Community engagement is the art of connecting local resources with the residents they serve. Librarians for community engagement are always on the move, working with local institutions and learning about the needs of their community members. In this interactive session, the presenters will share insights from their work developing successful partnerships outside the library. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own successes and brainstorm ways to do the same for their own communities. - PLA 2018 Session Description.
Presenters: Maggie Killman, Youth Community Engagement Librarian, Shaker Heights Public Library, Shaker Heights, OH
Gabriel Venditti, Community Engagement Librarian, Shaker Heights Public Library, Shaker Heights, OH
In this session, the presenters looked at what defines community engagement; how to build relationships; and how to put those relationships to use. Community engagement can happen at lots of different levels - some large scale and some small scale. It is important to engage residents where they are and to take advantage of any community dialog opportunities that present themselves. In addition to engaging residents, also look to engaging local leadership from government, schools, neighborhood associations, law enforcement, business, non-profits, churches, etc. Remember that is takes time to build trust, be sincere, and to listen. The best way to build relationships is to develop partnerships and to connect people to ideas, services, and resources. It is important to get out to meet your community and to have a definite vision and set of goals for how you want to engage your community. Make is easy for community members to be in touch by having clear points of contact.