Realizing a Community-Centered Library: Strategies for Leaders
Build a community-centered library from the top down by learning how to create a strategic community engagement plan.
Course Overview
Guest speaker sessions via Zoom:
Tuesdays, Mar. 25, Apr. 1 and 8, from 2:00-3:45 pm ET (recordings available)
Workshop:
Asynchronous, facilitator-led workshop over 3 weeks
Over the past several years, libraries have learned a lot about community engagement, but it can still be hard to realize into action. This course is designed to help you overcome this hurdle. Over three weeks of live and asynchronous content, this online course will take you through the ins and outs of strategic community engagement, starting with a reflective self-assessment, relationship building, and understanding your community, and ending with a strategic community engagement plan. You will learn how to build capacity in your teams for ongoing, iterative community engagement while using techniques to ensure everyone works together to meet your goals.
This course includes three weeks of live presentations from expert speakers as well as a guided asynchronous workshop with facilitated peer cohorts and assignments. In this workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned through prompted activities, share and crowdsource issues with peers, and get feedback from peers and your facilitator.
The live sessions run on Tuesdays, March 25, April 1 and 8, from 2:00-3:45 pm ET (recordings available) with an ongoing facilitator-led workshop over 3 weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity!
PRO TIP: Get our best rates when you register a group of 3 or more!
When you sign up early, you’ll have immediate access to our Early Access On Demand Resources—a series of webinars from Library Journal and School Library Journal contributors along with rich, supporting materials in the form of readings, activities, and videos—to explore at your own pace.
Who should take this course
This course is geared toward library leaders, managers, public services department leaders, and representatives from strategic partners.
Course Features
This will be a 3-week online course and will include:
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Live sessions: Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field. (All sessions are recorded for on-demand access for six months after the course ends.)
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Facilitated discussions: Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.
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Asynchronous workshop: Project-based weekly assignments to connect what you’re learning to your professional life. Includes written feedback from an expert in the field who functions as the workshop facilitator, as well as peer conversation via discussion forums. Workshop available for all multi-week courses plus half-day courses where indicated.
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Early access on-demand resources: Access to a series of past live session archives from Library Journal and School Library Journal courses to explore at your own pace.
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Online Classroom: The virtual learning platform that holds all course content and is accessible for six months after the course ends.
Expected time commitment
If you watch the recordings of all sessions and participate in the asynchronous workshop, you'll spend approximately 2-4 hours per week on this course. You'll earn 15 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.
On-demand access
All live guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on-demand for six months following the initial broadcast as a part of your purchase.
Certificate of completion
Complete the course and earn 15 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.
Accessibility
All guest speaker sessions feature live captioning and are made available on demand after the initial broadcast. Please email libraryjournal@edmaker.co upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.
Support
For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.
Course Advisors
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Michelle Hamiel, Chief of Programs at Urban Libraries Council (ULC) |
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Shamichael Hallman, Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at Urban Libraries Council (ULC) |
Group Rates
Have a team attend and increase your impact!
Discounted registration fees are available for groups of 3 or more. When you register your team for our online courses, they will be placed in the same small workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian.
Send us a request for a quote.
If your group prefers to work separately, just let us know.
By registering for this event you confirm that you have read and agree to our Code of Conduct.
For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.
Week 1: Tuesday, March 25
Course & Workshop Introduction | 2:00-2:20 pm ET
An introduction to the weekly assignments, an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course, and a chance to complete the course pre-assessment.
Session 1 | 2:20-3:20 pm ET
Creating a Community-Centered Organization and Checking Your Baggage
What are your preconceptions of your community? What biases do you need to become aware of and move through in order to engage? This introductory session will start by giving you reflective tools to “check your baggage” and approach your community with empathy and understanding. We will then discuss how to create an organizational structure that supports community engagement from the top down. You will learn leadership and relationship building skills, policy design, and how to create infrastructure for community engagement at organizational level.
Break | 3:20-3:30 pm ET
Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Assessing Your Current Community Engagement
What are you already doing for community engagement, and how well is it working? This session will teach you practical ways to evaluate your current levels of engagement. We will discuss how to identify appropriate data and metrics to collect and analyze as well as metrics for ongoing evaluation. You will leave with an understanding of how to use these data and internal assessments to articulate the impact of new and ongoing community engagement efforts.
Week 2: Tuesday, April 1
Workshop Explanation | 2:00-2:15 pm ET
An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course.
Session 1 | 2:15-3:15 pm ET
Asset Mapping and Relationship Building
How can you integrate more fully into your community? How can you determine what your community needs? This session will take you from the basics of relationship building to strategies for becoming an integrated thought partner with your community. You will leave with tangible ideas to elicit input from your community to help determine and meet their needs.
Break | 3:15-3:30 pm ET
Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Building Staff Capacity for Community Engagement
What does community engagement look like and require from different levels of staff? How can you increase staff buy-in for community engagement work? This session will discuss building staff capacity and buy-in to sustain a community-centered library. We will discuss the necessary skill building required as well as ways to balance expectations with current trends of employee burnout.
Week 3: Tuesday, April 8
Workshop Explanation | 2:00-2:15 pm ET
An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course.
Session 1 | 2:15-3:15 pm ET
Creating a Strategic Community Engagement Plan
How do you create a high-level strategy for a comprehensive community engagement plan? How do you plan and account for large organizational changes? This “nuts and bolts” session will discuss how to create and enact a strategic community engagement plan. You will receive plan templates to help guide discussions, and you will have hands-on time to brainstorm with peers.
Break | 3:15-3:30 pm ET
Session 2 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET
Creating a Strategic Community Engagement Plan, Continued
This session will be a continuation of session five to give you ample time to discuss, work with peers, and apply new skills and ideas as you develop your community engagement plan.
Online Course Preview
A preview of how we build your library skills and bring inspiration to your projects with our online learning experience.
Course Format
One-Week Timeline (Course Runs 3+ Weeks)
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DAYS 1-2 On Demand |
DAY 3 2.5 hours |
DAYS 4-7 1-2 hours (optional) |
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PRE-LIVE SESSION - Resources - Discussions - Bonus Content |
LIVE SESSIONS - Guest speakers via webcast - Q&A via chat - Recordings available on demand |
ASYNCHRONOUS WORKSHOP - Project-based homework, applied to your job - Personalized feedback from a facilitator - Group discussion in an asynchronous workshop setting via discussion forum |
Inspiring Live Guest Speakers + Facilitated Group Workshop for Project-Based Learning
Live session with Andrea Blackman and Tasneem Ansariyah Grace |
Live Guest Speakers Each Week
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Online Course Features
Recordings of guest speakers |
Recordings Available After The Live Session
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Facilitator-led workshop |
Online Classroom Organizes All Materials
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Early Access On Demand Resources |
Early Access and Ongoing Resources To Support Learning
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