneedsofhercommunity She istryingtodesignabroadarrayofprogram- library—this beautifulbuildingwastheirstouse. library userstotheconceptofafree,public does itcost?’”Teresa introducedmanyfirsttime used togettingthingsforfree—theyasked‘what waiting atthedoor. InMexico,familiesarenot “The firstdaythelibraryreopened,peoplewere library—brings asenseofresponsibility. “Thinkof light up.”ForTony, thisidea—thefreepublic much?’ Andwhenyoutellthemit’s free,theireyes open toeveryoneamazesthem.Theyask‘how the AustinIrvinglibrary. “Theideathatthelibraryis talked aboutthemostlyPolishimmigrantsthatuse Tony PowersechoedTeresa’s experienceashe of theextraeffortstheyhavemade. ous oreasy. Librarianswetalkedtonamedafew way toaccomplishthatreflectionisnotallobvi- cultures ofthecommunityaroundit,butoften It mayseemobviousthatalibraryshouldreflectthe CULTURE REFLECTIONS us againinayear.” special hereisthepeopleonstaff—comesee Toman andknowthecommunitywell.“What’s community, Teresa andRosaareold-timersat Village. Althoughnoneofthemareresidentsthe the newToman aculturalcelebrationinLittle Teresa andher11staffarecommittedtomaking and Iamjustlikethem.” advanced degree.HereIamrunningthislibrary, is possible.“Ilearnedthelanguage;Igotan women sheencountersinthelibrarythatanything story andheraccomplishmentstoshowthe Photo: Todd Patrick Rose, “You havetogetoutthedoor.” community.’ To understandthatculturalpulse,says depends onhowwellitunderstandsthat‘pulseof how alibraryengageswithindiversecultures ent culturesareallinterestedinthesamethings, Even asRosePowersremindsusthatfolksofdiffer- munity,” saysKeisha. me—how tobestservetheAfrican-Americancom- community. “Thisisallamajorconsiderationfor borhood activiststhatworkonissuesrelatedtothe African Americanfiction,andconnectswithneigh- American culture,carriesanextensivecollectionof Englewood Library, doesprogramsonAfrican Keisha Garnett,theBranchManagerofWest Mexican communityontheSoutheastSide. to meettheinformationandlearningneedsof ty”. Thatpulsethenrequireshimtocreateways his understandingofthe“pulsecommuni- work hedoesoutsideofthelibraryasessentialto At theVodak Branch,RichardMcLellandseesthe unique roletoplay.” There aren’t manyplaceslikethat.We haveavery on in.Nobodyaskswhatyouaredoingthere. you don’t have tosignin—we’rejusthere.Come buildings thatyoucangointo,65hoursaweek,and it inthelargercontext.Therearenotmanypublic 15 CHAPTER 3 16 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY For the Young People EVERYTHING the newlibrary“acommunitypillar.” community willbecomeevengreater.” Huntercalls place ofeducationalempowerment,itsroleinthe West Englewood Library. “Sincethepubliclibraryisa opment. Inthemidstofthisscenesitsbrandnew time; nowsomepartsofitappearclearedforredevel- suffered fromdisinvestmentandabandonmentover only oneortworemaininghomes.Englewoodhas 63rd Streetisalltheopenspace.Someblockshave One ofthefirstthingsavisitornoticesdrivingeaston Development Corporation. Hunter ofRebirthEnglewoodCommunity to thisonce-prominentneighborhood,”saysStephen project thatwillbringasenseofunityandwealthback community isundergoingamassiveredevelopment is changinginWest Englewood.“TheEnglewood has falleninlovewiththelibrary.” opening beforeitopened.And nowthecommunity there wasgreatexcitement over theprospectof introduced towhatalibraryis—especially thekids.But “Since thelibraryisnew, theneighborhood hadtobe anchor. velopment, saysKeisha,bycreatingacommunity West Englewoodwasaconsciousefforttospurrede- west oreast.Thedecisiontoplaceanewbranchin West Englewood.Theclosestbrancheswereamile 2003. Priortoitsconstruction,therewasnolibraryin Englewood, andhasbeensincethebuildingopenedin Keisha GarnettistheBranchManagerofWest THEM” “A BETTERPLACE FOR CHAPTER 4 and usethelibrary.” had togetlibrarycards.So,nowtheycomeback here bytheinternet,andtousethey and tookthemtoschool.But,theyweredrawn than school.“Thepolicecameandfoundthem, Somehow, thelibraryseemedabetterplacetogo net stationseveryday. Theyweretruants. Last fall,Keishanoticedagroupofkidsattheinter- for themthanthestreets.” try tomakethelibrarythatplace.It’s abetterplace tives; allneedtofeelsomethinglikestability. “We around.” Manylivewithextendedfamilyorrela- kids inthisneighborhood,andtheygetmoved transitional. “We haveahugepopulationoffoster almost alladults.Young people,shesays,arevery Keisha pointsoutthatthelong-timeresidentsare what’s goingon. Neighborhood HousingServicesthatletherknow zations likeRebirthofEnglewoodCDCand do that,shehastokeepintouchwithlocalorgani- putting outsmallbrushfiresofrumor. Inorderto borhood informationsource,Keishafindsherself are rife,andsincethelibraryisseenasneigh- wealthier folksmoveintonewhousing.Rumors ment effortswillleavethemoutofthepictureas Some long-timeresidentsworrythattheredevelop- made plansforcooperative activities forstudents principal there;heisreally excited.” Theyhave ting readyforschool.“I’vemet oftenwiththenew hood youthhavebeeninand out ofthebranchget- mer readinglistforfreshmen,andmanyneighbor- Lindbloom. Keishahasstockedthebooksonsum- has beenthesiteforplanningmeetingsnew Throughout thelastyear, West EnglewoodLibrary and nowthestudentsareabouttoreturn. riculum andadministrationhasbeenputinplace, about tore-open.Thismeansanewfaculty, cur- Under Renaissance2010,LindbloomHighSchoolis keep currentwiththeplans. meetings andLocalSchoolCouncilto process, andKeishahasattendedcommunity and whowillbeabletore-enrollsurroundsthis 2010 initiative.Uncertaintyaboutwhatwillhappen under theChicagoPublicSchoolsRenaissance have beenorarebeingclosedandrestructured and twogradeschoolsinthebranch’s servicearea skip schooltogothelibrary. Bothhighschools It isnosurprisethatkidsinWest Englewoodmight SCHOOLS IN TRANSITION internet, beamingwhenthey dowell. ties, andtheirgrandmotherworks withthemonthe almost everyday. Bothboyshavelearning disabili- wheelchair whobringsher two grandchildrenin internet withtheirkids.Keishatellsofaladyin ents andgrandparentsarecomingintolearnthe Summer ReadingProgram.Andmorefosterpar- unteered toassistinprogramsforteens,likethe Slowly butsurely, adultsinthecommunityhavevol- they werereading.SoIorderedmoreofit.” body-building andhowtoapplymake-upwerewhat they wanttomakethemselvesperfect.Bookson They areatthatagewheretheyfeelinsecureand the shelves”,shemarveled.“Butthenitmadesense. teens weretheself-helpbooks.“Thatstuffflewoff lyzed circulation,shediscoveredthattherealdrawfor with AfricanAmericanthemes.Butwhensheana- Keisha focusedherorderingonyoungpeople’s fiction When shewasassemblingthelibrarycollection, have stayedontobecomepaidpages. way. Butafewofthesedesperate‘volunteers’ passed throughTheWest EnglewoodLibrarythis laughs. Approximately15youngpeoplehave tell themweareonlyopensolongeachday,” she last minuteandwanttodoall40hoursatonce.“I ments atschool,andoftenhavewaiteduntilthe They needtomeetcommunityservicerequire- Teens doapproachhertovolunteeratthelibrary. we try.” ple. “Summerisahardtimetogetteensin,but local churchestoreachtheiraffiliatedyoungpeo- tion. Shehopestodooutreachthroughthe300 ting teensthroughthedoor. Keishaisnoexcep- Any librarianwilltellyouitisn’t alwayseasyget- THE LIBRARY DRAWINGINTO TEENS sometimes changehurts…” afraid,” shesays.“Butitmightbeforthebetter— ability oflocalkidstoreturnHarper. Folksare “There’s aneighborhoodsuspicionregardingthe has alsoattendedmeetingsofHarperparents. some discussionthatittoomightbeclosed.Keisha ents foritsfailingschoolreportcard,andthereis Harper High.hasbeenunderfirefrompar- Things aren’t sohopefulattheotherhighschool, underway. ways toworkcloselyasthenewschoolyeargets and theirparentsorguardiansareexploring 17 CHAPTER 4 18 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY as thenumberofhighschoolagestudentsskyrock- groups tositeanewschoolrelieveovercrowding result ofadecade-longstrugglebyneighborhood In LittleVillage, thebrandnewhighschoolis kids everyweek. time presentationsdraw75-90parentswithyoung mom’s grouptosupporteachother.” Thosestory and someofthemhavegoneoffstarteda pre-school storytime.Theyformfriendshipsthere, “Some moms’wholesocialworldisthelibrary’s ents thatherchildren’s programmingprovides. she says.Shealsopointstothebenefitsforpar- tume topromotetheSummerReadingProgram,” tacts. Oneofthemactuallydressedupinacos- “The schoollibrariansaremybestcommunitycon- every classroominschoolherservicearea. Ramona ThompsonatAustinIrvingBranchvisits that standout. dren andyouth,theextraconnectionsarethose Within thisrichfoundationofprogrammingforchil- ists, dramatistsandsometimesbabysitters. the library. Theyhavetobeartsandcraftsspecial- for thenumberofbookstheyreadandreportonat Summer ReadingProgram,inwhichkidswinprizes schools, publicandprivate.Theyorganizethe hours formanyagegroups.Theyvisitalllocal The Children’s Librariansuniformlyconductstory for youngpeopleisastapleallCPLbranches. Cooperation withlocalschoolsandprogramming when itcametoyoungpeopleandschools. Our conversationswithBranchManagerswererich POLICY PROGRAMMING BEYOND ples’ hands—howeverweneedtodoit.” goal forthelibraryistogetinformationintopeo- their lives.Forher, itisallpartofhermission:“My a welcomingplaceinthemidstofupheaval organizations tofigureouthowmakethelibrary and Keishaconnectswithalllevelsofneighborhood for them.Buttheneedsoflocalyoutharegreat, adult patronsandprovidesmanyuniqueresources Of course,theWest EnglewoodLibraryalsohas the dayitwasreceived. out the10copiesofnewHarryPotterbookon dog storyaboutcreatingalotteryforkidstocheck necting kidsandbooksasshetellsalong,shaggy Later, hereyeslightupwiththefuninvolved incon- and admiretheirwork.” their idea,butweallbenefit.Peoplecomeinhere attractive spaceintheirlibrary. “Themuralswere ed bytheyoungpeoplewhosawaneedforan This displayofpublicartwasdesignedandexecut- the BlueSkiesprojectandhasexistedsince1993. by theTeen AdvisoryCouncilthatemergedfrom on thewallsofauditorium.Theywereputthere She isquicktoshowoffthecolorfulmuralspainted behave whentheyarehere.” as shespeaks:“Icanbeprettymean;Imakethem Children’s LibrarianpopsupintheBranchManager before becomingBranchManager. Often,the Rose wastheChildren’s LibrarianatNorthtown ents knowthatwecan’t watchthem.” lic placeandanyonecancomein.We trytoletpar- unattended inapubliclibrary,” shesays.“It’s apub- have nochoice.“I’dneverleavemykidsaloneand library althoughsheunderstandsthattheparents latch-key kidswhowaitfortheirparentsatthe Back atNorthtown,RosePowersworriesabout be employedbenefitseveryone,itseems. says. Givingyoungpeopleaplacetocontributeand “We’d neversurvivewithoutourvolunteers,”she So doesRamonaThompsonatAustinIrving. teer fortheSummerReadingProgrameveryyear. Toman, Teresa Madrigalhassometeensthatvolun- “but weneverturnthemaway,” hesays.At fill thecommunityservicerequirementsatschool, us thatway.” Otherscomethroughthedoortoful- Tony Powerssays“Oneofourbestpagescameto court todocommunityservicecleartheirrecord. Some are‘mandatoryvolunteers’—assignedbythe Everyone sharedstoriesaboutyouthvolunteers. attends them. the siteofalltheirmeetings,andTeresa Madrigal community. TheToman Branchcommunityroomis the ChicagoParkDistricttobuildanewparkin ets. Now, thesameactivistgroupsarepressuring Fitting Together “SOMETIMES fered fromahostofenvironmental challenges— for redevelopment.Inaddition, theareahaslongsuf- have emergedtosupportjobless workersandadvocate the closingofmills,new community organizations activity touchedmosthouseholds. Intheyearssince rounding themhaveahistoryof beingorganized.Union Because ofthesteelindustry, theneighborhoodssur- once theeconomiclifebloodofregion. disinvestment causedbythelossofsteelindustryjobs, Deering. Allofthesecommunitieshaveexperiencedthe South Chicago,andthemilltownneighborhoodof Latino. ItalsoservesthehistoricallyLatinocommunityof eastern Europeanneighborhoodthatnowismajority the SoutheastSideknownasEastSide,onceamostly Vodak iscurrentlylocatedonEwingAvenue inthepart of The Vodak Branchopenedin1955,andexpanded1993. CONCERNS IDENTIFYING LOCAL an unusualchallenge. Vodak BranchanditsManager, RichardMcLelland,have hood.” Inthemidstofthisprofusionactivity, theCPL’s maybe therearetoomanyorganizationsinthisneighbor- Side. Onecommunityleaderwistfullyjoked,“Just neighborhoods, really—isonChicago’s farSoutheast already undertaken.Onesuchcommunity—threedistinct the roleoflibraryisoftentofindwayssupportwork In acommunitywithlotsofopportunitiesforconnections, West Ridge communitynotbeensorichinorganizations. ders howthingsmighthavebeendifferentforherhadthe door…” Inacontemplativemoment,RosePowerswon- to makeithappen.Butyoustillhavegetoutthe it dependsonthecommunity. You’d havetoworkharder CHAPTER 5 19 CHAPTER 5 20 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY and ESLclassesisalsoofinterest. Linking upwithOlive-HarveyCityCollegetoofferGED A Spanish-speakingbookclubwillbeactivelypursued. Mexican, communityinEastSideandSouthChicago. ming tobetterreachtheHispanic,predominantly McLelland wouldalsoliketoexpandVodak’s program- collection. munity. Theywillbeshowcasedintheexpandednew cation andpreservationaretwohottopicsinthecom- Small businessdevelopmentandenvironmentaledu- outreach.” focusing especiallyonmaterialsthatwouldsupportour are spending$400,000onnewmaterials,sowe’re expressed bythecommunity. “Inthisnewlibrary, we responding directlytotheinterestsandneeds He isworkingtoexpandthenewlibrary’s collection, tions thelibrarycanmake. and hasalreadybeguntoprepareforthenewcontribu- outreach. RichardMcLellandwelcomesthischange, materials andenhancedopportunitiesforcommunity better meetingroom,amoreexpansivecollectionof Accompanying thisnewspacewillbealargerstaff, times thesizeofstorefrontVodak nowoccupies. 2005. At15,000sq.ft.,thenewbuildingwillbethree on abrandnewbuilding,duetoopenattheendof to addanewanchor. Constructionisalmostcomplete Into thisorganizationalmix,theVodak Libraryisabout this history. local andinstitutionalhistorianstodocumentteach history. Soseveralprojectshavebeenundertakenby nic groupsanditscontributionstolaborindustrial deeply proudofthehistorycommunity, itseth- address theselocalissues.Finally, localresidentsare sensitive wetlands.Activeenvironmentalorganizations illegal landfills,hazardouswastesitesandpollutionof organizations that areavailabletoSoutheastresidents to shareinformationaboutthe socialservicesand assist librarypatrons.Thestaff arenotonlyequipped draw upontheirexpansivecommunity knowledgeto Vodak Branchlibrarystaffandsecurityguards often who probablyknowstheirfamily andbackground.The likely begreetedbytheirfirstname,astaffmember years. PeoplewhoentertheVodak Branch,willmost that haveworkedontheSoutheastSideforover30 McLelland. TheVodak Branchhastwostaffmembers into thenewbuildingiscriticallyimportanttoRichard Carrying thecommunityconnectionsofoldlibrary AND HISTORY COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CONNECTING TO those areas.” just anokaycollectionbutaphenomenal collectionin mental cleanuporlocalhistory, [weseek tohave]not er thecommunitygroupswant, whetheritsenviron- gral partofthecommunity,” hesays. “So thatwhatev- groups andorganizations.“We aretrying tobeaninte- rich historythroughpresentationstocommunity In addition,McLellandalsospreadsthecommunity’s accessible venueforthesevaluablehistoricalmaterials. hopes thatthenewlibrarybuildingwillprovideamore open tothepubliconedayofweek.McLelland house. Becausetheroomhaslimitedspace,itisonly rently housedinaroomattheCalumetParkfield Historical Societyanditsextensivecollectionarecur- with SoutheastHistoricalSociety. TheSoutheast the community’s richhistory, McLellandalso works Recognizing theimportanceofpreservingandsharing a finejobandisalwayscooperativewithus.” environmentally important,”saysShepherd.“Hedoes SETF, and“alwaysfeaturesbooksthatSETFviewsas done researchforpossiblegrantopportunities er anddiscusscommunitymatters.”McLellandhas Now, we’reclosesocially. We oftenhavelunchtogeth- banquets andparticipatingineventsmeetings. become involvedincommunityaffairs,attendingour involvement withthegroup.“Hewaseagerto Environmental Task Force(SETF)recallshisearly organizations. Tom ShepardoftheSoutheast McLelland alsopartnerswithlocalenvironmental opened. meetings tothelibrary, oncethenewbuildingis programs. Theyarealsoconsideringmovingtheir the Chamberhasbecomeaconduittopromotelibrary John ClarkealsocommentedthatbecauseofRichard, he hasstayedinvolvedandkeptahighprofile.” tions. “Hehitthegroundrunning,”saysClarke,“and es RichardMcLelland’s involvementintheseorganiza- Chamber ofCommerceandLionsClubmember, prais- young people.JohnClarke,PresidentoftheEastSide gave $150tosupportthesummerreadingprogramfor efits totheVodak branch.Thispastyear, theLion’s Club Club, andhasusedhisconnectionstheretobringben- McLelland isalsoamemberoftheEastSideLions has usedthelibraryasaresourceforbothChambers. the SouthChicagoChamberofCommerceaswell.He Side ChamberofCommerce,andheisamember engagement. McLellandisVice PresidentoftheEast sees thenewfacilityasachancetoexpandthis engaged inthecommunity’s organizationallife,and Over thelastthreeyears,RichardMcLellandhas meetings withtheseorganizations. but areoftenwillingtopersonallyarrangevisitsor this endeavoraswell. McLelland hopestoinvolvethenewVodak Branchin focusing onthehistoryofsteelmills.Richard provide thecommunitywithaneducationalresource campaign topurchasethelandandequipment museum andlearningcenter. Theyhaveundertakena equipment thatisstillfunctionalatAcmetocreatea Side organizationsaretryingtopreservethesteel brownfields inthecommunity.) SeveralSoutheast areas ofundevelopedlandandsomedangerous have beentorndownandsoldforscrap,leavinglarge community, AcmeCokeplant,isstillintact.(Others Historical Society. Thelaststeelmilltocloseinthe initiative supportedbytheChambers,SETFand All threecommunityinterestsareincludedinanew because wehavesuchstrong networks.” “We areabletosolvealotofproblemslocally are anequalratherthenjustattendee,”hesays “You areoutinthecommunity justliketheyare,soyou nity meetings. parks andoftenrepresentthelibraryinothercommu- built strongrelationshipswiththelocalschoolsand in thecommunity. Likewise,McLellands’s staff has ings, whichhefeelspositionshimasanequalpartner workday oftenbeginsandendswithcommunitymeet- McClelland andhisstafftrytogoonestepfurther. His encouraged toattendcommunitymeetings. While BranchManagerslibrarianshavealwaysbeen library.” to doishelpthemintheirmissionbutalsothe like theEastSideChamberofCommerce,whatwetry across theneighborhoods’boundaries.“Withgroups library tobuildpartnershipswithintheEastSideand library. AccordingtoMcLelland,itisimportantforthe Branch worksactively“beyondthewalls”of vant andappealinginthecommunity, theVodak In ordertoaddressitscompetitionandremainrele- Business”. Library Consultant,called“Librarianshipasa likes toreferanarticlebySharonCampbell,Public stores, peoples’schedules,theinternet,”hesays.He itive struggle.“Librariesfacecompetitionfrombook beyond theirwallsaslibrariesarecurrentlyinacompet- Richard McLellandbelievesthatlibrariesmustexpand BEYONDWALLS THE community.” give youanidea,butit’s noteverybody. Thisisabusy a longlistofmonthlyactivitiesat thebranch.“Thiswill Finally, sheinvitesavisitorintoherofficeandprintsout Citizenship group,aJewishsocialserviceagency, ORT. ble out:theIndo-AmericanSociety, anAssyrianESL ing withinsomefashion,butsoonaliststartstotum- list alltheorganizationsthatNorthtownBranchiswork- Rose Powershastothinkaminutebeforeshestarts plish much.” “When weworktogether,” shesays, “We canaccom- advocacy, andworkingforthenewneighborhoodpark. programs, collegepreparednessclasses,housing Existing orplannedcollaborationsincludeafterschool involve Toman withasmanyorganizationsshecan. desire tocollaboratewiththelibrary. Sheiseagerto use thelibrary’s meetingroomorhaveexpresseda sentatives oforganizationsinLittleVillage thateither handful ofbusinesscardsprovidedbyalltherepre- At theToman Branch,Teresa Madrigalproducesa each other. ing theexistingorganizationstolibraryservicesand new buildingis“likeahandshake”,shesays,introduc- Housing Servicesdoeshousingworkshopsthere.The library, usesitforjobtrainingclasses.Neighborhood Development Corporationacrossthestreetfrom Keisha. RebirthofEnglewood,aCommunity open itsdoorstocommunityevents,according A secondfunctionoftheWest EnglewoodBranchisto ness.” tion forcommunityefforts,likeleadpoisoningaware- the newhighschoolcouncil,andsheprovidesinforma- friendly andhelpfultoo.Shehasagreedtobepartof the libraryisanimportantresource.Keishavery son concernedaboutresourcesofthecommunityand Carter-Hill, Directoroftheorganization grams tomakesurethewordgetsout.Ms.Jean the sametime,pickupinformationaboutlibrarypro- information aboutmeetingsandopportunitiesand,at exchange. Localleadersvisitthelibrarytodropoff in thisenvironment.First,itisaninformation going on,”shesays.Thelibraryservestwofunctions nity’s future,especiallywiththeredevelopmentthat’s community, andtheyareconcernedaboutthecommu- munity richinorganizations.“Adultsarethecoreof Keisha GarnettspeaksofWest Englewoodasacom- COMMUNITIES WORKING INBUSY Englewood If Englewood , putsitthisway:“I’macommunityper- Imagine 21 CHAPTER 5 22 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Fueling theEconomy MONEY SPENT of engagingandcontributingtothelocaleconomy. Branch Managerswemetunderstoodthenecessity owners, itcanlearnandbenefitfromthem.The only doesthelibraryprovideservicestobusiness chants andserviceprovidersaswellresidents.Not hood commercialdistrict.Libraryneighborsaremer- than not,librariesbringfoottraffictotheneighbor- local economy. Theyarelocalemployers.Moreoften Libraries areuniquelypositionedtocontributethe locally inothers. some placesandlargerforcesslowtheflowofmoney for localeconomies;big-boxcompetitionthreatens consumers andbusinessowners.Buttimesarehard and createsinvestmentinthecommonfuturebyboth locally createsjobs,providesanactivestreetscape, in LittleVillage hasbuiltrelationships withbusiness Teresa Madrigal,BranchManagerof theToman Library nity.” I’m morelikelytotakeitabusinessinthecommu- support localbusinesses.“IfIneedsomethingdone, business candoforthelibrary;librarymustalso completely reciprocal.It’s neverjust aboutwhata to pointoutthattherelationshipsshehasbuiltare owners, jobproviders,andpurveyors.Butsheisquick Kiwanis Clubhaskeptherincontactwithbusiness cer inboththeChamberofCommerceand the Northtownarea;herlong-standingroleasanoffi- Rose Powersisaleaderofthebusinesscommunityin CHEESECAKE CHAMBERS AND CHAPTER 6 first daygotatasteofEli’s Cheesecake. people whovisitedthenew librarybuildingonits And, ofcourse,eachone theseveralhundred tured andthebenefittolibraryison-going. The relationshipisonethateachpartyhasnur- tent, especiallythoseprogramsrelatedtoteens. Ramona consultswithhimregardingtheircon- in promotingtheprogramsofbranch, says Ramona.Inrecognitionofhisinvolvement “Mr. Shulmanisagreatfriendofthe library,” people whoconstantlypassthroughhisfacilities. promoted programsatthebranchtoyoung providing cheesecaketoattendees.Hehasalso ing opened.Hesponsoredauthortalksthere, especially duringthetimebeforenewbuild- made hiscaféavailableforbranchprogramming, nection forMarcShulman’s civicactivity. Hehas The AustinIrvingBranchisafavoredlocalcon- refreshments. the citywithEli’s Cheesecakeforraffleprizesor ed businessperson,supplyingfundraisersaround owner ofEli’s, MarcShulman,isaverycivic-mind- being madeandtogetachancetasteit.The tours, asgroupscometoseethecheesecake and adjacentcaféareconstantlybusyhosting sorts forpeoplefromalloverChicago.Itsfactory It isalsoamajoremployeranddestinationof just themostdelicioustreatChicagohastooffer. several importantways.Eli’s Cheesecakeisn’t major communitybusinesshasaidedthelibraryin At theAustinIrvingBranch,interactionwitha economy. agement collectiontobettersupportthegrowing hopes toexpandthelibrary’s businessandman- Vodak movesintoitsnewbuilding,McLelland ness resourcesavailableatthelibrary. After own knowledgeandtoactivelypromotethebusi- Chicago ChamberofCommercetofurtherhis the smallbusinesssessionshostedbySouth his librarycommunity. Healsoregularlyattends Board oftheEastSideChamberCommercein Richard McLellandoftheVodak Libraryisonthe “we canaccomplishmuch.” grams. “Whenweallworktogether,” shesays, its shopownersarelogicalpartnersforlibrarypro- 26th Streetisthe“MexicanMichiganAvenue”, and Chicago withtheexceptionofMichiganAvenue. ness stripisthemostthrivingretaileconomyin Commerce. Inhercommunity, the26thSt.busi- owners throughtheLaVillita Chamberof business climate. very existenceofthenewlibrary isbringingbacka cal andconstantlyevolving.At West Englewood, the partnerships withlocalbusinesses aretrulyrecipro- At Northtown,AustinIrving,Toman andVodak, the efit fromtherelationship.” one ofthepartnersreceivessignificantvalueorben- ther ofthosesituationsaretruepartnershipsasonly of theirworkinourwindow.’ Itispossiblethatnei- The artstudentscometothelibraryandputdisplays hand themout.’Or, ‘We partnerwiththe schools. let themputthebank'snameontooandwe number, webaddress,andhourslisted on them.We us bookmarkswiththelibraryname,address,phone ‘Oh, yes,wepartnerwiththelocalbank.Theybuy one elseratherthanatruepartnership.Forexample, actually talkingaboutgettingsomethingfromsome- partnerships frequently, butalltoooftenweare you provideauniqueservicetothem?We talkabout be thebusinessorgovernmentalleaders.Howcan “The mostinfluentialpeopleinyourcommunitymay es. learn agilityandcustomerrelationsfrombusiness- Business” bySharonCampbellcallsonlibrariansto McLelland pointsoutthat“Librarianshipasa munity economiescan’t beoverlooked. nesses. Theimportanceofthiscontributiontocom- their moneyinthecommunity, buildingotherbusi- into thelibraryasfriends.Theseemployeesspend know theirneighborsnamesandwelcomethem clerical employeesarelong-timeresidentsthat to alibrarycareer. AtVodak andWest Englewood, Program areoftenhiredaspages,openingthedoor people whovolunteerfortheSummerReading a verybasicway:theyarelocalemployers.Young All ofthebranchesalsoservelocaleconomyin involved inallaspectsofthecommunitynow. the rebirthofWest Englewood,andsosheis Garnett knowsshewillbecalleduponasaleaderin eyesore thatkeptfoottrafficfromtheblock.Keisha removed abuildingthathousedliquorstore,an development onWest 63rdStreet.Itsconstruction spaces thataremeanttoanchornewbusiness The librarywasthefirstofseveralnewpublic community thattheCityofChicagoispromoting. branch waspartofalargervisionforredeveloped West Englewood.Theconstructionofthenew A differentkindofcontributionistakingplacein BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CREATINGNEW A 23 CHAPTER 6 24 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Community Space “IT’S VERYDIFFICULT nity informationonthatverybasiclevel. important roleforthebranchtoplay—providerofcommu- come intothelibraryitself,”saysTony. Butthatisstillan letin board,tolearnwhat’s happening,anddon’t ever organizations. “Somepeoplejuststopbytoreadthatbul- of flyersandbrochuresadvertiseeventsforcommunity board withcommunityinformationandnearbycollections step inside.Thebright,airylobbyhasalargebulletin heavy foottraffic,thenewbuildinginvitespassersbyto Relocated toastretchofIrvingParkRoadthatalreadyhad before aredrawntoitjustbecausebecamesovisible. branch. Peoplewhomayneverhaveusedthelibrary to atwo-storybuildingwhichhasraisedtheprofileof the AustinIrvingBranchconversionfromasmallstorefront notfeelourpresence physically.”to Tony Powersrefersto wouldn’t haveitanyother way. Ilovethis job.” each dayexhausting.Tony isadamant,however. “I patrons, circulationandactivity inthebuildingcanmake at theoldstorefront.Onother hand,theincreasein are naturallydrawntothelibrary inwaystheyneverwere since thearrivalofnewbuilding. Ononehand,folks Ramona admitthattheirworkisbotheasierandharder between thecommunityandlibrary. Tony and use ofthemeetingroomallhavechangedrelationship computers, Ramona’s storytimesessions andthefree you don’t havetobuyacupofcoffee!”helaughs.Public by becausethelibraryhaswirelessinternetaccess,“and point ofprideforthecommunity.” Businesspeoplestop of thecommunityresourcebecomesclear. “Itreallyisa Once someonecomesthroughthatdoor, theexpansion COMMUNITY PRIDE EXPRESSION OF PHYSICAL SPACE AS CHAPTER 7 activities combinetoinspirelocal residents. through theNewCommunities Program.Allofthese sioned inacommunityplanning processfunded housing andcommercialdevelopment isbeingenvi- of Chicagoisalsoplannedfor thecommunity. New campus ofKennedyKingCollegetheCityColleges says. AndthingsarechanginginEnglewood.Anew “Any timeanewlibraryisbuilt,thingschange,”she day.” tons ofthemdroppingtheirkidsoffnextdoorevery think ofabetterwayforustogetparentsthanwith opens, thatwillbegreatforthecommunity. AndIcan’t time, askingwhenitwillbeopen,”shesays.“When residents ofWest Englewood.“Peoplestopbyallthe Society, providingdaycareandparentingservicesto and ChildCenteroftheChildren’s HomeandAid of thelibraryissoongoingtobedevelopedasaParent Keisha Garnettpointsoutthattheemptylotjusteast not onlyprovideanchors,buttheyalsohope. Infrastructure improvementsandnewpublicbuildings public investmentcanonlyaidintheseefforts. Englewood andWest Englewood,buttheadditionof A numberofredevelopmenteffortsaretakingplacein also theonlypieceofnewconstructioninarea. building; itisacompletelynewcommunityasset.It The West Englewood Branchdidn’t replaceanolder REDEVELOPMENT SPARK PHYSICAL SPACE AS any communityactivity. this fact.There’s nowamuch-neededlargespacefor schedule filledupalmostimmediatelyisatestimonyto provided breathingroom.Thatthemeetingroom the merefactofanadditiontoavailablepublicspace Finally, inacrowded,oldercommunitylikeLittleVillage, importance ofthelibrarygrows. Mexican heritagefoundatToman, andthesymbolic ment. Addtothatthesenseofculturalcelebration new highschoolrepresentcommunityaccomplish- Village, schoolsareovercrowded—thenewlibraryand overburdened—only onelargeparkservesallofLittle ty pride.Inacommunitywherepublicresourcesare Not unlikeAustinIrving,itevokesalevelofcommuni- The newToman hasasymbolicimportanceaswell. long timewithoutalibrary.” building off.“Theywaitedforthreeyears.Itwasa es fortours.Teresa Madrigalishappytoshowthe around lookingfortheentry. Teachers bringtheirclass- new, neighborsstoptostareatit.Otherswander In LittleVillage, theToman Branchexpansionisstillso to moveintoaneighborhood.” support forlocalbusinesstoimprovehowtheylookor an economicboom,”hesays.“Itgeneratesalotof doors open.“Whenanewlibrarygoesin,itgenerates screenings. Manythingswillchangewhenthosenew use thelibrarytoeducatepeopleandprovidehealth will beabletocontinueallowthelocalhospitals and theCookCountyAssessorstaxservices.Vodak License, CircuitBreakerapplications,CTA/RTA passes, vides tootherservices,suchastheMobileDriver’s He’ll beabletoimprovetheaccesshecurrentlypro- space fortheSoutheastHistoricalSociety’s collection. dreds ofways.Hehopesthenewbuildingcanprovide Branch opens,themeetingspacewillbeusedinhun- Richard McLellandknowsthatwhenthenewVodak ANCHOR PHYSICAL SPACE AS Her onlywishisthatitwasbigger. Carter-Hill sayssheseeseverybodythere,allthetime. The newlibraryhelpspeoplefeeldifferently. Jean munities theycallhome." towards eachotherandbeabletotransformthecom- laborate. Itisonlythenthattheywillfeeldifferently “"People justneedtocommunicate,connectandcol- to bedonemakeitabetterplacelive,"saidJean. If what wasgoingon,thereandneeded Englewood Imagine that bringstogetherpeople. exchange, thelibraryisbydefinition anengagingplace to mindthatmuch.Asapublic spaceforinformation however, and longtimeusersofthelibrarydon’t seem points outthatWest Ridgeisawalkingneighborhood, this spacebecausewedon’t haveparking.”She “We don’t haveaparkinglot.Lotsofpeoplewon’t use She doessighwithabitofenvythenewbuildings. the constantbustleofroom. just fine.Shelikesthesightlines,windowedoffice, in neighborhoodsnearby, butRoselikesherbuilding space. Two brandnewlibrarybrancheshavebeenbuilt She isalittledefensiveaboutherlibrary’s physical ple do.RosePowersisanexampleofthattruth. nections. Butbuildingsdon’t servecommunities;peo- symbolic ways,andlibrariesarecentersforthosecon- Communities connecttotheirpublicspacesinrealand PEOPLE PLACES Jean Carter-Hill describeswhyherorganizationiscalled . “"We walkedaroundtosee 25 CHAPTER 7 26 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Bridges and Webs A CONNECTOR IS McLelland, Vodak Branch) or thealderman. It’s easier toask.”(Richard library tofundrefreshments, I canasktheLion’s club, time. Soifweneedmoney fortheopeningof friends, butIalsorepresent thelibraryatsame Like intheLionsClub--these peoplearenowmy an organizationallowspeople toknowyousocially. “I wanttobeafullmemberinthecommunity. Joining Toman Branch) what wehavedonetogether!”(Teresa Madrigal, their own.Justwait.Comebackinayearandsee cially thewomen,thatthisisaplacetheycanmake ings, tothechurches.Iwanttelleverybody, espe- wait togetmynewplansgoing.Iwantgomeet- “I’m veryexcited[aboutthenewlibrary]andcan’t the community.” (Tony Powers,AustinIrvingBranch) important togooutsideofthelibraryandparticipatein of thattrust.Andinordertokeeprelationshipsup,it’s have averyspecialrelationshipwithpeoplebecause the patronhastohaveacertainamountoftrust.We 50 years.Inordertousethelibraryeffectively, Ithink celebrating peoplewhohadlibrarycardsforover library. Notlongagotherewasalibrarypromotion, “People haveadeepsenseofownershipthe Here’s abitmoreofwhattheyhadtosay. the libraryandforbenefitofcommunity. tance ofmakingconnections,bothforthebenefit All ofthelibrariansinterviewedspoketoimpor- any community’s life. possibilities. Connectorsareveryvaluablepeoplein opportunities tocontribute,connectingpeoplenew A connectorisalwaysdevelopingotherpeople’s ed, isinfluential,andhasawidecircleofrelationships. for otherpeople.Aconnectorisapersonwhotrust- a specialkindofcommunityleaderwhoopensdoors CHAPTER 8 Photo: Todd Patrick than thatnow. books andbuybooks,butwearesomuchmore They stayinsidetheirbuildingandcheckout of librariansdon’t realizehowimportantitis. leader], butit’s animportantpartofthejob.Alot “You havetobalance[beingacommunity to RosePowers: And tobringthisstoryfullcircle,thelastwordgoes (Keisha Garnett,West EnglewoodBranch) made evenonechange,thatmakesitworthit. can gohomeattheendofdayknowingyou checking theire-mail.Itbrightensmyday. Ifyou a computer, andsixmonthslateryouseethem when apersoncomesinandasksyouhowtouse the libraryandseechangesthatwecanmake— such acommitmenttocommunities.To workin I reallyenjoyworkingforanorganizationthathas should belikeWalgreens—put oneoneverycorner. “I thinkeverycommunitydeservesalibrary. They once itstarts,thensnowballs.” what werecommendthatyoudotogetitstarted.But [train managers],Isuppose,inthatyoucouldtellthem people thatmightnotknowwe’rehere.So,youcould newspaper, lookingfornewstreetstogodownfind with allthis,Istillfindmyselfreadingtheneighborhood was visitschools,whatwouldIhavedone?Now, even When IbecameBranchManager, ifallIhadeverdone doing it,theydon’t know. of thequestionstoask—butuntiltheyactuallystart lines abouthowtodoit,youcangivethemanidea You cangive[managers]thetools,setupguide- almost bearequirementfornewbranchmanagers. “[Connecting withcommunityleaders]should scoop. You canadjustyourservices,displays. happening andwhyit’s happening.You gettheinside but youdon’t seeallofthem.Here,youknowwhat’s of thecommunitychangescomingthroughyourdoor, “If yousitinthelibraryalldayatyourdesk,seesome 27 CHAPTER 8 28 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY “Good Things HappenHere” Lessons Learned: ACROSS MOST librarians become localleaders,says Dempsey. you don’t likethepublic,don’t comehere.”Engaged “You canbethesmartestpersoninworld,butif CPL hiringandpromotionpolicies supportthisfocus. and wefeelwelcomeintheir doors.” hood whenthecommunityfeels welcomeinourdoors Dempsey. “We serveas‘valueadded’toaneighbor- never diditorasifhasnovalue,”saysMary needs ofthepeopleinourneighborhood,it’s asifwe but ifnobodyknowsaboutitordoesn’t servethe that wecouldhavethegreatestprograminworld, “CPL isreallystrongatdoingthis.Ourfolksrealize encouraged ateverylevel. munity. Thisactivityoutsidethelibraryshouldbe street’ thatpositionsthelibraryatcenterofcom- the civiclifeofcommunitycreate‘two-way Branch managersandstaffthattakeanactiverolein Getoutsidethedoors.Successfulcommunity/ 1. Dempsey’s exegesisofeach. What follows,then,areeightlessonsandMary ties ofpoliticalandadministrativeleadership. borhood levelandsupportfromthepoliciespriori- make theconnectionsbetweensuccessatneigh- the ChicagoPublicLibrary, MaryDempsey, tohelpus administration, soweturnedtotheCommissionerof without thesupportofcitygovernmentanditslibrary commentary. Successfulbranchlibrariescannotexist learned, wedecidedtobringthemanexpertfor Rather thansimplyliftupthesethemesaslessons a particularcommunitywithcircumstances. as eachonestandsaloneasuccessfulresponseto or allofthesestoriescommonthemesemerge,even library relationshipsareproactive. community. ity mentionedabovecanfind itsrootsintheseaspectsof make thelibraryindispensable. Muchofthecreativeactiv- ations ofneighborhoodyouth allprovideopportunitiesto Cultural attributes,familyrequirements, theparticularsitu- 4. Discoverandcontributetotheuniquecapacities Federal ReserveBanksinotherpartsofthecountry. Now, theSmartMoneyProgramisbeingcopiedby Want togetonboardandhelp?’” financial literacy”andIsaid,‘Well, we’realreadydoingit. came tomeandsaid‘Hey, wehavethisgoodideaabout immigrant communities.Then,theFederalReserveBank be aglobalcitizen.We starteddoingfinancialliteracyin the forefrontofeducatingpeopleaboutwhatitmeansto al economy, thentheChicagoPublicLibraryhastobeat munities. “IfChicagotrulywantstobeapartoftheglob- Literacy programinbrancheswithlargeimmigrantcom- “yes” momentwastheCPL’s creationofaFinancial do it,ifitiswithinyourmission,”sheadds.Onesuch then youhavetobewillingsay“yes”andfindaway “If youwanttobeseenasacreativecommunityplayer, essential partofthelifecommunity.” have tobuildthisideawitheverybody--thelibraryisan it isn’t usefultothem,thenwearen’t doingourjobs.You people outsidethedoors]arewhofundus.If community isatthecoreofpubliclibraryservices.“[The Mary Dempseypointsoutthatcreativecontributionto Becreative aboutwhatthelibrarycancontribute. 3. agers orchildren’s librarianswhobroughtthemin.’” at theirlibraryIthink‘Don’t thankme,thebranchman- budget hearingsandthealdermenthankmeforprograms program,” saysMaryDempsey. “WhenIgototheannual going on,tohelphandouttheprizesforSummerreading library—to bepartofaplanningcommittee,toseewhat’s local communityleaders,thenaturalleadersinto “We encourage[CPLstaff]toinvitethelocalalderman, exponentially, asconnectionstocommunitymultiply. how thisactivitycanbenefitthelibraryinwaysthatincrease already atthecenterofcommunity. RosePowersshow civic events—allcanbewaystofindthepeoplewhoare Reading localpapers,askinglong-timeresidents,attending Findtheleaders.Aconcertedefforttodiscoverwho’s 2. exceptional.” and-so’, theirneighborhoodlibrarian.Thattomeisjust friends, Ihavepeoplecomeupandsaytome‘Iknowso- “When IgoouttoaneighborhoodmeetingorI’mwith tions. The obviouscontributionsaren’t theonlycontribu- who inacommunitymakesallthedifference. and conditionsofthecommunity. detract fromthat? Howcanwesupportit?’” to ask‘Howdowemakesure thatwhatwedodoesn’t hood inChicagohasitsownlittle downtown.Sowehave library successinbuildingrelationships. “Everyneighbor- Knowing thecommunityand itsbusinesslifeisakeyto service thatbringspatronsthrough thedoors. tionship withthem.”Inreturn,CPLhasanotherpopular their doorsotherwise,andtheygettobuildalifetimerela- bring themneighborhoodsthatwouldnevercomethrough “It’s agreatreciprocalarrangement,”says Dempsey. “We checked outoflocalbranchesforuseatthemuseums. partnered withthemtoprovidefreepassesthatcanbe that areprohibitivetosomefamilies.So,theLibraryhas although supportedwithpublicmoney, chargeadmissions funded byKraftFoods.Chicago’s majormuseums, been theCPL’s GreatKids MuseumPassportprogram, Another reciprocalrelationshipwithmutualbenefitshas fortable withthatiftheybelieveinwhatwedo.” bigger businessesintownunderstandthat.We’re com- have theadvantageofbeingeverywhere.Some libraries canbegoodplacementsforcorporations.“We Larger corporateconnectionsarewelcomeaswell.Local from Chicago.” Chicago companies.We letkidsknow—thisisacompany supporter,” shesays.“Andwe’rehappytosupport cake atallCPLopeningceremonies.“He’s suchagreat cheesecake atthebranchopeninghasturnedintocheese- Eli’s CheesecakeandtheAustinIrvingbranch.The Mary DempseypickeduponthestoryofMarcShulman, library’s benefit. Employ locally. Alloftheseactivitieswillreboundtothe services tothem,spenddiscretionaryfundslocally. Set upreciprocalrelationshipswiththem,advertiseyour 5. Supportlocalbusinessesandinstitutions. sure youcangotoschool.’” You lovethis.You needtogoonschool.We’ll make ‘You. You haveafuturehere.You needtobepartofthis. “Sometimes we’renotsosubtle.Sometimeswesay more proactivethansimplyofferingtuitionhelp. those who’dliketogetanMLS,butCPLadministrationis The CityofChicagooffersatuitionreimbursementfor ing ourown’”. nity, weobviouslythinkit’s abonus.Sowedolotof‘grow- the world,somorewecanlookandtalklikecommu- groups, thegovernmentisnotmostwelcomingthingin knows whatisneeded;wedon’t havetotellthem.Forsome Having culturallysensitivestaffiscriticaltothis.“Our unique neighborhoods.” Polish, let’s buythem…Thestrengthofthiscityisits ple’s cultures.Iftherearescienceexperimentbooksin Mary Dempseyagrees.“It’s soimportanttorespectpeo- 29 LESSONS LEARNED 30 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY .Makethelibrarybuildingacommunity cen- 6. borhood isalibrary.” sage: thefirstthingwearebuilding foryourneigh- police stationcomes.Thatsends awonderfulmes- Dempsey laughs.“We goinfirstand then the ings havegoneintoareaspreviously avoided.Mary buildings inthelast11years.Manyofthesebuild- The ChicagoPublicLibraryhasbuilt40newbranch els ofgovernment. this collaborationhastocomefromthehighestlev- to worktogetherforthishappen,andsupport vestment. Plannersandlibraryadministrationneed attention toareasthatmayhaveexperienceddisin- A newlibraryinaneighborhoodbringshopeand Investmentinlibrariescanjumpstart com- 8. neighbors, theseareourfriends.’” in allouremployees.Theysay‘Theseare Chicago, andthatingrainstheneighborhoodfocus community. “We arerequired toliveinthecityof But aCityofChicagopolicyalsoinstillssense guy, thehardwarestoreowner.” Mary Dempsey. “Theyalreadyknowthegrocery the libraryliveincommunitiestheyserve,”says should beencouraged.“Lotsofpeoplewhoworkin For allstaff,learningnamesandattendingevents Createacommunity-mindedcultureamong 7. vote, youcancheckoutthebooks.” be apollingplace…whileyou’reinlinewaitingto CPL branchesarepollingplaces.“We arehappyto gardening booksandperiodicalacquisitions.Andall had thesecondarybenefitofhighlightingnew brought gardeningprogramstobranchlibrariesand Collaboration withtheChicagoBotanicGarden brings theminisOKwithme.” more theywillfeelitistheirs.Soanythingthat comfortable theywillfeelinthelibraryand people say‘I’mgoingtothelibraryfor…’,more the stampclub,whatever. Myfeelingis,themore anything youwant—CAPSmeetings,thebookclub, that’s flexiblylaidoutsoitcanbeconfiguredfor “Every oneofthelibrarieshasacommunityroom This justmakesgoodsensetoMaryDempsey. tant thelibrarybecomestocommunitylife. more thepublicfeelsownership,impor- ways beyondsimplybeingmeetingspaces.The Public buildingsarecommunityassetsinmany munity redevelopmentefforts. ter. library staffandvolunteers. new library.” undeniable. “Intheend,they havethisbeautiful essential tocommunityrelations. Buttheresultis groups, replacingdamagedproperty—allare impact onresidents,workingwithcommunity have tobegoodneighbors.”Minimizingthe development hastobedonewithrealcare.“We Mary Dempseyisquicktopointoutthatallofthis first; therestofdevelopmentisfollowing. bring theirkidstothelibrary. TheLibrarycame nected byagarden,makingiteasierforparentsto the newWest EnglewoodBranchcouldbecon- ade astreetsothatthenewdaycarecenterand says Dempsey. TheCPLgotpermissiontoblock- because theyaregoingtorebuild63rdStreet,” City PlanningDepartmentsaidtogorightthere, ple ofallthesefactorscomingtogether. “The The West EnglewoodBranchistheperfectexam- going next?’” Department andtheCHAask“Whereareyou headed. We have toworkwiththeCity’s Planning meeting becausewehavetoknowwheretheyare boarding upthosebuildings,Iwenttotheirnext building ownedbytheCHA.“Whentheystarted The previousbranchlibrarytherehadbeenina ing, likethefarsouthAtlgeldGardenscommunity. parts ofthecityformerlymadeuppublichous- our neighborhoods,”shesays.Thatincludesthe We have anobligationtoknowwhat’s goingonin “We always have totalkeachotheraboutthis. And theykeptitopen.” ing. Newpeoplearemovingin,youngfamilies.’ million dollarsonpropertythere.Thingsarechang- to keepthatschoolopen,’Isaid.‘We justspenta not toclosethelocalCatholicschool.“‘You’ve got of Chicago,shetooktheopportunitytolobbyhim a functionwithCardinalGeorgeoftheArchdiocese dangerous butisnowexperiencinganupswing.At Branch, inaneighborhoodthathasbeenseenas Dempsey tellsthestoryofnewLoganSquare more communitychanges.To illustrate,Mary Sometimes, thisgivesCPLthechancetomake munity requests. tap intocommunityknowledgeandlistentocom- cessful, libraryadministrationandplannershaveto streetscape completely. Forthisstrategytobesuc- to bereplacedwithpubliclibraries,changingthe Liquor storesorabandonedbuildingsaretorndown sites thathavebeenneighborhoodeyesores. Often, CPLhasuseditscapitalinvestmentstobuy branch librariescanplayinbuildingcommunity. administration, thereisnolimittotherolelocal leadership fromCityHallandthecentrallibrary unique neighborhoodenvironment.Withsupportive physical environmentallcometogethertocreatea institutions, theneighborhoodculture,economyand mobilized. Individualgifts,localassociationsand characteristics ofbothlibraryandcommunityare When librariesengagetheircommunities,thebest Engaged Library Toolkit THESE STORIES Library, helpingyou: and expandyoureffortstobecomeanEngaged vides acollectionofsimpletoolstousediscover tant relationshipsalreadyinplace.Thissectionpro- connections thatmatterandnurturethoseimpor- public librariescangraspopportunitiestobuildnew tales. Bypayingattentiontothis“lineofbusiness,” Your storiesinyourcommunities maytellsimilar integrated intocommunitylife. is strengthenedasitbecomesmorerelevantand becomes anactiveandcreativeplayer. Thelibrary benefits. Thecommunityimprovesasthelibrary the communityisatwo-waystreetwith from theChicagoPublicLibraryshowthatengaging libraries. “‘It’s thelibrary. Goodthingshappenhere.’” branch, sheremindshimwhyheissuchabigfanof accompanies theMayortoopeningofanew library isunwavering,andeachtimeMaryDempsey difficult issuesonhisplate.Butsupportforthe points out,Chicago’s MayorRichardM.Daleyhassome revenues andotherpressures.AsMaryDempsey Cities arefacedwithtoughchoicesintimesofshrinking Not allaspectsofurbanlifeareasstraightforward. with anduseofcommunityassets Assess andstrengthenyourlibrary’s connections community Identify andconnectyourlibrary’s assetstothe 31 LESSONS LEARNED 32 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY RELATIONSHIPSLOCAL ASSOCIATIONS: WITH Example: - areoverlooked.Sustainableandeffectivelibrariesworktoengagetheseassociations. In manycommunities,voluntarynetworksofassociations-largeandsmall,formalinformal relationships with: Our libraryhas * ForaMasterListofAssociations,seepages3&4inthetoolssection. The questionsbelowaskaboutyourlibrary’s relationshipwithlocalassociations. based groups,etc.,toenhancecommunitysupportofthelibrary Describe: Other Describe: Arts organizations Describe: Youth groups Describe: Service clubs Describe: Block clubs Describe: Outdoor groups Describe: School groups Describe: Health groups Describe: Faith-based groups The FriendsoftheLibrarymightbeconnectedtoblockclubs,servicefaith- 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 o tAlSm AGreatDeal Some Not atAll community andtothinkaboutnewpartnershipswhichmightbeusefulyourlibrary. Use thistooltoillustratepartnershipsthatyourlibraryalreadyhaswithassociationsin PARTNERSHIPS WITHASSOCIATIONS Existing LIBRARY YOUR Potential 33 TOOLBOX 34 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY EXAMPLES OF ASSOCIATIONSEXAMPLES ORGANIZATIONS AND . Disability/SpecialNeedsGroups 9. CivicEventGroups 8. CharitableGroupsandDrives 7. 6. Business Organizations/Support 5. Block Clubs 4. Anti-Crime Groups 3. Animal Care Groups AdvisoryCommunitySupportGroups 2. AddictionPreventionsandRecovery 1. Local MuscularDystrophyAssociation Association Local AmericanswithDisabilities Local AmericanLungAssociation Special OlympicsPlanningCommittee Health FairCommittee July 4thCarnivalCommittee Arts andCraftsFair Local ParadePlanningCommittee United NegroCollegeFundDrive Local UnitedWay Local HospitalAuxiliary Local RestaurantAssociation Economic DevelopmentCouncil Local ChamberofCommerce Jaycees Groups Tenant Club Building Council Condominium Owner’s Association Senior SafetyGroup Police NeighborhoodWatch Group Children’s SafeHavenNeighborhood Humane Society Cat Owner’s Association Hospital AdvisoryGroup Neighborhood ParkAdvisoryCouncil Friends oftheLibrary (friends of…) High SchoolSubstanceAbuseCommittee Campaign foraDrugFreeNeighborhood Addicts Drug/Ministry/Testimonial Groupfor Groups 7 HobbyandCollectorsGroup 17. 16. Heritage Groups HealthAdvocacyandFitnessGroups 15. 14. Family Support Groups 13. Elderly Groups 12. Education Groups 11. Environmental Groups 10. Cultural Groups Antique Collectors Sewing Club Garden ClubofNeighbors Arts andCraftsClub Stamp CollectorAssociation Coin CollectorAssociation African AmericanHeritageAssociation Neighborhood HistoricalSociety Norwegian Society Black EmpowermentGroup Health CareCorporations Hospitals Yoga Club Child InjuryPreventionGroup Traffic SafetyOrganization Neighborhood HealthCouncil YMCA/YWCA FitnessGroups Weight Watchers Parent AllianceGroup Foster Parents’SupportGroup Teen ParentOrganization Senior CraftClub Church SeniorsClub Westside SeniorsClub Hospital SeniorsClub Tutoring Groups Literacy Council Parent Teacher Association Local BookClubs Local SchoolCouncil Save theParkCommittee Pollution Council Clean AirCommittee Bike PathCommittee Adopt-a-Stream Sierra Club Neighborhood RecyclingClub High SchoolBand Dance Organization Drama Club Community Choir ASSOCIATIONSORGANIZATIONS AND (CONT.) 24. Religious Groups 23. Recreation Groups 22. Political Organizations 21. Neighborhood Improvement Groups 20. Mutual Support Groups 19. Mentoring Groups 18. Men’s Groups Youth ReligiousGroups Women’s ReligiousGroups Men’s ReligiousGroups Synagogues Mosques Churches Little League Body BuildersClub Basketball Leagues Bowling League Kite-Flying Club Republican Club Democratic Club Neighborhood Clean-upCampaign Neighborhood Anti-CrimeCouncil Council ofBlockClubs The NeighborhoodGardenClub Family-to-Family Groups Parent-to-Parent Groups Disease Support(cancer, etc.) La LecheLeague Rights ofPassageOrganizations Big Brothers,Sisters Church MentoringGroups Peer MentoringGroups After SchoolMentors Fraternities Men’s SportsOrganizations Church Men’s Organizations Fraternal Orders 31. Youth Groups 30. Women’s Group 29. Veteran’s Groups 28. Union Groups 27. Social/Cause/Advocacy/Issue Groups 26. Social Groups 25. Service Club Campfire Girls Junior Achievement Girl andBoyScouts 4-H After SchoolGroup Easter Star Mother’s Board Women’s Auxiliary Women’s SportsGroups Sororal Organizations Women’s Veterans Organizations Veterans ofForeignWars Crafts Unions(PlumbingCouncil) Industrial (UAW) Soup KitchenGroup Social OutreachMinistry Community ActionCouncil Vigil AgainstViolence Hunger Organizations Peace Club Get OuttheVote Council Dance Clubs Social ActivityClub Card PlayingClub Bingo Club Kiwanis Clubs Lions Clubs Rotary Clubs Optimist Zonta 35 TOOLBOX 36 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCALINSTITUTIONS relationships with: Our libraryhas The questionsbelowaskaboutyourlibrary’s relationshipwithlocalinstitutions. Cheesecake andtheirgenerosityinsupplyingdeliciouscheesecakesforthelibrary’s specialevents. Example: power –thatcanbecontributedtoyourlibrary. institutions hasresources–suchaspersonnel,space,expertise,equipment,andeconomic Every communityhasanarrayoflocalpublic,privateandnon-profitinstitutions.Eachthese Describe: Other Describe: Business Describe: Other Non-profits Describe: Service Agencies Describe: Police Describe: Hospitals Describe: Schools In Chicago,theAustinIrvingBranchhasbenefitedfromitsrelationshipwithEli’s 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 12345 o tAlSm AGreatDeal Some Not atAll PARTNERSHIPSINSTITUTIONS WITH munity andtothinkaboutnewpartnershipswhichmightbeusefulyourlibrary. Use thistooltoillustratepartnershipsthatyourlibraryalreadyhaswithinstitutionsincom- Existing LIBRARY YOUR Potential 37 TOOLBOX 38 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY community surroundingyourlibrary. This isasamplecommunityassetmap.Usethenextpagetodocumentassetsoflocal A SAMPLECOMMUNITY ASSET MAP D Hobby Ne i s a Mutu Soc i b Bus F ghborhood Improvement Pol He Env a Commun i An C Associations l Pol Ant m Recre i Mentor Ch Educ Institutions i ty/Spec Rel F Women’s Groups Veter Her a ia v i Cultur i a F Elderly Groups t i i i ness Org Un Soc i lth Advoc i re Dep Serv m ly Support Groups Men’s groups Youth groups i a i nd Collectors Groups nd Collectors a roment i l Serv c EventsGroups Found c ce Dep Un i Block Clubs tness Groups Non Prof i l Support Groups Cr r a g Museums a i Hosp i L i t a l Org Schools t a Groups i l C on Groups a a ia i a Med ous Groups i t br t i vers i ge Groups n’s Groups i i ble Groups i a me Groups ce Clubs on Groups l Groups ng Groups on Groups ia i a l Groups i ty Colleges a a ce Agenc a re Groups l NeedsGroups i r a a rtments a t t ia a i a i i rtments l Groups es n a t ons n ls i i i cy es ts i z z a a t a t i i ons nd ons i es Associations Of wh Of recogn Of b Individuals G Institutions Of i Of re fts, Sk a a felt t Of successfulcommun Of a ckground i Of People w t youl me whenyouoryourgroup a Of Of econom a a l i i Welf i lls, C pprec t z i nclud Individuals a Community z a i i re m a ng w Entrepreneurs i me thecommun development ddress ng thev a Ex-offenders Older Adults nd c Stories a i nd Tr a ke todo ke Students Veter s Act a a P re Rec Art ia i p Youth nd eng a a a i a ng thosewho My th D a a nd person rg t ted rents i p c ai v i i i sts ts best i i a ng r i a i n t c growth ts of: sts a c i ns i a a es, Knowledge i lue ofeveryone s i p t nd v l a a a i i i a es zed b ents nd contr Space Physical g c i Stories i i l ng sk sm i a t a i lued es i l h i ty ty i i story lls i bute Economy Local Inst N a Corpor tur i Tr V Consumer Expend Local Economy tut Ch Forest /Forest Preserves a Bus Physical Space a For-Prof B a c ns i l H a a a B on mber ofCommerce rter nt L St i i a i Cred rd W ness Assoc a W t Stops a Found W a nd Personnel F a t Pl Merch P P b Duck Ponds l -Purch i i a i r G C B ons sh a a a i ldl i a a G cn mph Hous t B lk a i rk nd CDCs i Streets nd Exch a ygrounds a ke P i t Bus i P mps a a t Un Zoos i ts -cost a i ng Spots tch i i fe Center ng P a rdens nks ng Lots c Are z a a a rks i a nd Br a t i ng S nd Bu a i b i i nts nd F ng S ng ons i i i ths ia tes ons a nesses a ia s a ths n a i s i ng Power t i a nge tes a a i tures i ons i l, m tes nches c ld i l i i ngs t a i es r i ne, YOUR COMMUNITY ASSET MAP How cantheseassetsstrengthenyourlibrary? Please fillinthetypesofassetsthatcanbefoundcommunitysurroundingyourlibrary. D Hobby Ne i s a Mutu Soc i b Bus F ghborhood Improvement Pol He Env a Commun i An C Associations l Pol Ant m Recre i Mentor Ch Educ Institutions i ty/Spec Rel F Women’s Groups Veter Her a ia v i Cultur i a F Elderly Groups t i i i ness Org Un Soc i lth Advoc i re Dep Serv m ly Support Groups Men’s groups Youth groups i a i nd Collectors Groups nd Collectors a roment i l Serv c EventsGroups Found c ce Dep Un i Block Clubs tness Groups Non Prof i l Support Groups Cr r a g Museums a i Hosp i L i t a l Org Schools t a Groups i l C on Groups a a ia i a Med ous Groups i t br t i vers i ge Groups n’s Groups i i ble Groups i a me Groups ce Clubs on Groups l Groups ng Groups on Groups ia i a l Groups i ty Colleges a a ce Agenc a re Groups l NeedsGroups i r a a rtments a t t ia a i a i i rtments l Groups es n a t ons n ls i i i cy es ts i z z a a t a t i i ons nd ons i es Associations Of wh Of recogn Of b Individuals G Institutions Of i Of re fts, Sk a a felt t Of successfulcommun Of a ckground i Of People w t youl me whenyouoryourgroup a Of Of econom a a l i i Welf i lls, C pprec t z i nclud Individuals a Community z a i i re m a ng w Entrepreneurs i me thecommun development ddress ng thev a Ex-offenders Older Adults nd c Stories a i nd Tr a ke todo ke Students Veter s Act a a P re Rec Art ia i p Youth nd eng a a a i a ng thosewho My th D a a nd person rg t ted rents i p c ai v i i i sts ts best i i a ng r i a i n t c growth ts of: sts a c i ns i a a es, Knowledge i lue ofeveryone s i p t nd v l a a a i i i a es zed b ents nd contr Space Physical g c i Stories i i l ng sk sm i a t a i lued es i l h i ty ty i i story lls i bute Economy Local Inst N a Corpor tur i Tr V Consumer Expend Local Economy tut Ch Forest /Forest Preserves a Bus Physical Space a For-Prof B a c ns i l H a a a B on mber ofCommerce rter nt L St i i a i Cred rd W ness Assoc a W t Stops a Found W a nd Personnel F a t Pl Merch P P b Duck Ponds l -Purch i i a i r G C B ons sh a a a i ldl i a a G cn mph Hous t B lk a i rk nd CDCs i Streets nd Exch a ygrounds a ke P i t Bus i P mps a a t Un Zoos i ts -cost a i ng Spots tch i i fe Center ng P a rdens nks ng Lots c Are z a a a rks i a nd Br a t i ng S nd Bu a i b i i nts nd F ng S ng ons i i i ths ia tes ons a nesses a ia s a ths n a i s i ng Power t i a nge tes a a i tures i ons i l, m tes nches c ld i l i i ngs t a i es r i ne, 39 TOOLBOX 40 THE ENGAGED LIBRARY Use thenextpagetodocumentyourlibrary’s assets. Review thetypesofassetsthatcanbefoundwithinalibrary. A WINDOW INTO MYLIBRARY Knowledge ofCommunity Community HistoryWriters Networks ofConnections Investigation andResearch Leadership Development Linkages toCommunity Expertise In/Outsideof Ideas, Energy, Idealism Job; AbilitytoTeach: Individual Abilities: Technical Training: Collective Abilities Individual Abilities Constituents Individual Traits: Individual Traits: Communications Personnel and Interests and Interests Health Care Enthusiasm Computers Finances Athletics Energy Music Ideas Art Break RoomsorKitchen GED, Literacy, Language Education Workshops: Glass DisplayCases Drinking Fountains Private Institutions Public Institutions Computer Rooms Computer Literacy Training Courses Connections Networks of Crime Prevention Meeting Rooms Leadership Skills Bulletin Boards Education and Space and Knowledge of Healthy Eating Parking Lots Associations Expertise Facilities Community Bathrooms Individuals Storytelling Gardens Lobbies Classes: Information onCommunity Literacy andGEDMaterials Computers andSoftware Social ServiceResources Community HistoryFiles Desks, Chairs,andOther Telephones forHearing Books, Magazines,and Power toGenerateand Economic Power Receive SpecialFunds Submitting Grantsfor Through BondIssues, Assist inWritingand Sponsor Fundraisers Community Projects Materials and Purchasing Power Government, and Hire LocalPeople Fax andCopier Digital Camera Equipment Organizations Newspapers Foundations Job Training Furniture Impaired Artwork Scanner INVENTORY YOURLIBRARY’SASSETS A WINDOW INTO MYLIBRARY Your Libraryisfilledwithpeople,knowledge,andmaterialsthatshouldberecognizedshared. List thewaysinwhichtheseassetscanbesharedwithsurroundingcommunity Document theseassets Identify yourlibrary’s assets Constituents Personnel Connections Networks of Space and Expertise Facilities Economic Power Materials and Equipment 41 TOOLBOX THE ENGAGED LIBRARY

The engaged library builds mutually beneficial relationships

Social Service Police Agency Crime Prevention Lists of clients, health workshops, interest- Day Care Center Banks educators for programs ing dogs, transporta- tion Loyal kids who bring Publicity Referrals, contacts parents to library in the community More effective ways Money, donations to connect with the Storyhours, toys, films for prizes community

Local Residents Higher Education Institution Ideas, volunteers for GED and literacy pro- Tutoring, donations of grams books, lobbying

Books, programs, con- Librarians to review books nections to other peo- or recommend titles, sup- ple and institutions in plementary research materi- the community als

Senior Citizens SchoolSchools Literacy Programs, cataract Computers,Computers, films,films, LSCLSC screening, holiday meals, meetingmeeting space, space, after toys, seminars, exercise classes schoolafter-school tutoring tutoring LIBRARY Oral histories of commu- Large spaces, kids who Large spaces, kids who nity, tutoring, Friends bring parents to the groups, crafts for library bringlibrary, parents support to forthe pro- library, support forgrams programs

Business Artists and Cultural Sponsoring of collections and workshops, dona- Institutions tions for prizes

Display space, Small business collec- artwork contests, tion, databases, com- publicity puter workshops Classes and workshops, face- painting, enter- tainment, donations of cultural Media materials People who can contribute articles, or talk on TV and radio shows Bakery or Community Based Restaurant Organization, Publicity, volun- Faith Based teers, leaders and Civic Organization Refreshments for Organizations speakers programs, demonstra- tions Library information in Advertising, meeting space, newsletter, extra space, volunteers, grant money Good publicity co-sponsoring of events Neighborhood informati- Information on church history, ion, grants for collections, storyhours, referrals of people promotion of library in for programs community THE ENGAGED LIBRARY THE ENGAGED