CURRENT POSITION  Community Engagement Librarian, Cedar Rapids Public Library, IA   DEGREE MLIS, San José State University, 2011 FOLLOW bit.ly/BeHeardCrawford Photo by Eric Andrews

Be Heard

“I feel like I have the explicit honor of being able to walk in two library worlds—outreach and onsite engagement,” says Meredith Crawford, Community Engagement Librarian with the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Crawford launched the Be Heard program at a local youth detention center with the goal of reducing recidivism by engaging students with literature and art. The program provides diverse reading material to youth, and Crawford encourages discussion and self-expression to “elevate their voices outside their facilities,” notes nominator Amber McNamara.

“Something I am particularly proud of is the way that Be Heard seemed to impact the greater community and raise awareness for the detention center, in addition to enriching the days of the kids at the center,” says Crawford. Community fundraisers have supported in-house collections, bookshelves, and more.

“Many of the teens involved became avid readers and shared moving personal stories, which were heard more than 400 times by the public via an audio component of the Be Heard program,” says McNamara, who praises Crawford’s relationship-building skills. “She sees the value and necessity of getting outside the walls of our buildings and connecting with patrons where they are, where they may need us the most.”

“[I try] to keep in mind all the different ways that our community can fit together,” says Crawford. “It’s not just outreach…as library workers, we get to see the fabric of people’s lives every day, and I think seeing people as whole is what motivates me.”