Turning the Page:

Building Your Library Community

Greta SouthardExecutive Director

Public Library Association/ALA

Today’s Goals

• Overview of the project…• What we did…• How we did it…• Results…

Turning the PageProject Overview

•Two day professional development conference funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the Opportunity Online hardware grantees•Project goals:

–Designed to build skills, confidence, and enthusiasm to initiate and implement a successful advocacy effort–Inform and fuel immediate and ongoing efforts to increase library funding–Participants create an advocacy plan they can implement to meet their Opportunity Online match

Opportunity Online hardware grants

• Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation• OOHG Goal:

– Ensure libraries serving high need populations regularly upgrade their computers

– Motivate local governments to commit local funding for free computer services in their libraries

• 32 states participating, over 3 years, each year has two phases

• Grantees participating in the program have 3 requirements– Demonstrate commitment to provide escalating

matching funds– Participate in two annual research projects 1) inventory

hardware and 2) evaluate their technology services and use (ALA-FSU Internet and Public Funding Survey)

– Participate in Turning the Page conference

What we did…Our Project Team

• Project manager• Curriculum team:

– Instructional design expert – Communications and marketing firm– Online educational development firm

• Evaluation firm• Design and marketing firm

assisting with web development• Instructional delivery team

Theory of Change

How we did it…Turning the Page Agenda

Day 1 Room A Room B Room C Room D Room E Room F

7:30 - 10:15 a.m. Breakfast - Session 1 - Keynote Speaker

10:15-10:30 Coffee break

Session 210:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started Getting Started

11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch and Straight from the Source: How Funding Decisions are Made

Session 31:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Your Unique Role Follow MeShow Me The

MoneyCreating Your Library Story

Building Relationships

Public Perceptions of Libraries

2:45-3:00pm Afternoon Snack Break

Session 43:00 - 4:15 p.m.

Public Perceptions of Libraries

Creating Your Library Story

It’s All About You Follow Me Your Unique RoleShow Me The

Money

4:30 - 5:00 p.m. Q & A

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Dinner with Author

Day 2 Room A Room B Room C Room D Room E Room F

7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast

Session 58:45-10:00 a.m.

Show Me The Money

Make It MemorableBuilding

RelationshipsPublic Perceptions

of LibrariesPublic Perceptions

of LibrariesYour Unique Role

10:00 -10:15 am Coffee break

Session 610:15-11:30 a.m.

It’s All About You Make It Memorable It’s All About You Make It Memorable Follow MePublic Perceptions

of Libraries

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch and Program: Funding Success Stories

Session 712:45 - 2:00 p.m.

Show Me The Money

Staying on Track Staying on TrackCreating Your Library Story

Staying on TrackBuilding

Relationships

Session 82:15 - 3:00 p.m.

What's Next? What's Next? What's Next? What's Next? What's Next? What's Next?

3:00 - 3:30 p.m. Closing

Work Session Topics• Your Unique Role• Building Relationships• Creating Your Library Story• Public Perceptions of Libraries• Follow Me• Show Me the Money• Staying on Track• Make it Memorable• It’s All About You

Our Instructional Team

• Continuing education professionals

• Each has a background rich in communications and advocacy

• Participated in a rigorous train the trainer for TTP

• Core group of six participate in all TTP conferences

Additionally

• Kevin Carroll, the “Katalyst”• “Home Rooms” • Sharing success stories, peer to

peer learning• Q & A Session focused on the

specifics of the grant• “Learning Lounge”• Dinner with a local author• Conversation with a funding panel

Advocacy Work Plan

Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and

Persuasion!

Turning the Page online

• Each work session is available in a robust online module

• Advocacy Work Plan can be completed and tracked online

• Work is done asynchronously and the training can be completed in 4 to 5 hours– The complete curriculum will take 10 hours

• Available to all libraries participating in the Opportunity Online hardware grants

Virtual Learning Lounge• Social Networking Site embedded

in PLAspace.org as a Community of Practice– Currently available to grantees only

• Recreates conference home rooms• Libraries track and edit work plans,

establish forums, ask questions, share ideas & share success stories

• Continued interaction with facilitators and speakers

Who Participated…Round 1

• 702 Librarians• 339 Trustees• 348

Supporters• 1389 Total

Participants

Participation Demographics

76%

13%

11%

From a Rural Library

From a Suburban Library

From an Urban Library

Round 2

• 293 Librarians• 165 Trustees• 233 Library

Staff• 88 Supporters• 779 Total

Participants

Participation Demographics

58%

18%

24%

From a Rural Library

From a Suburban Library

From an Urban Library

Results….Rounds 1&2

• PLA held 14 Turning the Page conferences in 2008 for the 20 states participating in Rounds 1&2 of the Opportunity Online hardware grants

• 1900 grantees attended the conferences, an additional 300 have completed Turning the Page online

• A total of over 2100 people have participated in the training

Evaluation…what we’ve learned

•At the start of the conference, 50.5% did not feel prepared to implement an advocacy project for their library

•As a result of the conference, 98.5% reported being excited about doing advocacy work in support of their library

• 99.5% believed they can influence their community to support their library

• 98.6% were more confident in their abilities to advocate on behalf of their library

Six months after the training…

• Many libraries are facing the prospect of budget cuts in coming years

• However, libraries are on schedule for raising the matching funds– 98.4% reported that they had met the match

for Phase I– 53.7% had already met the match for Phase II,

well ahead of the September 30, 2009 deadline.

• Teams work– Respondents representing libraries with a

project team measured themselves higher on all measures of skills and confidence for engaging in advocacy work

Six months after the training…

• Partnerships– Almost 40% reported that their libraries

formed at least one new partnership, most commonly with local businesses

• Messages– Focused on local demand for technology

and tailored to target audiences were seen as the most effective at raising public support for sustainable funding for technology

Turning the Page Timeline

• Round 3 (final round) will take place fall 2009

• Final event will be at PLA Conference in March of 2010 in Portland Oregon– Free for PLA members

• PLA’s grant with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation concludes in 2010