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Coral Sheldon-Hesscoral@sheldon-hess.orghttp://sheldon-hess.org/coral@web_librarian

Librarians Build CommunitiesAdvocacy through volunteerism

2+Agenda

Why do we need LBC?

What is LBC? History Upcoming projects

How do you implement your own LBC?

3+Library funding is on the decrease

Source: ala.org

4+Librarians have a PR problem

Source: mashable.com

5+“So you get to read books all day?”

6+“Jobs for Loners”

“Jobs for Loners,” CNBC.com, Daniel Bukszpan, posted May 7, 2012. Slide 2. http://www.cnbc.com/id/47341964/Jobs_for_Loners?slide=2

7+Library advocacy

8+Librarian advocacy?

( )

9+But does the message get out?

Source: news.cnet.com

(This is an echo chamber.)

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We need community engagement

Sources: constantcontact.com, bgparkdistrict.org

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Skills-based volunteering

Sources: volunteerfairfax.org, handsonblog.org, onegooddeedchicago.wordpress.com

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Agenda

Why do we need LBC?

What is LBC? History Upcoming projects

How do you implement your own LBC?

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What is Librarians Build Communities?

A program run at the regional, state, and local level

One day of volunteering

Librarians* use library skills (research, teaching, technology, organization, preservation, etc.) to help local non-profits

Press releases are sent to local news outlets

* In the same sense as our patrons use the word; any library workers.

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Where did this idea come from?

Started in 2006, in New Orleans, as “Libraries Build Communities” (sort of)

2007 - Washington, DC

2008 - Anaheim, CA

2009 - Chicago, IL

2010 - Washington, DC

Work was done in libraries, primarily, with a few other non-profits participating.

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In 2011… ALA’s Chapter Relations

Office tasked a group of Emerging Leaders* with developing LBC into a program that could be run at the ALA Chapter (state) level.

They returned it to its original name. (Librarians, not Libraries)

They made progress, but there was still work left to do.

*If you would like to know more about the EL program, ask during Q&A!

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In 2012

A second group of ELs tackled the program.

Emphasized advocacy

Scoped LBC back down to one day (for now)

Scoped up to be run regionally, at the state level, or at the local level.

(We commissioned a new logo, too.)

Logo byEric Conrad

Source: ALA Flickr stream

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Also in 2012

We created a new website at librariansbuildcommunities.org: A primer for running your

own LBC day Templates and graphics Information about the

program A blog for celebrating

successful volunteering projects

Our final report is available under . This presentation will be there, too.

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The LBC website

Most important feature is the LBC Primer

Based largely on the Snapshot Day website (Marci Merola let us interview her)

Built in WordPress

Will hopefully find a home on the ALA website in…

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2013!

A new class of ELs will take on LBC.

They are tasked with finding LBC a home within ALA.

We hope they can expand the program beyond one day.

This will be their mentor, Ingrid Abrams.

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Upcoming LBC projects

Source: newspaper.li/united-states-map

• LaCrosse, WI – 10/12• Seattle, WA – 01/13?• Valdez, AK – 03/13• Boise, ID – 08/13?

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Boise? Isn’t that the next PNLA conference location?

Yes.

Gina Persichini (of ICfL; also a mentor to my EL group) and I are hoping to pull together a committee.

Get in touch with one of us if you’d like to help! (Or if you know the best way

to pitch this to the PNLA Board.)

Source: skywatch-media.com

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Alaskan Librarians Build Communities

We have a wiki - http://aklbc.pbworks.com

Our committee (currently) consists of four people. Contact me to join!

We’re planning to hold our LBC day immediately before our annual conference in Valdez, next March.

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Wisconsin and Seattle?

Wisconsin got the jump on all of us! (One of the 2011 ELs, Easter DiGiangi, was from WI. She was also our other mentor, this year.)

WI librarian-volunteers will be helping the LaCrosse Friends of the Public Library with selection/deselection of gifts.

Jaime Hammond has offered to run LBC for the next ALA Midwinter conference, in Seattle. (Want to be on her committee? Email her at jhammond@nvcc.commnet.edu!)

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Agenda

Why do we need LBC?

What is LBC? History Upcoming projects

How do you implement your own LBC?

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How to host a murder mystery LBC day

Pitch it to your association’s board

Put together a committee

Choose a day (immediately before or after a conference is an easy one)

Create a website for easy reference

Find librarian volunteers

Find community organizations to partner with

Publicize your successful volunteer day

Source: voices.yahoo.com

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Pitching it to your board

Both Alaska’s and Wisconsin’s boards were very receptive; yours probably will be, too

You can see the documents submitted to each board under the LBC Primer’s Templates & Graphics section.

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A word of (hard-earned) advice

Whenever pitching this program, whether to your board or to a potential volunteer, list the benefits first

“Know your audience” – what problems will LBC solve, what good will it do for the people you’re talking to?

Source: exhilarateevents.com

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Your committee (theoretically)

A chair, or co-chairs

Someone from the host city

Someone from your library association

Someone from each type of library – public, academic, school, special

(Not actually 7 people; these roles hopefully overlap!)

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Alaska’s committee

Public, Academic, School, and Special are all represented!

But nobody local to Valdez.

Chair/Liaison to National LBC

Volunteer Recruiter

PR Czar

Logistics Czar

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Choosing a day At the state or regional level, no-brainer: pre- or post-

conference!

Doing a local version of LBC? (You should!) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - http://mlkday.gov/ National Volunteer Week (same in Canada and US, usually

the third week of April) Anniversary of the founding of your library association Local volunteer day

Source: winona.edu

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Creating a website

You guys, this is so easy.

I promise.

Step 1: Get an account with PBWorks It’s free Their interface is WYSIWYG

Step 2: Go steal Alaska’s! (Just like everyone doing Snapshot Day stole NJLA’s website,

including Alaska.)

Step 3: Customize for your particular setup. If nobody will make you a logo, go get Lily from the LBC website!

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Get librarian volunteers

Ask on mailing lists

Ask your colleagues, individually

Remind everyone that this is advocacy

Remind everyone that they’re helping organizations that need them.

Remind everyone that it’s only a few hours.

If all else fails…

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Appeal to their self-interest!

Volunteering is good for you! Networking Resume/CV Learning new skills Leadership experience “Practice on someone

else’s stuff.” Sense of accomplishment

Pro-volunteering discussion points are available on the LBC website

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Find community organizations

Your local committee member may have ideas

United Way is known for keeping lists of local non-profit organizations

The Rotary, the AARP, and the Lions Club may also have ideas or projects for you

There’s a sample letter at the LBC website.

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Take pictures, get quotes, and publicize!

There’s a form on the LBC website for submitting blog posts and photos to the LBC blog.

Sample Press Releases are available in the Templates & Graphics section, as well!

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Other things to consider

“Logistics” - Depending on location, this may be optional. Getting volunteers to and from the

volunteer location. T-shirts, or no? Feeding the volunteers, or no?

Remembering to send thank-you notes after the event.

Source: wikipedia.org

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And that’s really it!

Now you know how to run LBC yourself!

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Thank you!

Coral Sheldon-Hesscoral@sheldon-hess.orghttp://sheldon-hess.org/coral@web_librarian

Questions?Comments?

Website tour?

@librariansbuild

LibrariansBuildCommunities.org