Be changed by the conversation

Community Engagement at Johnson County Library

OutlineWhat is community engagement?Why does JCL do community

engagement?What is community engagement

at JCL?What is the future of community

engagement in libraries?

What is community engagement? Position Summary: This full-time librarian will function as a member of the JCL Central

Reference department with specific responsibilities for supporting the Library’s Citizen Engagement initiative. He or she will develop programs, resources and information services tied to citizen engagement projects, and will work closely with the Information and Readers’ Services Manager to integrate citizen engagement into the ongoing work of the Library. Librarians in Central Reference also have considerable patron contact time and cooperate in the day-to-day management of reference workflow.

Qualifications: Required: MLS from an ALA accredited school, public service

experience, experience with electronic information resources and technology.

Preferred: Experience working with community outreach, citizen engagement, or event planning.

What is community engagement?

Democracy – getting people involved in governing

Community development – strengthening civic muscle

Service learningCommunity problem-solving –

involving citizens in dealing with problems

DemocracyGet out the voteIncrease awareness of issues on

national, state and local levelsIncrease contact between

candidates and constituents

Community developmentCommunity involvement“Civic muscle”Volunteerism

Service LearningAcademic worldStudents get real-world

experience in their chosen fieldStudents are contributing to their

communities

Community problem-solvingCitizens working together to

solve the problems of their neighborhoods / communities / cities / regions

Ex: KCK study circlesEx: One KC Voice transportation

engagementsEx: Tyndall, SD creates youth

center

Who’s doing it?Federal governmentCitiesFoundationsNeighborhood groupsLibrariesIt’s an idea whose time has

come.

Why did we start this?

Putnam’s thesisSocial capital is failing1987 – 53% thought parents’

generation was better in terms of being a concerned citizen

77% thought the nation was worse off because of lack of involvement in community activities

More statistics1996 – only 8% believed the honesty

and integrity of the average American were improving; 50% thought we were becoming less trustworthy

Have we become less civil? 80 percent said yes

1999 – 66% thought civic life had weakened

80+% wanted more emphasis on community

What Putnam sawDownward trends in political

participation (voting, participating in campaigns, attending rallies)

Civic participation (membership in organizations)

Religious participationWorkplace connections (union

membership, professional associations)

More bad newsInformal social connections were

also weakeningDeclines in social visiting, family

dinners, card playingSports participation is down, but

spectating is upDoing culture is down, consuming

culture is up; % of Americans who play an instrument down from 30% to 20% bet. 1976 and 1999.

Why?Time and money pressuresMobility and sprawlTechnology and mass mediaGenerational change – WWII was

a watershed

So what?Social capital allows people to

solve community problems“greases the wheels”Contributes to tolerance,

empathyEffects on education, health, safe

neighborhoods, economic prosperity

democracy

Call to actionRestore American communityImprove civics educationIncrease participation in

extracurricular activitiesMake workplaces more family

friendly and congenialUrban planning initiatives to

strengthen neighborhoods and reduce sprawl

Call to action, cont.Religious involvement and

toleranceUse technology to support

community engagement rather than weaken it

Use the arts as a means of bringing people together

Find ways to encourage people to participate in the public life of their communities

The challenges to community engagement

PolarizationWho are our conversation role

models?DisenchantmentDisenfranchisementDisengagement

Another book…

Clustering of like-minded people

PolarizationRed vs. blueConservative vs. liberalUs vs. them“idea segregation”

Polarization

Was the 2004 election stolen?

Discrepancy between exit polls and results

Republican voters were less likely to talk to younger poll takers.

Poll takers associated with liberal media outlets

“People avoided talking to those they thought had political leanings different from their own.”

Partisanship

Carter Reagan Clinton Bush0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Presidential approval gap

Where did we start?First forum in 2001Used the National Issues Forums

modelHad a committee to oversee the

projectInitially had plans for speakers

once a year and panel discussions

Goal was to

National Issues Forumshttp://www.nifi.orgAround since 1981“To increase citizen

understanding of domestic policy issues and provide citizens with opportunities to express and convey informed opinions on the issues to the nation's decision makers.”

National Issues ForumsDialogue and deliberationThree approachesFind common ground

Forum is not a town hall meeting.It’s not a question and answer

session.It’s a conversation.

Other events of community interestEngagements – public input on

community issues (transportation, solid waste management)

Dialogues – science and religion, interfaith conversation

Events – recycling, children and nature

How do we put on a forum?Choose a topicChoose a guideChoose a dateFind moderators

How do we put on a forum? Cont.Market

◦Email list◦Mailing list◦Cold calling

Manage reservations, cateringPrepare handouts, take-aways,

packets

More about take-awaysGive attendees ways to:

◦ learn more◦do more◦get involved

Market library resources◦Books, articles, databases

Point to internet resources◦Ex: web sites, Google alerts

Market for organizations who helped publicize

Market other library events

Web sitehttp://www.jocolibrary.org/issuesBlogUpcoming eventsEvent archiveRelated eventsComments – have never gotten

one!

The future … dun dun dun!Take on some local issues.Develop an online component.Develop new partnerships.Do more assessment and follow-

up.

Why do community engagement?We’re already doing it.We aren’t just about books, and

it’s not all on the Internet.Library as third place.Strong libraries can help build

strong communities which then help build strong libraries.

Why not?

My adviceBe prepared for chaos.Experiment.Ask for help.