ABOUT THIS REPORT

In late summer, 2005, Co-Director Jody Kretzmann and researcher Susan Rans from the Asset-Based Community Development Instituteat Northwestern University agreed to visit several Chicago Branch Libraries to investigate the role of public libraries in neighborhoods.This report illustrates a variety of ways local libraries contribute to community development, looking at multiple layers of involvement:individual, voluntary associations, institutions, economy, place, and, importantly, the stories they tell about themselves in their commu-nities. The Urban Libraries Council hopes this report will spark other communities to investigate the catalytic work of libraries in theircommunities, to understand the rich contributions being made, and to tell their stories.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CHAPTER 1DEEPLY EMBEDDED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CHAPTER 2INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CHAPTER 3CULTURE CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CHAPTER 4FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

CHAPTER 5FITTING TOGETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

CHAPTER 6FUELING THE ECONOMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CHAPTER 7COMMUNITY SPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

CHAPTER 8BRIDGES AND WEBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

LESSONS LEARNED: “GOOD THINGS HAPPEN HERE” . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

ENGAGED LIBRARY TOOLBOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

THE Engaged Library:Chicago Stories of Community Building

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Idea: The Urban Assets Strategy Group,Executive Board, and Martín Gómez,President of the Urban Libraries Council,and Mary A. Dempsey, Commissioner,Chicago Public Library.

Research and Publication Copy: JodyKretzmann and Susan Rans at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute,Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Editing: Danielle Milam, Urban LibrariesCouncil, Evanston IL

Underwriting: The Chicago CommunityTrust, Chicago Public Library Foundation,and the Institute for Museum & LibraryServices.

Copyright © December 2005. The UrbanLibraries Council, Jody Kretzmann, andSusan Rans. All rights reserved. The U.S.Institute for Museum and Library Services(IMLS) reserves, for Federal governmentpurposes, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, andirrevocable license to reproduce, publish, orotherwise use the work and authorize oth-ers to reproduce, publish or otherwise usethe work.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 1-885251-33-5

Chicago Public Library Foundation

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repository of books and information or an outpost

of culture, quiet and decorum in a noisy world, the

new library is an active and responsive part of the

community and an agent for change.

In Better Together: Restoring the AmericanCommunity, Harvard Sociologist Robert Putnam andcommunity activist Lewis Feldstein make this obser-vation, calling libraries a “bridge” for building socialconnections.

In the world of community building, local libraries havea unique and powerful role. While many places andorganizations “bond” together people of like mind,libraries also have the capacity to “bridge” – bringtogether different types of people who may not shareexperiences with each other otherwise. Putnam andFeldstein describe how ‘planting’ a library in a commu-nity can turn a place around physically, encouragingnew social networks and attracting further reinvest-ment and development.

This report takes that line of inquiry further. The UrbanLibraries Council, with generous support from TheChicago Community Trust and Chicago Public LibraryFoundation, commissioned researchers in the Asset-Based Community Development Institute atNorthwestern University to investigate several branch-es at the Chicago Public Library, looking closer at therole of libraries in building community. Researchersfollowed the “people” trail to see how social net-works are discovered, nurtured and expanded in differ-ent public library scenarios (new, renovated and estab-lished) and diverse community settings.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE Engaged Library:Chicago Stories of Community Building

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The researchers began with the premise that suc-cessful community building involves discovering andmobilizing layers of assets already present in everycommunity:

� the skills and resources of its individuals,

� the power of relationships in voluntary associations

� assets present in the array of local institutions

� the physical infrastructure of the community

� the profile and dynamics of the local economy

� the stories that define the community, its historyand its dreams

The stories gathered here uncover webs of connec-tions and successful strategies for building socialnetworks, based on conversations with the admin-istration and several branch managers of theChicago Public Library. The themes around the les-sons learned stimulate thinking about how to posi-tion libraries at the center of the local community’slife and how to support community engagement ina variety of ways. The “toolbox” at the end of thepublication provides exercises, activities, andinquiries that libraries can use to decide how andwhere to engage in the fabric of community life.

Libraries come to the table with a wealth of assets:free community space, technology resources, con-nections to the local economy, a sense of owner-ship by the community and, above all, a level ofcommunity trust. With these assets, they can con-nect to all parts of a community, building those rela-tionships and networks that contribute to strongsocial infrastructure. They are important communityengagement catalysts.

LESSONS LEARNED

1. Get outside the doors. Successful community/

library relationships are proactive.

Branch managers and staff that take an active rolein the civic life of the community create the ‘two-way street’ that positions the library at the center ofcommunity. This activity outside the library shouldbe encouraged at every level.

2. Find the leaders. A concerted effort to discover

who’s who in a community makes all the differ-

ence.

Reading local papers, asking long-time residents,attending civic events—all can be ways to find andwork with the people who are already at the centerof community activities.

3. Be creative about what the library can con-

tribute.

Go beyond the obvious and be prepared to say“yes” to new ideas that fall within your mission.

4. Discover and contribute to the unique capac-

ities and conditions of the community.

Cultural attributes, family requirements, the particu-lar situations of neighborhood youth all provideopportunities to make the library indispensable.

5. Support local businesses and institutions.

Set up reciprocal relationships with them, advertiseyour services to them, spend discretionary fundslocally. All of these activities will rebound to thelibrary’s and community’s benefit.

6. Make the library building a community cen-

ter.

Public buildings are community assets in manyways beyond simply being meeting spaces. Themore people feel ownership, the more integratedthe library becomes in community life.

7. Create a community-minded culture among

library staff and volunteers.

All staff should be encouraged to learn names,attend events, develop relationships, and pay atten-tion to community issues. Make the library a bridgeto and among community populations.

8. Support library investments that jump start

community redevelopment efforts.

A new library in a neighborhood brings hope andattention to areas that may have experienced disin-vestment. Support new branches with resourcesfor building social networks.

When libraries engage their communities, the bestcharacteristics of both library and community aremobilized. Individual gifts, local associations and insti-tutions, the neighborhood culture, economy andphysical environment all come together to createunique neighborhood communities. With supportiveleadership in City Hall and at the central library admin-istration, there is no limit to the role local branchlibraries can play in building vibrant communities.

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a series of funeral announcements were being issuedfor public libraries. They were dying or already dead —killed by the internet, television, large chain book-stores and cafes. Local elected officials began ques-tioning the outlay of scarce tax dollars for thesepatients on life support. Hours were cut, staffreduced, acquisitions postponed. Deep sighs andhand wringing accompanied the proclaimed loss ofanother pillar of community life.

Similarly, much was made of the loss of community intoday’s busy, impersonal world. We were warnedabout increasing isolation, disconnection and passivity.

We were bombarded with images and stereotypes offailed communities; impoverished places, dangerousplaces, neighborhoods that lack vitality. Places that wereempty, lacking the buzz of local relationships that makecommunities thrive.

The future appeared bleak, with the loss of librariesjust another symptom of the disease.

BUILDING VIBRANTCOMMUNITIES

The countervailing evidence coming in from hundredsof communities is that active, strong neighborhoodsexist everywhere. They come in all shapes and sizes,all economic levels, urban and rural, and they possessmany assets, which, once mobilized and connected,make community life rich and vibrant.

Successful community development involves redis-covering and mobilizing layers of resources alreadypresent in any community.

NOT LONG AGO,

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No plan, solution or organization from outside

the community can duplicate what is already

there. Successful strategies for community devel-opment in neighborhoods are asset-based, internal-ly-focused, and relationship-driven. Although someresources from outside the community are needed,the key to lasting solutions comes from within. Thegifts and skills of residents and the assets of thephysical community are always the starting place.

Individuals. Every individual has gifts she or hebrings to the group. The best and most creativecommunities are aware of these gifts and provideopportunities for them to be given. Simply discov-ering and inventorying individual gifts is not enough.Find ways to create connections between giftedindividuals. Making these connections, building rela-tionships, is the heart and soul of community build-ing.

Associations. Individuals who share common inter-ests and goals form associations. Garden clubs, fra-ternal organizations, bowling leagues, book clubs,and church groups connect individuals to otherswho share their interests. Associations build long-lasting, multi-faceted relationships where none pre-viously existed.

Institutions. All communities, no matter how poor,have within them a series of institutions that cansupport the individuals and powerful associationsfound there. Involve local institutions in the processof community-building. Parks, schools, churches,businesses, and libraries all have a role to play.They can be involved with the local community asproperty owners, gathering centers, economic enti-ties and incubators for community leadership.

Physical Environment. Other assets include thephysical environment of a community; its green-spaces, roads, facilities, transportation centers andgathering places.

Economy. The local economy is a complex web ofunique local resources, enterprises, and dynamicsthat generate wealth and distribute benefits.

Stories. Finally, every community has a rich fabricof stories that define it. Finding a way for a commu-nity to tell those stories, to itself and to the worldoutside it can unleash tremendous potential.

Taken together, all of the assets listed providestrong bedrock upon which any community canbuild. Finding and connecting existing assets is themost important work a community can do. A grow-ing body of research demonstrates that the more

assets that are connected and mobilized, thestronger a community becomes. Vibrant locallibraries are critical assets in this process.

NETWORKS, NORMS ANDTRUST

In his landmark study, Bowling Alone: The Collapseand Revival of American Community, sociologistRobert Putnam defines social capital:

Social capital refers to social networks, norms of

reciprocity, mutual assistance, and trustworthi-

ness. The central insight of this approach is that

social networks have real value for the people in

those networks.

Social capital has the ability to transform the lives ofthose who may not be involved in the communityactivity that builds social capital. In a communitywith strong social capital, crime decreases for allresidents, economic activity increases, and schoolsimprove.

Putnam’s central argument in Bowling Alone wasthat social capital was on the wane in American life.That argument was so carefully researched and sta-tistically supported that it caused many readers todespair for the future of our democracy. Othersrespectfully disagreed, citing stories from aroundthe country that showed a resurgence in communi-ty life and relationships. In 2003, Putnam joinedwith activist Lewis Feldstein in producing an anti-dote to his own dire predictions, Better Together:Restoring the American Community.

In Better Together, Putnam and Feldstein collectedcommunity building stories from across the country,and one focused exclusively on libraries. In anexamination of the Chicago Public Library and itsapproach to branch library activity and expansion,Putnam and Feldstein showed that libraries are cat-alysts for building social capital.

No longer a passive repository of books and

information or an outpost of culture, quiet and

decorum in a noisy world, the new library is an

active and responsive part of the community and

an agent for change.

In this model of community engagement, locallibraries are significant community institutions.They are uniquely positioned to “bridge” -- buildnetworks that bring together different types of peo-ple who may not share experiences with each otherotherwise. Putnam and Feldstein point to the role

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branch libraries play in bridging rich and poor resi-dents. They show how ‘planting’ a library can turna community around physically, encouraging furtherreinvestment and development. They reveal thatthe internet, rather than being the library-killer of thepredictions, is drawing people into the library, andkeeps them coming back.

ENGAGED LIBRARIES ASCOMMUNITY PLAYERS

How do libraries stimulate social networks? It takesa concerted effort, support from administration andelected officials, and some tools for implementingthis vision. In this report, commissioned by theUrban Libraries Council with generous support fromThe Chicago Community Trust and the ChicagoPublic Library Foundation, researchers from theAsset-Based Community Development Institute atNorthwestern University returned to the ChicagoPublic Library for a closer look, collecting storiesfrom several neighborhood branches that haveengaged their communities in a variety of ways.

Although each story is unique (as each branch andits facilities and neighborhood is unique), commonthemes and lessons in community building forlibrary systems are apparent. To test these lessons,they asked Chicago Public Library CommissionerMary A. Dempsey for her insights and perspective.

Libraries--if given the resources and support forcreativity in programming and outreach, andcharged with being more engaged in their com-munities--can truly build community. They cometo the table with a wealth of assets: free commu-nity space, connections to the local economy, asense of ownership by the community and, aboveall, a level of community trust. With these assets,they can connect to all parts of a community,building those relationships and networks thatcontribute to social capital. They can make policymakers into avid supporters. They can be net-work catalysts and community players.

The last section of this report provides a toolbox --activities and inquiries for libraries to undertake inorder to decide how and where to engage in thefabric of community life.

Photo: Todd Patrick

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of Chicago, a few doors north of the busy intersectionof California and Devon, sits the Chicago PublicLibrary’s Northtown Branch. Driving in a car onCalifornia, you might miss it. The building dates from1962; it has the low-slung look of a gym or a fieldhouse, and it is surrounded on both sides by othercommercial buildings.

Appearances are deceiving in this case, however, asNorthtown is one of the busiest branches in Chicago.It serves an incredibly diverse community, and has col-lections in English, Russian, Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish,Urdu/Hindi, and Bengali. Its Auditorium, with room for100, is booked everyday with community meetings,library-sponsored programs and classes. And everyone of its 10,000 square feet is filled with a variety ofpatrons at almost any time of the day.

Just to the right of the entrance sits the office of theBranch Manager, Rose Powers. The office has a bigglass window from which a visitor can see the wholelibrary space if she looks past the amazing collectionof Green Bay Packers memorabilia, bobble-head dolls,trophies and other assorted, well, stuff, that Rose hasarrayed on the window sill. Probably the most impor-tant part of this big window is that any library patroncan also see in, and if Rose is there, they are welcometo drop by.

And lots of people do drop by. In fact, Rose is one ofthe most recognized people in the West Ridge com-munity. She has been at Northtown for 19 years, firstas a children’s librarian, then acting Branch Manager,and finally, Branch Manager. But it isn’t only her con-tinuous presence at the branch that makes her somuch a part of West Ridge. Over the years, she hasheld Officer and Board Member posts in theNorthtown Chamber of Commerce, the Northtown

Deeply Embedded

ON THE NORTH SIDE

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Kiwanis Club and the High Ridge YMCA. She is amember of the Northtown Garden Club, the WestRidge Historic Chicago Bungalow Club and manyother neighborhood associations. It’s hard to doanything in the neighborhood without bumping intoRose Powers.

To Rose, this nurturing of community relationshipsis a central part of her job as Branch Manager. “If Iget to know [neighborhood leaders] and they havea good experience with me, then, in most cases,these people are involved in multiple groups, soword spreads,” she says. “Who knows where [therelationship with] the Garden Society may go, or theBungalow group? You never know where it’s goingto lead. You need to make a positive impression inthe community.”

A WEB OFRELATIONSHIPS

Rose credits her initial involvement in the local com-munity to the Blue Skies for Library Kids projectback in the early ‘90s when she was Children’sLibrarian. The award-winning project, funded byThe Chicago Community Trust through the ChicagoPublic Library Foundation, combined the efforts andskills of community leaders, businesses and librarystaff to create innovative programs for the childrenand families in their communities. Northtown wasawarded a Blue Skies grant, and Rose’s first assign-ment was to find out who the leaders in the com-munity were.

“I went to the local paper and read every page forweeks, looking for names I saw over and over. Theone that appeared most often was Irv Loundy atDevon Bank, so I called him up and made anappointment.” Devon Bank, a local, family-ownedinstitution, had long been involved in the RogersPark and West Ridge communities, and Irv Loundyis its VP for Community Relations. And it happenedthat he was working hard to resurrect a dormantChamber of Commerce at the time of Rose’s visit.She asked him to join the Blue Skies advisory boardand he agreed. He surprised her by asking her tojoin the new Board of the Chamber, and she agreed.She has been on the Board ever since and today isits Secretary. “That was how I began to know thebusiness people,” she says.

The Blue Skies project also required the input ofyoung people, so Rose went to the place she knewshe’d find teens, Warren Park. The Park Supervisorat Warren, Diane Schilz, had started a Teen Board

there, so Rose met with them to find out whatteens felt they needed from the library. This inquirywas the beginning of a Teen Advisory Board at theNorthtown branch, and a long-term collaborationbetween the park and the branch. Warren Park daycampers participate in the CPL Summer ReadingProgram; the branch refers groups to the park’sfacilities that can’t be accommodated in thebranch’s auditorium.

Involvement with the park led to involvement withthe High Ridge YMCA, a few blocks away. A for-mer Director of the Y was also a member of thelocal Kiwanis Club and brought Rose to a Kiwanislunch as guest speaker. One senior member of theClub sponsored Rose for membership; a few yearslater she served as Kiwanis President. To this day,the Kiwanis Club underwrites the purchase ofbooks for the Summer Reading Program.

Increased visibility led to increased communityinvolvement in the future of the Northtown Branch.The Friends of the Northtown Library group hadexisted before Rose became Branch Manager, butits activity has increased. “Many people who live inthis community grew up in this community andknow us from when they were kids. They keepcoming back because they were educated tobelieve that the library is an important part of thecommunity,” she says. The Friends raise moneyfor library improvements when Rose asks them,and they don’t try to “do my job. They’re great.”

Mike Moses, a lawyer who grew up in the commu-nity and has run for public office, is a founder of theFriends. Rose stays neutral in political matters, asa city employee, but she also has a good relation-ship with the sitting alderman, Bernie Stone (50th).“He refers to me as ‘little Rosie’, his girlfriend. If heneeds a book or something, he’ll call me up.”

When Devon Bank had to cut back on the number ofmeetings it could hold in its facilities, Irv Loundy senta few groups to Northtown. One was YIVO, a YiddishLiterary Society. “I expanded the Yiddish collectionfor them.” Another was the West Ridge HistoricChicago Bungalow Club. “These are the save-the-world folks in the neighborhood, the earth mothers.And they love those bungalows. We’ve had pro-grams on restoration and windows and siding andthings like that here. Tons of folks show up for thatstuff, many of them had never been in here before.”The Bungalow owners include some city-widemovers and shakers that Rose hopes will provide anew web of relationships for the Northtown Branch.

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The Bungalow owners introduced her to the GardenClub; the Chamber of Commerce gave her contactsin the Indian and Pakistani communities. Herappearances on the local cable access show, NorthTown News Magazine, not only helps her get theword out about library programs, but it’s producer,Avy Meyers, is active in the Community PolicingBeat Meetings and got Rose involved in them. Thatled to new relationships with the Commander ofthe 24th District and the local police.

The connections go on in an ever expanding web,and all of them increase the visibility, activity anduse of the Northtown Branch.

LIKE A FAMILY IN SOMEWAYS

In response, Rose keeps a rich variety of program-ming going at Northtown; “I try to do differing pro-gramming to attract people that don’t normallycome in here”. There have been cooking demon-strations from a variety of neighborhood cultures.She brought in the Gethsemane Garden Center todo a workshop on arranging wedding flowers.Through the Blooming Branches partnership withChicago Botanic Garden, gardening classes wereheld. She’s sponsored workshops on Feng Shuiand discussions of Jack the Ripper. These andmany other programs, including author appear-ances, are done on a shoestring with help from theFriends when needed. And all of them fill theAuditorium.

One branch manager whose library was experienc-ing an influx in South Asian patrons once askedRose how she programmed for Indian and Pakistaniclientele. “I said, exactly the same way I do foreverybody else, because they have the same inter-ests. They don’t need to learn about their own cul-ture because they already know it and it’s beendone around here before.”

“We have an ESL class from Truman College thatmeets here twice a week—same teacher. We alsohave a Truman GED class that meets here twice aweek—same teacher. It’s like they are part of thestaff. The GED teacher lives in the community.”And the Internet stations bring in a different set offolks who only use the library for Internet access.

Misericordia, the large group home for mentallyand physically challenged adults sits on the east-ern edge of the community. For years,Misericordia staff has been wary of bringingtheir residents off the large campus for events.But a Friends member who volunteered therehad organized a singing group made up of resi-dents. He proposed that they sing for the com-munity. The group gave their first concert atlibrary in July 2004 and the Auditorium waspacked. “It wasn’t just their families, butfriends, neighborhood residents, Indian folks,Mexican folks. They all came and loved it,” saysRose. Misericordia residents come to libraryoften now, and she’d like to do more program-ming for them.

For Rose, this is all part of the role of the NorthtownBranch. “I want them to know we’re here. Theycan come when they need us. It’s like family insome ways.”

A WEB OF STORIES

The central role played by the Northtown Branch inthe life of the surrounding community might seemto be the consequence of Rose Powers’ effortsalone. To be sure, she is a rare kind of person, aconnector—someone who knows everyone andintroduces them to everyone else. And her longevi-ty in the community is an important part of the suc-cess of her efforts. As she says, “Continuity isgood.”

But a series of conversations with other BranchManagers has brought to light ways in which theprocess of relationship building has benefitedboth library and community. Some commonthreads run through each of the stories told bythese librarians, ways to involve community insti-tutions, neighborhood groups, young people, peo-ple of diverse cultures and neighborhood busi-nesses. Another thread involves the physicalspace a library provides. Using Rose Powers asour guide, we will bring in these other voices andexamine each of these threads. In this manner,some lessons and replicable tools will emerge forother neighborhood libraries to use in their rela-tionship building process with the surroundingcommunity.

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Institutional Partnering

for the same reason—the connections,”Rose can listthe movers and shakers of the Northtown communityand recount stories of the ways in which the libraryhas interacted with them over they years. These inter-actions aren’t one-way streets, however. Everybodybenefits from the engagement.

CONNECTIONS

Making connections is somewhat easier these daysfor the staff at the Austin Irving Branch, a few milessouthwest of Northtown. In 2001, the branch movedinto its new home, and in the process went from a 800square foot storefront to the largest and most strikingbuilding on its busy stretch of Irving Park Road. Thenew library is 15,000 square feet of space spreadthroughout a two-story structure. In a bit of under-statement, Branch Manager Tony Powers admits, “It’svery difficult not to feel our presence physically. Ourvisibility with other community organizations is muchhigher now.”

Austin Irving is now the second largest branch in thecity for circulation. Its facilities are used by many com-munities of patrons—researchers, leisure readers,internet users, folks attending meetings in the newmeeting rooms—“groups of users that are distinctand use the library differently at different times.” Allof this activity can certainly be attributed to the pres-ence of the new building, but a further conversationwith Tony Powers and Ramona Thompson, the AustinIrving children’s librarian, reveals the important role ofconnections made long before the new doors opened.

CHAPTER 2

“WE’RE ALL IN THIS

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CREATING COMMUNITYOPPORTUNITIES

The Austin Irving branch serves parts of the com-munities of Portage Park and Dunning. On thenorthern edge of the service district is the campusof Wright College, one of the City Colleges ofChicago. Like all community colleges, Wrightserves a variety of constituencies with everythingfrom traditional academic classes to job training andreadiness programs to ESL and GED test prepara-tion. The area of the city served by Wright Collegeincludes communities where English is not the firstlanguage, communities where the dropout rate ishigh, and communities of working class families forwhom tuition at a four-year college might be out ofthe question. Wright serves approximately 6,500regular credit students, 6,000 adult education stu-dents and 4,200 Adult Learning Skills Program stu-dents.

Dr. Charles Guengerich is the President of WrightCollege. In addition to the classes and trainingopportunities that his institution provides, Dr.Guengerich has committed the College to buildingrelationships with the local community. Over theyears, the college has partnered with a variety ofneighborhood institutions. Some important exam-ples are the Northwest Chicago SymphonyOrchestra, an annual cultural events series, a resi-dent theatrical company, an annual Art Fair andNeighborhood Ethnic Food and EntertainmentFestival, an Adopt-a-School partnership with GrayElementary School, and the Positive AlternativesProject Partnership with the 15th Police District.

The partnership with the Austin Irving Branch is par-ticularly rich for both organizations. Tony Powersserves on the President’s Advisory Board at WrightCollege, helping the President and the faculty atWright make decisions on community programs.“Tony serves as a valuable source of information onWright programs,” says Dr. Guengerich. Wrightfaculty and students use the library as a site for bib-liographic instruction. The Wright College cameraclub displays its work in the library gallery.

And whenever library patrons request ESL classes,or ask where they can study for the GED, librarystaff refers them to Wright. “There’s no need forus to replicate what Wright provides,” says Tony.“We have great community resources.”

“Clearly, I feel that our interaction with the AustinIrving Branch and with Tony is beneficial to the col-lege,” says Dr. Guengerich. “But more important, I

think it is beneficial to the community. Workingtogether, I believe that we create opportunities thatare designed to maintain and improve the quality oflife for the residents of our community.”

CREATIVITY IN THECHURCH BASEMENT

During the years that it took to construct the newlibrary building, the Austin Irving collection and staffmoved to the basement of a shuttered church on aresidential street, far from the foot traffic on IrvingPark Road. But the branch’s circulation actuallyincreased during those years, partly due to the pop-ularity of the church’s other tenant, the PortagePark Center for the Arts.

The Arts Center moved into the church in 2000,sharing more than the space with the library. Thetwo organizations began to cooperate on program-ming and offerings. They shared teachers. Thechildren’s story times sponsored by the library weregreatly enhanced by the participation of the Centersart teachers; writing classes taught by the centerused materials from the library. Each enhanced theother during those years in the basement, and nowthat the library has its new building, the collabora-tion continues.

Jennifer La Civita, the Director of the Portage ParkCenter for the Arts, values the energy supplied bythe relationship with the library. She admits thatboth the Center and the Austin Irving Branch coulduse more resources. “But you don't need moneyto create community and to interact with otherorganizations in the community," she says. “Youjust need to work together". In the Center for theArts, Ramona Thompson has a partner in her chil-dren’s programming as well. Tony Powers pointsout that it all makes sense. “After all, we’re bothinstitutions committed to the humanities. And weshare a community.”

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Tony Powers and Ramona Thompson have builtmany other relationships in their community. ThePortage Park Chamber of Commerce meets in thelibrary regularly, and supports library programs.“Tony Powers and I sit on the Board of the PortagePark Chamber of Commerce,” Dr. Guengerichpoints out. We work with community leaders oncommunity issues. It also serves as a method for

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Tony to report on and promote library activities, andfor me to promote activities at Wright College.”

One board member of the Chamber, MahmoudBambuoyani, is a particular friend. He runs akarate school across the street from the library,When Mahmoud had a family tragedy, Tony,Ramona and other library staff helped him recover,as he had helped the library over the years.Ramona has even served as a judge for his annualkarate tournament.

“That’s the fun thing about working at a branch,”says Tony. You have a different relationship withyour users. There’s a lot of the ‘MayberrySyndrome’ to the Branch Librarian—you are thevery visible presence of the library in the communi-ty.”

Other Branch Managers we met are also buildingrelationships with local institutions.

Keisha Garnett, Branch Manager of the WestEnglewood Branch, notes that her immediate neigh-

borhood has over 300 churches, important institu-tions in any community. She plans to visit each one,and has already begun to collaborate with one churchgroup that brings members to the branch to do com-munity and cultural research each week.

Teresa Madrigal of the newly reopened TomanBranch collaborates with the Principal and LocalSchool Council of a new high school in the LittleVillage community. When the new school openedfor the 2005-2006 school year, collections on cur-riculum topics were featured at the new branchlibrary. The addition of two new community institu-tions was a cause for celebration in the largelyMexican neighborhood.

Collaboration, complementing each other’s pro-gramming, not duplicating efforts and stayingengaged with other local institutions amplifies thegood work done in a community. As Rose Powersreminds us, “we’re all in this for the same reason.”

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a lot of people assumed there was going to be troublein this neighborhood.” Back at Northtown, RosePowers remembers a difficult day. “She consideredgetting permission to close the branch, as tensionseemed to be rising during the day and people of Arabdescent were under suspicion. But the strength ofneighborhood networks made her reconsider, andshe’s glad she did. “All the years I’ve been here, withall the different groups that are fighting each otheroverseas, everybody seems to make an effort to getalong around here. It’s really very nice.”

The West Ridge community finds strength in its diver-sity, and the Northtown Library has tried to celebratethe neighborhood’s cultures in obvious ways, likegrowing its collections in languages other thanEnglish. But Rose is adamant that the library alsoreflect the unity of the community. All of her pro-grams welcome the entire community.

The diversity of the local community does requireRose to keep learning and changing, however. Afterhearing from a community contact that the number ofBosnian refugees in the community was growing, shebegan to research the culture and is planning toexpand Bosnian collection. Her contacts at theChamber of Commerce are helping to develop out-reach strategies to the library’s new neighbors. “Ifyou’ve got community leaders who are willing to worktogether and try, then you’ve really got somethingspecial,” says Rose.

WORKING TOGETHER INLITTLE VILLAGE

On the opposite side of the city from West Ridge liesthe enormous community of Little Village, or, as neigh-

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bors call it, La Villita. Stretching along the ChicagoRiver all the way to the city limits, Little Villagetakes quite a while to traverse, even in a car. It ishome to one of the city’s fastest growing popula-tions, mostly Mexican-American; it has one of theyoungest populations in the city, with almost 60%below the age of 25. Little Village is a destinationfor people of Mexican heritage no matter wherethey live as they fill the 26th Street shopping districtevery weekend to buy the goods and foods theyassociate with their culture.

A few blocks south 26th Street on Pulaski Road isthe Chicago Public Library’s Toman Library. TheToman Branch building reopened in June, 2005,after a complete renovation. Although the originallibrary opened in 1927 and is considered a historicbuilding, it had outgrown itself as the number ofpeople in the community grew. Toman is the onlylibrary in the community.

As a visitor approaches from 26th Street, she firstsees the beautifully restored old building, with itsbrick and terra cotta façade and high windows.Then the new addition comes into view, with simi-lar stone arches, a bright atrium and a welcomingsign in English and Spanish. The expansion createda library of over 15,000 square feet, with all the nec-essary technological upgrades needed in a modernlibrary, but with the warmth and dignity of the oldbuilding. It is a truly spectacular place.

Teresa Madrigal is the Branch Manager of theToman Library. She is eager to show off her newfacility, as it was a long time coming. Because thereconstruction required the old library to be emp-tied, Little Village went without a public library forthree years. Teresa, who had started at Toman as achildren’s librarian, spent those years at a nearbybranch in the McKinley Park community across theriver. Now that the new Toman has just opened,everything sparkles with potential for her.

RE-ENGAGING

Teresa is quick to point out that even though shehas deep connections to the community, “the com-munity has changed since the library closed.”Because of the growth of the community, manypeople who now live there don’t even rememberthe old library. “I am reintroducing myself,” shesays. And because she was born and raised inMexico, she sees this process as one that has spe-cial requirements.

“The first day the library reopened, people werewaiting at the door. In Mexico, families are notused to getting things for free—they asked ‘whatdoes it cost?’” Teresa introduced many first timelibrary users to the concept of a free, publiclibrary—this beautiful building was theirs to use.

She is trying to design a broad array of program-ming that meets the needs of her communitybased on its culture. So she is starting adult bookclubs and internet classes in English and Spanish.She is promoting E-mail use as an inexpensive wayto communicate with relatives in Mexico, a servicemany patrons did not know existed. She alsoencourages folks to come to the library to read theMexican papers to find out what’s happening there.She is planning literacy and financial literacy pro-grams as well.

All of the children’s programming is also bi-lingual,and Teresa and her long-time Children’s Librarian,Rosa Reyes-Sanchez, are trying to schedule chil-dren’s events at the same time as adult events.“Moms can bring kids to story hour then go to theirclub or class, or work on the internet,” she says.“I’d like to do family reading days as well.” In acommunity filled with children, these are necessaryaccommodations.

Although there are many outlets for ESL classes inLittle Village, Teresa would like to provide them any-way, as it will bring in more people who might nototherwise know about the library or how to use it.All of these are ways to bring the library back intothe life of the community after its time away, shesays. “They waited for three years. It was a longtime without a library.”

A PERSONALCOMMITMENT

Teresa feels a special dedication to the women ofLittle Village, mothers who struggle to keep theirfamily together while making their way in a cultureso different than the one in which they grew up.She tells of her arrival in Chicago. “I came here asan adult, and I already had a college degree. But Ididn’t know the language, so I felt like I was back inkindergarten.”

She tells of the many ways in which she felt inade-quate as she tried to learn the language and find ahome. “The library should be that place for them,”she says. “I want this to feel like the place wherethey can find strength.” Teresa wants to use her

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story and her accomplishments to show thewomen she encounters in the library that anythingis possible. “I learned the language; I got anadvanced degree. Here I am running this library,and I am just like them.”

Teresa and her 11 staff are committed to makingthe new Toman a cultural celebration in LittleVillage. Although none of them are residents of thecommunity, Teresa and Rosa are old-timers atToman and know the community well. “What’sspecial here is the people on the staff—come seeus again in a year.”

CULTURE REFLECTIONS

It may seem obvious that a library should reflect thecultures of the community around it, but often theway to accomplish that reflection is not all that obvi-ous or easy. Librarians we talked to named a fewof the extra efforts they have made.

Tony Powers echoed Teresa’s experience as hetalked about the mostly Polish immigrants that usethe Austin Irving library. “The idea that the library isopen to everyone amazes them. They ask ‘howmuch?’ And when you tell them it’s free, their eyeslight up.” For Tony, this idea—the free publiclibrary—brings a sense of responsibility. “Think of

it in the larger context. There are not many publicbuildings that you can go into, 65 hours a week, andyou don’t have to sign in—we’re just here. Comeon in. Nobody asks what you are doing there.There aren’t many places like that. We have a veryunique role to play.”

At the Vodak Branch, Richard McLelland sees thework he does outside of the library as essential tohis understanding of the “pulse of the communi-ty”. That pulse then requires him to create waysto meet the information and learning needs of theMexican community on the Southeast Side.

Keisha Garnett, the Branch Manager of the WestEnglewood Library, does programs on AfricanAmerican culture, carries an extensive collection ofAfrican American fiction, and connects with neigh-borhood activists that work on issues related to thecommunity. “This is all a major consideration forme—how to best serve the African-American com-munity,” says Keisha.

Even as Rose Powers reminds us that folks of differ-ent cultures are all interested in the same things,how a library engages within diverse culturesdepends on how well it understands that ‘pulse ofcommunity.’ To understand that cultural pulse, saysRose, “You have to get out the door.”

Photo: Todd Patrick

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is changing in West Englewood. “The Englewoodcommunity is undergoing a massive redevelopmentproject that will bring a sense of unity and wealth backto this once-prominent neighborhood,” says StephenHunter of Rebirth of Englewood CommunityDevelopment Corporation.

One of the first things a visitor notices driving east on63rd Street is all the open space. Some blocks haveonly one or two remaining homes. Englewood hassuffered from disinvestment and abandonment overtime; now some parts of it appear cleared for redevel-opment. In the midst of this scene sits the brand newWest Englewood Library. “Since the public library is aplace of educational empowerment, its role in thecommunity will become even greater.” Hunter callsthe new library “a community pillar.”

“A BETTER PLACE FORTHEM”

Keisha Garnett is the Branch Manager of WestEnglewood, and has been since the building opened in2003. Prior to its construction, there was no library inWest Englewood. The closest branches were a milewest or east. The decision to place a new branch inWest Englewood was a conscious effort to spur rede-velopment, says Keisha, by creating a communityanchor.

“Since the library is new, the neighborhood had to beintroduced to what a library is—especially the kids. Butthere was great excitement over the prospect of theopening before it opened. And now the communityhas fallen in love with the library.”

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Some long-time residents worry that the redevelop-ment efforts will leave them out of the picture aswealthier folks move into new housing. Rumorsare rife, and since the library is seen as the neigh-borhood information source, Keisha finds herselfputting out small brush fires of rumor. In order todo that, she has to keep in touch with local organi-zations like Rebirth of Englewood CDC andNeighborhood Housing Services that let her knowwhat’s going on.

Keisha points out that the long-time residents arealmost all adults. Young people, she says, are verytransitional. “We have a huge population of fosterkids in this neighborhood, and they get movedaround.” Many live with extended family or rela-tives; all need to feel something like stability. “Wetry to make the library that place. It’s a better placefor them than the streets.”

Last fall, Keisha noticed a group of kids at the inter-net stations every day. They were truants.Somehow, the library seemed a better place to gothan school. “The police came and found them,and took them to school. But, they were drawnhere by the internet, and to use the internet, theyhad to get library cards. So, now they come backand use the library.”

SCHOOLS IN TRANSITION

It is no surprise that kids in West Englewood mightskip school to go to the library. Both high schoolsand two grade schools in the branch’s service areahave been or are being closed and restructuredunder the Chicago Public Schools Renaissance2010 initiative. Uncertainty about what will happenand who will be able to re-enroll surrounds thisprocess, and Keisha has attended communitymeetings and Local School Council meetings tokeep current with the plans.

Under Renaissance 2010, Lindbloom High School isabout to re-open. This means a new faculty, cur-riculum and administration has been put in place,and now the students are about to return.Throughout the last year, West Englewood Libraryhas been the site for planning meetings for the newLindbloom. Keisha has stocked the books on sum-mer reading list for freshmen, and many neighbor-hood youth have been in and out of the branch get-ting ready for school. “I’ve met often with the newprincipal there; he is really excited.” They havemade plans for cooperative activities for students

and their parents or guardians and are exploringways to work closely as the new school year getsunderway.

Things aren’t so hopeful at the other high school,Harper High. Harper has been under fire from par-ents for its failing school report card, and there issome discussion that it too might be closed. Keishahas also attended meetings of Harper parents.“There’s a neighborhood suspicion regarding theability of local kids to return to Harper. Folks areafraid,” she says. “But it might be for the better—sometimes change hurts…”

DRAWING TEENS INTOTHE LIBRARY

Any librarian will tell you it isn’t always easy get-ting teens through the door. Keisha is no excep-tion. She hopes to do outreach through the 300local churches to reach their affiliated young peo-ple. “Summer is a hard time to get teens in, butwe try.”

Teens do approach her to volunteer at the library.They need to meet community service require-ments at school, and often have waited until thelast minute and want to do all 40 hours at once. “Itell them we are only open so long each day,” shelaughs. Approximately 15 young people havepassed through The West Englewood Library thisway. But a few of these desperate ‘volunteers’have stayed on to become paid pages.

When she was assembling the library collection,Keisha focused her ordering on young people’s fictionwith African American themes. But when she ana-lyzed circulation, she discovered that the real draw forteens were the self-help books. “That stuff flew offthe shelves”, she marveled. “But then it made sense.They are at that age where they feel insecure andthey want to make themselves perfect. Books onbody-building and how to apply make-up were whatthey were reading. So I ordered more of it.”

Slowly but surely, adults in the community have vol-unteered to assist in programs for teens, like theSummer Reading Program. And more foster par-ents and grandparents are coming in to learn theinternet with their kids. Keisha tells of a lady in awheelchair who brings her two grandchildren inalmost everyday. Both boys have learning disabili-ties, and their grandmother works with them on theinternet, beaming when they do well.

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Of course, the West Englewood Library also hasadult patrons and provides many unique resourcesfor them. But the needs of local youth are great,and Keisha connects with all levels of neighborhoodorganizations to figure out how to make the librarya welcoming place in the midst of the upheaval oftheir lives. For her, it is all part of her mission: “Mygoal for the library is to get information into peo-ples’ hands—however we need to do it.”

PROGRAMMING BEYONDPOLICY

Our conversations with Branch Managers were richwhen it came to young people and schools.

Cooperation with local schools and programmingfor young people is a staple for all CPL branches.The Children’s Librarians uniformly conduct storyhours for many age groups. They visit all localschools, public and private. They organize theSummer Reading Program, in which kids win prizesfor the number of books they read and report on atthe library. They have to be arts and crafts special-ists, dramatists and sometimes babysitters.

Within this rich foundation of programming for chil-dren and youth, the extra connections are thosethat stand out.

Ramona Thompson at Austin Irving Branch visitsevery classroom in every school in her service area.“The school librarians are my best community con-tacts. One of them actually dressed up in a cos-tume to promote the Summer Reading Program,”she says. She also points to the benefits for par-ents that her children’s programming provides.“Some moms’ whole social world is the library’spre-school story time. They form friendships there,and some of them have gone off and started amom’s group to support each other.” Those storytime presentations draw 75-90 parents with youngkids every week.

In Little Village, the brand new high school is theresult of a decade-long struggle by neighborhoodgroups to site a new school to relieve overcrowdingas the number of high school age students skyrock-

ets. Now, the same activist groups are pressuringthe Chicago Park District to build a new park in thecommunity. The Toman Branch community room isthe site of all their meetings, and Teresa Madrigalattends them.

Everyone shared stories about youth volunteers.Some are ‘mandatory volunteers’—assigned by thecourt to do community service to clear their record.Tony Powers says “One of our best pages came tous that way.” Others come through the door to ful-fill the community service requirements at school,“but we never turn them away,” he says. AtToman, Teresa Madrigal has some teens that volun-teer for the Summer Reading Program every year.So does Ramona Thompson at Austin Irving.“We’d never survive without our volunteers,” shesays. Giving young people a place to contribute andbe employed benefits everyone, it seems.

Back at Northtown, Rose Powers worries aboutlatch-key kids who wait for their parents at thelibrary although she understands that the parentshave no choice. “I’d never leave my kids alone andunattended in a public library,” she says. “It’s a pub-lic place and anyone can come in. We try to let par-ents know that we can’t watch them.”

Rose was the Children’s Librarian at Northtownbefore becoming Branch Manager. Often, theChildren’s Librarian pops up in the Branch Manageras she speaks: “I can be pretty mean; I make thembehave when they are here.”

She is quick to show off the colorful murals paintedon the walls of the auditorium. They were put thereby the Teen Advisory Council that emerged fromthe Blue Skies project and has existed since 1993.This display of public art was designed and execut-ed by the young people who saw a need for anattractive space in their library. “The murals weretheir idea, but we all benefit. People come in hereand admire their work.”

Later, her eyes light up with the fun involved in con-necting kids and books as she tells a long, shaggydog story about creating a lottery for kids to checkout the 10 copies of the new Harry Potter book onthe day it was received.

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it depends on the community. You’d have to work harderto make it happen. But you still have to get out thedoor…” In a contemplative moment, Rose Powers won-ders how things might have been different for her had theWest Ridge community not been so rich in organizations.

In a community with lots of opportunities for connections,the role of the library is often to find ways to support workalready undertaken. One such community—three distinctneighborhoods, really—is on Chicago’s far SoutheastSide. One community leader wistfully joked, “Justmaybe there are too many organizations in this neighbor-hood.” In the midst of this profusion of activity, the CPL’sVodak Branch and its Manager, Richard McLelland, havean unusual challenge.

IDENTIFYING LOCALCONCERNS

The Vodak Branch opened in 1955, and expanded in 1993.Vodak is currently located on Ewing Avenue in the part ofthe Southeast Side known as East Side, once a mostlyeastern European neighborhood that now is majorityLatino. It also serves the historically Latino community ofSouth Chicago, and the mill town neighborhood of SouthDeering. All of these communities have experienced thedisinvestment caused by the loss of steel industry jobs,once the economic lifeblood of the region.

Because of the steel industry, the neighborhoods sur-rounding them have a history of being organized. Unionactivity touched most households. In the years sincethe closing of the mills, new community organizationshave emerged to support jobless workers and advocatefor redevelopment. In addition, the area has long suf-fered from a host of environmental challenges—

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illegal landfills, hazardous waste sites and pollution ofsensitive wetlands. Active environmental organizationsaddress these local issues. Finally, local residents aredeeply proud of the history of the community, its eth-nic groups and its contributions to labor and industrialhistory. So several projects have been undertaken bylocal and institutional historians to document and teachthis history.

Into this organizational mix, the Vodak Library is aboutto add a new anchor. Construction is almost completeon a brand new building, due to open at the end of2005. At 15,000 sq. ft., the new building will be threetimes the size of the storefront Vodak now occupies.Accompanying this new space will be a larger staff, abetter meeting room, a more expansive collection ofmaterials and enhanced opportunities for communityoutreach. Richard McLelland welcomes this change,and has already begun to prepare for the new contribu-tions the library can make.

He is working to expand the new library’s collection,responding directly to the interests and needsexpressed by the community. “In this new library, weare spending $400,000 on new materials, so we’refocusing especially on materials that would support ouroutreach.”

Small business development and environmental edu-cation and preservation are two hot topics in the com-munity. They will be showcased in the expanded newcollection.

McLelland would also like to expand Vodak’s program-ming to better reach the Hispanic, predominantlyMexican, community in East Side and South Chicago.A Spanish-speaking book club will be actively pursued.Linking up with Olive-Harvey City College to offer GEDand ESL classes is also of interest.

CONNECTING TOCOMMUNITY ACTIVITYAND HISTORY

Carrying the community connections of the old libraryinto the new building is critically important to RichardMcLelland. The Vodak Branch has two staff membersthat have worked on the Southeast Side for over 30years. People who enter the Vodak Branch, will mostlikely be greeted by their first name, by a staff memberwho probably knows their family and background. TheVodak Branch library staff and security guards oftendraw upon their expansive community knowledge toassist library patrons. The staff are not only equippedto share information about the social services andorganizations that are available to Southeast residents

but are often willing to personally arrange visits ormeetings with these organizations.

Over the last three years, Richard McLelland hasengaged in the community’s organizational life, andsees the new facility as a chance to expand thisengagement. McLelland is Vice President of the EastSide Chamber of Commerce, and he is a member ofthe South Chicago Chamber of Commerce as well. Hehas used the library as a resource for both Chambers.

McLelland is also a member of the East Side LionsClub, and has used his connections there to bring ben-efits to the Vodak branch. This past year, the Lion’s Clubgave $150 to support the summer reading program foryoung people. John Clarke, President of the East SideChamber of Commerce and Lions Club member, prais-es Richard McLelland’s involvement in these organiza-tions. “He hit the ground running,” says Clarke, “andhe has stayed involved and kept a high profile.”

John Clarke also commented that because of Richard,the Chamber has become a conduit to promote libraryprograms. They are also considering moving theirmeetings to the library, once the new building isopened.

McLelland also partners with local environmentalorganizations. Tom Shepard of the SoutheastEnvironmental Task Force (SETF) recalls his earlyinvolvement with the group. “He was eager tobecome involved in community affairs, attending ourbanquets and participating in events and meetings.Now, we’re close socially. We often have lunch togeth-er and discuss community matters.” McLelland hasdone research for possible grant opportunities forSETF, and “always features books that SETF views asenvironmentally important,” says Shepherd. “He doesa fine job and is always cooperative with us.”

Recognizing the importance of preserving and sharingthe community’s rich history, McLelland also workswith Southeast Historical Society. The SoutheastHistorical Society and its extensive collection are cur-rently housed in a room at the Calumet Park fieldhouse. Because the room has limited space, it is onlyopen to the public one day of the week. McLellandhopes that the new library building will provide a moreaccessible venue for these valuable historical materials.In addition, McLelland also spreads the community’srich history through presentations to communitygroups and organizations. “We are trying to be an inte-gral part of the community,” he says. “So that whatev-er the community groups want, whether its environ-mental cleanup or local history, [we seek to have] notjust an okay collection but a phenomenal collection inthose areas.”

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All three community interests are included in a newinitiative supported by the Chambers, SETF and theHistorical Society. The last steel mill to close in thecommunity, Acme Coke plant, is still intact. (Othershave been torn down and sold for scrap, leaving largeareas of undeveloped land and some dangerousbrownfields in the community.) Several SoutheastSide organizations are trying to preserve the steelequipment that is still functional at Acme to create amuseum and learning center. They have undertaken acampaign to purchase the land and the equipment toprovide the community with an educational resourcefocusing on the history of the steel mills. RichardMcLelland hopes to involve the new Vodak Branch inthis endeavor as well.

BEYOND THE WALLS

Richard McLelland believes that libraries must expandbeyond their walls as libraries are currently in a compet-itive struggle. “Libraries face competition from bookstores, peoples’ schedules, the internet,” he says. Helikes to refer to an article by Sharon Campbell, PublicLibrary Consultant, called “Librarianship as aBusiness”.

In order to address its competition and to remain rele-vant and appealing in the community, the VodakBranch works actively “beyond the walls” of thelibrary. According to McLelland, it is important for thelibrary to build partnerships within the East Side andacross the neighborhoods’ boundaries. “With groupslike the East Side Chamber of Commerce, what we tryto do is help them in their mission but also help thelibrary.”

While Branch Managers librarians have always beenencouraged to attend community meetings.McClelland and his staff try to go one step further. Hisworkday often begins and ends with community meet-ings, which he feels positions him as an equal partnerin the community. Likewise, McLellands’s staff hasbuilt strong relationships with the local schools andparks and often represent the library in other commu-nity meetings.

“You are out in the community just like they are, so youare an equal rather then just an attendee,” he says“We are able to solve a lot of problems locally

because we have such strong networks.”

WORKING IN BUSYCOMMUNITIES

Keisha Garnett speaks of West Englewood as a com-munity rich in organizations. “Adults are the core of thecommunity, and they are concerned about the commu-nity’s future, especially with the redevelopment that’sgoing on,” she says. The library serves two functionsin this environment. First, it is an informationexchange. Local leaders visit the library to drop offinformation about meetings and opportunities and, atthe same time, pick up information about library pro-grams to make sure the word gets out. Ms. JeanCarter-Hill, Director of the organization ImagineEnglewood If, puts it this way: “I’m a community per-son concerned about resources of the community andthe library is an important resource. Keisha is veryfriendly and helpful too. She has agreed to be part ofthe new high school council, and she provides informa-tion for community efforts, like lead poisoning aware-ness.”

A second function of the West Englewood Branch is toopen its doors to community events, according toKeisha. Rebirth of Englewood, a CommunityDevelopment Corporation across the street from thelibrary, uses it for job training classes. NeighborhoodHousing Services does housing workshops there. Thenew building is “like a handshake”, she says, introduc-ing the existing organizations to library services and toeach other.

At the Toman Branch, Teresa Madrigal produces ahandful of business cards provided by all of the repre-sentatives of organizations in Little Village that eitheruse the library’s meeting room or have expressed adesire to collaborate with the library. She is eager toinvolve Toman with as many organizations as she can.Existing or planned collaborations include after schoolprograms, college preparedness classes, housingadvocacy, and working for the new neighborhood park.“When we work together,” she says, “We can accom-plish much.”

Rose Powers has to think a minute before she starts tolist all the organizations that Northtown Branch is work-ing with in some fashion, but soon a list starts to tum-ble out: the Indo-American Society, an Assyrian ESLCitizenship group, a Jewish social service agency, ORT.Finally, she invites a visitor into her office and prints outa long list of monthly activities at the branch. “This willgive you an idea, but it’s not everybody. This is a busycommunity.”

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locally creates jobs, provides an active streetscape,and creates investment in the common future by bothconsumers and business owners. But times are hardfor local economies; big-box competition threatenssome places and larger forces slow the flow of moneylocally in others.

Libraries are uniquely positioned to contribute to thelocal economy. They are local employers. More oftenthan not, libraries bring foot traffic to the neighbor-hood commercial district. Library neighbors are mer-chants and service providers as well as residents. Notonly does the library provide services to businessowners, it can learn and benefit from them. TheBranch Managers we met understood the necessityof engaging and contributing to the local economy.

CHAMBERS ANDCHEESECAKE

Rose Powers is a leader of the business community inthe Northtown area; her long-standing role as an offi-cer in both the Chamber of Commerce and theKiwanis Club has kept her in contact with businessowners, job providers, and purveyors. But she is quickto point out that the relationships she has built arecompletely reciprocal. It’s never just about what abusiness can do for the library; the library must alsosupport local businesses. “If I need something done,I’m more likely to take it to a business in the commu-nity.”

Teresa Madrigal, Branch Manager of the Toman Libraryin Little Village has built relationships with business

Fueling the Economy CHAPTER 6

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owners through the La Villita Chamber ofCommerce. In her community, the 26th St. busi-ness strip is the most thriving retail economy inChicago with the exception of Michigan Avenue.26th Street is the “Mexican Michigan Avenue”, andits shop owners are logical partners for library pro-grams. “When we all work together,” she says,“we can accomplish much.”

Richard McLelland of the Vodak Library is on theBoard of the East Side Chamber of Commerce inhis library community. He also regularly attendsthe small business sessions hosted by the SouthChicago Chamber of Commerce to further hisown knowledge and to actively promote the busi-ness resources available at the library. AfterVodak moves into its new building, McLellandhopes to expand the library’s business and man-agement collection to better support the growingeconomy.

At the Austin Irving Branch, the interaction with amajor community business has aided the library inseveral important ways. Eli’s Cheesecake isn’tjust the most delicious treat Chicago has to offer.It is also a major employer and a destination ofsorts for people from all over Chicago. Its factoryand adjacent café are constantly busy hostingtours, as groups come to see the cheesecakebeing made and to get a chance to taste it. Theowner of Eli’s, Marc Shulman, is a very civic-mind-ed business person, supplying fundraisers aroundthe city with Eli’s Cheesecake for raffle prizes orrefreshments.

The Austin Irving Branch is a favored local con-nection for Marc Shulman’s civic activity. He hasmade his café available for branch programming,especially during the time before the new build-ing opened. He sponsored author talks there,providing cheesecake to attendees. He has alsopromoted programs at the branch to the youngpeople who constantly pass through his facilities.“Mr. Shulman is a great friend of the library,”says Ramona. In recognition of his involvementin promoting the programs of the branch,Ramona consults with him regarding their con-tent, especially those programs related to teens.The relationship is one that each party has nur-tured and the benefit to the library is on-going.And, of course, each one of the several hundredpeople who visited the new library building on itsfirst day got a taste of Eli’s Cheesecake.

CREATING A NEWBUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

A different kind of contribution is taking place inWest Englewood. The construction of the newbranch was part of a larger vision for a redevelopedcommunity that the City of Chicago is promoting.The library was the first of several new publicspaces that are meant to anchor new businessdevelopment on West 63rd Street. Its constructionremoved a building that housed a liquor store, aneyesore that kept foot traffic from the block. KeishaGarnett knows she will be called upon as a leader inthe rebirth of West Englewood, and so she isinvolved in all aspects of the community now.

All of the branches also serve the local economy ina very basic way: they are local employers. Youngpeople who volunteer for the Summer ReadingProgram are often hired as pages, opening the doorto a library career. At Vodak and West Englewood,clerical employees are long-time residents thatknow their neighbors names and welcome theminto the library as friends. These employees spendtheir money in the community, building other busi-nesses. The importance of this contribution to com-munity economies can’t be overlooked.

McLelland points out that “Librarianship as aBusiness” by Sharon Campbell calls on librarians tolearn agility and customer relations from business-es.

“The most influential people in your community maybe the business or governmental leaders. How canyou provide a unique service to them? We talk aboutpartnerships frequently, but all too often we areactually talking about getting something from some-one else rather than a true partnership. For example,‘Oh, yes, we partner with the local bank. They buyus bookmarks with the library name, address, phonenumber, web address, and hours listed on them. Welet them put the bank's name on them too and wehand them out.’ Or, ‘We partner with the schools.The art students come to the library and put displaysof their work in our window.’ It is possible that nei-ther of those situations are true partnerships as onlyone of the partners receives significant value or ben-efit from the relationship.”

At Northtown, Austin Irving, Toman and Vodak, thepartnerships with local businesses are truly recipro-cal and constantly evolving. At West Englewood, thevery existence of the new library is bringing back abusiness climate.

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to not feel our presence physically.” Tony Powers refers tothe Austin Irving Branch conversion from a small storefrontto a two-story building which has raised the profile of thebranch. People who may never have used the librarybefore are drawn to it just because it became so visible.

Relocated to a stretch of Irving Park Road that already hadheavy foot traffic, the new building invites passersby tostep inside. The bright, airy lobby has a large bulletinboard with community information and nearby collectionsof flyers and brochures advertise events for communityorganizations. “Some people just stop by to read that bul-letin board, to learn what’s happening, and don’t evercome into the library itself,” says Tony. But that is still animportant role for the branch to play—provider of commu-nity information on that very basic level.

PHYSICAL SPACE ASEXPRESSION OFCOMMUNITY PRIDE

Once someone comes through that door, the expansionof the community resource becomes clear. “It really is apoint of pride for the community.” Business people stopby because the library has wireless internet access, “andyou don’t have to buy a cup of coffee!” he laughs. Publiccomputers, Ramona’s storytime sessions and the freeuse of the meeting room all have changed the relationshipbetween the community and the library. Tony andRamona admit that their work is both easier and hardersince the arrival of the new building. On one hand, folksare naturally drawn to the library in ways they never wereat the old storefront. On the other hand, the increase inpatrons, circulation and activity in the building can makeeach day exhausting. Tony is adamant, however. “Iwouldn’t have it any other way. I love this job.”

CHAPTER 7Community Space

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In Little Village, the Toman Branch expansion is still sonew, neighbors stop to stare at it. Others wanderaround looking for the entry. Teachers bring their class-es for tours. Teresa Madrigal is happy to show thebuilding off. “They waited for three years. It was along time without a library.”

The new Toman has a symbolic importance as well.Not unlike Austin Irving, it evokes a level of communi-ty pride. In a community where public resources areoverburdened—only one large park serves all of LittleVillage, schools are overcrowded—the new library andnew high school represent community accomplish-ment. Add to that the sense of cultural celebration ofMexican heritage found at Toman, and the symbolicimportance of the library grows.

Finally, in a crowded, older community like Little Village,the mere fact of an addition to available public spaceprovided breathing room. That the meeting roomschedule filled up almost immediately is a testimony tothis fact. There’s now a much-needed large space forany community activity.

PHYSICAL SPACE ASREDEVELOPMENT SPARK

The West Englewood Branch didn’t replace an olderbuilding; it is a completely new community asset. It isalso the only piece of new construction in the area.

A number of redevelopment efforts are taking place inEnglewood and West Englewood, but the addition ofpublic investment can only aid in these efforts.Infrastructure improvements and new public buildingsnot only provide anchors, but they also provide hope.Keisha Garnett points out that the empty lot just eastof the library is soon going to be developed as a Parentand Child Center of the Children’s Home and AidSociety, providing day care and parenting services toresidents of West Englewood. “People stop by all thetime, asking when it will be open,” she says. “When itopens, that will be great for the community. And I can’tthink of a better way for us to get to parents than withtons of them dropping their kids off next door everyday.”

“Any time a new library is built, things change,” shesays. And things are changing in Englewood. A newcampus of Kennedy King College of the City Collegesof Chicago is also planned for the community. Newhousing and commercial development is being envi-sioned in a community planning process fundedthrough the New Communities Program. All of theseactivities combine to inspire local residents.

Jean Carter-Hill describes why her organization is calledImagine Englewood If. “"We walked around to seewhat was going on, what was there and what neededto be done to make it a better place to live," said Jean.“"People just need to communicate, connect and col-laborate. It is only then that they will feel differentlytowards each other and be able to transform the com-munities they call home."

The new library helps people feel differently. JeanCarter-Hill says she sees everybody there, all the time.Her only wish is that it was bigger.

PHYSICAL SPACE ASANCHOR

Richard McLelland knows that when the new VodakBranch opens, the meeting space will be used in hun-dreds of ways. He hopes the new building can providespace for the Southeast Historical Society’s collection.He’ll be able to improve the access he currently pro-vides to other services, such as the Mobile Driver’sLicense, Circuit Breaker applications, CTA/RTA passes,and the Cook County Assessors tax services. Vodakwill be able to continue to allow the local hospitals touse the library to educate people and provide healthscreenings. Many things will change when those newdoors open. “When a new library goes in, it generatesan economic boom,” he says. “It generates a lot ofsupport for local business to improve how they look orto move into a neighborhood.”

PEOPLE PLACES

Communities connect to their public spaces in real andsymbolic ways, and libraries are centers for those con-nections. But buildings don’t serve communities; peo-ple do. Rose Powers is an example of that truth.

She is a little defensive about her library’s physicalspace. Two brand new library branches have been builtin neighborhoods nearby, but Rose likes her buildingjust fine. She likes the sightlines, the windowed office,the constant bustle of the room.

She does sigh with a bit of envy of the new buildings.“We don’t have a parking lot. Lots of people won’t usethis space because we don’t have parking.” Shepoints out that West Ridge is a walking neighborhood,however, and longtime users of the library don’t seemto mind that much. As a public space for informationexchange, the library is by definition an engaging placethat brings together people.

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a special kind of community leader who opens doorsfor other people. A connector is a person who is trust-ed, is influential, and has a wide circle of relationships.A connector is always developing other people’sopportunities to contribute, connecting people to newpossibilities. Connectors are very valuable people inany community’s life.

All of the librarians interviewed spoke to the impor-tance of making connections, both for the benefit ofthe library and for the benefit of the community.Here’s a bit more of what they had to say.

“People have a deep sense of ownership of thelibrary. Not long ago there was a library promotion,celebrating people who had had library cards for over50 years. In order to use the library effectively, I thinkthe patron has to have a certain amount of trust. Wehave a very special relationship with people becauseof that trust. And in order to keep relationships up, it’simportant to go outside of the library and participate inthe community.” (Tony Powers, Austin Irving Branch)

“I’m very excited [about the new library] and can’twait to get my new plans going. I want to go to meet-ings, to the churches. I want to tell everybody, espe-cially the women, that this is a place they can maketheir own. Just wait. Come back in a year and seewhat we have done together!” (Teresa Madrigal,Toman Branch)

“I want to be a full member in the community. Joiningan organization allows people to know you socially.Like in the Lions Club--these people are now myfriends, but I also represent the library at the sametime. So if we need money for the opening of thelibrary to fund refreshments, I can ask the Lion’s club,or the alderman. It’s easier to ask.” (RichardMcLelland, Vodak Branch)

Bridges and Webs CHAPTER 8

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“I think every community deserves a library. Theyshould be like Walgreens—put one on every corner.I really enjoy working for an organization that hassuch a commitment to communities. To work inthe library and see the changes that we can make—when a person comes in and asks you how to usea computer, and six months later you see themchecking their e-mail. It brightens my day. If youcan go home at the end of the day knowing youmade even one change, that makes it worth it.(Keisha Garnett, West Englewood Branch)

And to bring this story full circle, the last word goesto Rose Powers:

“You have to balance [being a communityleader], but it’s an important part of the job. A lotof librarians don’t realize how important it is.They stay inside their building and check outbooks and buy books, but we are so much morethan that now.

“If you sit in the library all day at your desk, you see someof the community changes coming through your door,but you don’t see all of them. Here, you know what’shappening and why it’s happening. You get the insidescoop. You can adjust your services, your displays.

“[Connecting with community leaders] shouldalmost be a requirement for new branch managers.You can give [managers] the tools, set up the guide-lines about how to do it, you can give them an ideaof the questions to ask—but until they actually startdoing it, they don’t know.

When I became Branch Manager, if all I had ever donewas visit schools, what would I have done? Now, evenwith all this, I still find myself reading the neighborhoodnewspaper, looking for new streets to go down to findpeople that might not know we’re here. So, you could[train managers], I suppose, in that you could tell themwhat we recommend that you do to get it started. Butonce it starts, then it snowballs.”

Photo: Todd Patrick

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or all of these stories common themes emerge, evenas each one stands alone as a successful response toa particular community with particular circumstances.

Rather than simply lift up these themes as lessonslearned, we decided to bring them to an expert forcommentary. Successful branch libraries cannot existwithout the support of city government and its libraryadministration, so we turned to the Commissioner ofthe Chicago Public Library, Mary Dempsey, to help usmake the connections between success at the neigh-borhood level and support from the policies and priori-ties of political and administrative leadership.

What follows, then, are eight lessons and MaryDempsey’s exegesis of each.

1. Get outside the doors. Successful community/

library relationships are proactive.

Branch managers and staff that take an active role inthe civic life of the community create the ‘two-waystreet’ that positions the library at the center of com-munity. This activity outside the library should beencouraged at every level.

“CPL is really strong at doing this. Our folks realizethat we could have the greatest program in the world,but if nobody knows about it or if it doesn’t serve theneeds of the people in our neighborhood, it’s as if wenever did it or as if it has no value,” says MaryDempsey. “We serve as ‘value added’ to a neighbor-hood when the community feels welcome in our doorsand we feel welcome in their doors.”

CPL hiring and promotion policies support this focus.“You can be the smartest person in the world, but ifyou don’t like the public, don’t come here.” Engagedlibrarians become local leaders, says Dempsey.

Lessons Learned: “Good Things Happen Here”

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“When I go out to a neighborhood meeting or I’m withfriends, I have people come up and say to me ‘I know so-and-so’, their neighborhood librarian. That to me is justexceptional.”

2. Find the leaders. A concerted effort to discover who’s

who in a community makes all the difference.

Reading local papers, asking long-time residents, attendingcivic events—all can be ways to find the people who arealready at the center of community. Rose Powers showhow this activity can benefit the library in ways that increaseexponentially, as connections to community multiply.

“We encourage [CPL staff] to invite the local alderman, thelocal community leaders, the local natural leaders into thelibrary—to be part of a planning committee, to see what’sgoing on, to help hand out the prizes for the Summer readingprogram,” says Mary Dempsey. “When I go to the annualbudget hearings and the aldermen thank me for the programsat their library I think ‘Don’t thank me, thank the branch man-agers or children’s librarians who brought them in.’”

3. Be creative about what the library can contribute.

The obvious contributions aren’t the only contribu-

tions.

Mary Dempsey points out that creative contribution tocommunity is at the core of public library services. “[Thepeople outside the doors] are the people who fund us. Ifit isn’t useful to them, then we aren’t doing our jobs. Youhave to build this idea with everybody--the library is anessential part of the life of the community.”

“If you want to be seen as a creative community player,then you have to be willing to say “yes” and find a way todo it, if it is within your mission,” she adds. One such“yes” moment was the CPL’s creation of a FinancialLiteracy program in branches with large immigrant com-munities. “If Chicago truly wants to be a part of the glob-al economy, then the Chicago Public Library has to be atthe forefront of educating people about what it means tobe a global citizen. We started doing financial literacy inimmigrant communities. Then, the Federal Reserve Bankcame to me and said ‘Hey, we have this good idea aboutfinancial literacy” and I said, ‘Well, we’re already doing it.Want to get on board and help?’”

Now, the Smart Money Program is being copied byFederal Reserve Banks in other parts of the country.

4. Discover and contribute to the unique capacities

and conditions of the community.

Cultural attributes, family requirements, the particular situ-ations of neighborhood youth all provide opportunities tomake the library indispensable. Much of the creative activ-ity mentioned above can find its roots in these aspects ofcommunity.

Mary Dempsey agrees. “It’s so important to respect peo-ple’s cultures. If there are science experiment books inPolish, let’s buy them…The strength of this city is itsunique neighborhoods.”

Having culturally sensitive staff is critical to this. “Our staffknows what is needed; we don’t have to tell them. For somegroups, the government is not the most welcoming thing inthe world, so the more we can look and talk like the commu-nity, we obviously think it’s a bonus. So we do a lot of ‘grow-ing our own’”.

The City of Chicago offers a tuition reimbursement forthose who’d like to get an MLS, but CPL administration ismore proactive than simply offering tuition help.“Sometimes we’re not so subtle. Sometimes we say‘You. You have a future here. You need to be part of this.You love this. You need to go on to school. We’ll makesure you can go to school.’”

5. Support local businesses and institutions.

Set up reciprocal relationships with them, advertise yourservices to them, spend discretionary funds locally.Employ locally. All of these activities will rebound to thelibrary’s benefit.

Mary Dempsey picked up on the story of Marc Shulman,Eli’s Cheesecake and the Austin Irving branch. Thecheesecake at the branch opening has turned into cheese-cake at all CPL opening ceremonies. “He’s such a greatsupporter,” she says. “And we’re happy to supportChicago companies. We let kids know—this is a companyfrom Chicago.”

Larger corporate connections are welcome as well. Locallibraries can be good placements for corporations. “Wehave the advantage of being everywhere. Some of thebigger businesses in town understand that. We’re com-fortable with that if they believe in what we do.”

Another reciprocal relationship with mutual benefits hasbeen the CPL’s Great Kids Museum Passport program,funded by Kraft Foods. Chicago’s major museums,although supported with public money, charge admissionsthat are prohibitive to some families. So, the Library haspartnered with them to provide free passes that can bechecked out of local branches for use at the museums.“It’s a great reciprocal arrangement,” says Dempsey. “Webring them neighborhoods that would never come throughtheir doors otherwise, and they get to build a lifetime rela-tionship with them.” In return, CPL has another popularservice that brings patrons through the doors.

Knowing the community and its business life is a key tolibrary success in building relationships. “Every neighbor-hood in Chicago has its own little downtown. So we haveto ask ‘How do we make sure that what we do doesn’tdetract from that? How can we support it?’”

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6. Make the library building a community cen-

ter.

Public buildings are community assets in manyways beyond simply being meeting spaces. Themore the public feels ownership, the more impor-tant the library becomes to community life.

This just makes good sense to Mary Dempsey.“Every one of the libraries has a community roomthat’s flexibly laid out so it can be configured foranything you want—CAPS meetings, the book club,the stamp club, whatever. My feeling is, the morepeople say ‘I’m going to the library for…’, the morecomfortable they will feel in the library and themore they will feel it is theirs. So anything thatbrings them in is OK with me.”

Collaboration with the Chicago Botanic Gardenbrought gardening programs to branch libraries andhad the secondary benefit of highlighting the newgardening books and periodical acquisitions. And allCPL branches are polling places. “We are happy tobe a polling place…while you’re in line waiting tovote, you can check out the books.”

7. Create a community-minded culture among

library staff and volunteers.

For all staff, learning names and attending eventsshould be encouraged. “Lots of people who work inthe library live in the communities they serve,” saysMary Dempsey. “They already know the groceryguy, the hardware store owner.”

But a City of Chicago policy also instills a sense ofcommunity. “We are required to live in the city ofChicago, and that ingrains the neighborhood focusin all our employees. They say ‘These are ourneighbors, these are our friends.’”

8. Investment in libraries can jump start com-

munity redevelopment efforts.

A new library in a neighborhood brings hope andattention to areas that may have experienced disin-vestment. Planners and library administration needto work together for this to happen, and support forthis collaboration has to come from the highest lev-els of government.

The Chicago Public Library has built 40 new branchbuildings in the last 11 years. Many of these build-ings have gone into areas previously avoided. MaryDempsey laughs. “We go in first and then thepolice station comes. That sends a wonderful mes-sage: the first thing we are building for your neigh-borhood is a library.”

Often, CPL has used its capital investments to buysites that have been neighborhood eyesores.Liquor stores or abandoned buildings are torn downto be replaced with public libraries, changing thestreetscape completely. For this strategy to be suc-cessful, library administration and planners have totap into community knowledge and listen to com-munity requests.

Sometimes, this gives CPL the chance to makemore community changes. To illustrate, MaryDempsey tells the story of the new Logan SquareBranch, in a neighborhood that has been seen asdangerous but is now experiencing an upswing. Ata function with Cardinal George of the Archdioceseof Chicago, she took the opportunity to lobby himnot to close the local Catholic school. “‘You’ve gotto keep that school open,’ I said. ‘We just spent amillion dollars on property there. Things are chang-ing. New people are moving in, young families.’And they kept it open.”

“We always have to talk to each other about this.We have an obligation to know what’s going on inour neighborhoods,” she says. That includes theparts of the city formerly made up of public hous-ing, like the far south Atlgeld Gardens community.The previous branch library there had been in abuilding owned by the CHA. “When they startedboarding up those buildings, I went to their nextmeeting because we have to know where they areheaded. We have to work with the City’s PlanningDepartment and the CHA and ask “Where are yougoing next?’”

The West Englewood Branch is the perfect exam-ple of all of these factors coming together. “TheCity Planning Department said to go right there,because they are going to rebuild 63rd Street,”says Dempsey. The CPL got permission to block-ade a street so that the new day care center andthe new West Englewood Branch could be con-nected by a garden, making it easier for parents tobring their kids to the library. The Library camefirst; the rest of the development is following.

Mary Dempsey is quick to point out that all of thisdevelopment has to be done with real care. “Wehave to be good neighbors.” Minimizing theimpact on residents, working with communitygroups, replacing damaged property—all areessential to community relations. But the result isundeniable. “In the end, they have this beautifulnew library.”

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When libraries engage their communities, the bestcharacteristics of both library and community aremobilized. Individual gifts, local associations andinstitutions, the neighborhood culture, economy andphysical environment all come together to create aunique neighborhood environment. With supportiveleadership from City Hall and the central libraryadministration, there is no limit to the role localbranch libraries can play in building community.

Not all aspects of urban life are as straightforward.Cities are faced with tough choices in times of shrinkingrevenues and other pressures. As Mary Dempseypoints out, Chicago’s Mayor Richard M. Daley has somedifficult issues on his plate. But his support for thelibrary is unwavering, and each time Mary Dempseyaccompanies the Mayor to the opening of a newbranch, she reminds him why he is such a big fan oflibraries. “‘It’s the library. Good things happen here.’”

from the Chicago Public Library show that engagingthe community is a two-way street with two-waybenefits. The community improves as the librarybecomes an active and creative player. The libraryis strengthened as it becomes more relevant andintegrated into community life.

Your stories in your communities may tell similartales. By paying attention to this “line of business,”public libraries can grasp opportunities to build newconnections that matter and nurture those impor-tant relationships already in place. This section pro-vides a collection of simple tools to use to discoverand expand your efforts to become an EngagedLibrary, helping you:

� Identify and connect your library’s assets to thecommunity

� Assess and strengthen your library’s connectionswith and use of community assets

Engaged Library ToolkitTHESE STORIES

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Not at All Some A Great Deal

Faith-based groups 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Health groups 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

School groups 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Outdoor groups 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Block clubs 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Service clubs 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Youth groups 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Arts organizations 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Other 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS:

In many communities, voluntary networks of associations - large and small, formal and informal- are overlooked. Sustainable and effective libraries work to engage these associations.

Example: The Friends of the Library might be connected to block clubs, service clubs, faith-based groups, etc., to enhance community support of the library

The questions below ask about your library’s relationship with local associations.

* For a Master List of Associations, see pages 3 & 4 in the tools section.

Our library has

relationships with:

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Use this tool to illustrate partnerships that your library already has with associations in yourcommunity and to think about new partnerships which might be useful to your library.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH ASSOCIATIONS

Existing Potential

YOUR LIBRARY

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EXAMPLES OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

1. Addiction Preventions and RecoveryGroups

Drug/Ministry/Testimonial Group forAddictsCampaign for a Drug Free NeighborhoodHigh School Substance Abuse Committee

2. Advisory Community Support Groups(friends of…)

Friends of the LibraryNeighborhood Park Advisory CouncilHospital Advisory Group

3. Animal Care Groups

Cat Owner’s AssociationHumane Society

4. Anti-Crime Groups

Children’s Safe Haven NeighborhoodGroupPolice Neighborhood WatchSenior Safety Group

5. Block Clubs

Condominium Owner’s AssociationBuilding CouncilTenant Club

6. Business Organizations/SupportGroups

JayceesLocal Chamber of CommerceEconomic Development CouncilLocal Restaurant Association

7. Charitable Groups and Drives

Local Hospital AuxiliaryLocal United WayUnited Negro College Fund Drive

8. Civic Event Groups

Local Parade Planning CommitteeArts and Crafts FairJuly 4th Carnival CommitteeHealth Fair Committee

9. Disability/Special Needs Groups

Special Olympics Planning CommitteeLocal American Lung AssociationLocal Americans with DisabilitiesAssociationLocal Muscular Dystrophy Association

10. Cultural Groups

Community ChoirDrama ClubDance OrganizationHigh School Band

11. Environmental Groups

Neighborhood Recycling ClubSierra ClubAdopt-a-StreamBike Path CommitteeClean Air CommitteePollution CouncilSave the Park Committee

12. Education Groups

Local School CouncilLocal Book ClubsParent Teacher AssociationLiteracy CouncilTutoring Groups

13. Elderly Groups

Hospital Seniors ClubWestside Seniors ClubChurch Seniors ClubSenior Craft Club

14. Family Support Groups

Teen Parent OrganizationFoster Parents’ Support GroupParent Alliance Group

15. Health Advocacy and Fitness Groups

Weight WatchersYMCA/YWCA Fitness GroupsNeighborhood Health CouncilTraffic Safety OrganizationChild Injury Prevention GroupYoga ClubHospitalsHealth Care Corporations

16. Heritage Groups

Black Empowerment GroupNorwegian SocietyNeighborhood Historical SocietyAfrican American Heritage Association

17. Hobby and Collectors Group

Coin Collector AssociationStamp Collector AssociationArts and Crafts ClubGarden Club of NeighborsSewing ClubAntique Collectors

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ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS (CONT.)

18. Men’s Groups

Fraternal OrdersChurch Men’s OrganizationsMen’s Sports OrganizationsFraternities

19. Mentoring Groups

After School MentorsPeer Mentoring GroupsChurch Mentoring GroupsBig Brothers, Big SistersRights of Passage Organizations

20. Mutual Support Groups

La Leche LeagueDisease Support (cancer, etc.)Parent-to-Parent GroupsFamily-to-Family Groups

21. Neighborhood Improvement Groups

The Neighborhood Garden ClubCouncil of Block ClubsNeighborhood Anti-Crime CouncilNeighborhood Clean-up Campaign

22. Political Organizations

Democratic ClubRepublican Club

23. Recreation Groups

Kite-Flying ClubBowling LeagueBasketball LeaguesBody Builders ClubLittle League

24. Religious Groups

ChurchesMosquesSynagoguesMen’s Religious GroupsWomen’s Religious GroupsYouth Religious Groups

25. Service Club

ZontaOptimistRotary ClubsLions ClubsKiwanis Clubs

26. Social Groups

Bingo ClubCard Playing ClubSocial Activity ClubDance Clubs

27. Social/Cause/Advocacy/Issue Groups

Get Out the Vote CouncilPeace ClubHunger OrganizationsVigil Against ViolenceCommunity Action CouncilSocial Outreach MinistrySoup Kitchen Group

28. Union Groups

Industrial (UAW)Crafts Unions (Plumbing Council)

29. Veteran’s Groups

Veterans of Foreign WarsWomen’s Veterans Organizations

30. Women’s Group

Sororal OrganizationsWomen’s Sports GroupsWomen’s AuxiliaryMother’s BoardEaster Star

31. Youth Groups

After School Group4-HGirl and Boy ScoutsJunior AchievementCampfire Girls

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RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

Every community has an array of local public, private and non-profit institutions. Each of theseinstitutions has resources – such as personnel, space, expertise, equipment, and economicpower – that can be contributed to your library.

Example: In Chicago, the Austin Irving Branch has benefited from its relationship with Eli’sCheesecake and their generosity in supplying delicious cheesecakes for the library’s special events.

The questions below ask about your library’s relationship with local institutions.

Our library has

relationships with: Not at All Some A Great Deal

Schools 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Hospitals 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Police 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Service Agencies 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Other Non-profits 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Business 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

Other 1 2 3 4 5Describe:

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PARTNERSHIPS WITH INSTITUTIONS

Use this tool to illustrate partnerships that your library already has with institutions in your com-munity and to think about new partnerships which might be useful to your library.

Existing Potential

YOUR LIBRARY

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This is a sample community asset map. Use the next page to document the assets of the localcommunity surrounding your library.

A SAMPLE COMMUNITY ASSET MAP

Associations

Animal Care GroupsAnti Crime Groups

Block ClubsBusiness Organizations

Charitable GroupsCivic Events Groups

Cultural GroupsDisability/Special Needs Groups

Education GroupsElderly Groups

Enviromental GroupsFamily Support GroupsHealth Advocacy and

Fitness GroupsHeritage Groups

Hobby and Collectors GroupsMen’s groups

Mentoring GroupsMutual Support Groups

Neighborhood Improvement Groups

Political OrganizationsRecreation GroupsReligious Groups

Service ClubsSocial GroupsUnion Groups

Veteran’s GroupsWomen’s Groups

Youth groups

Individuals

Gifts, Skills, Capacities, Knowledge and Traits of:

YouthOlder Adults

ArtistsWelfare Recipients

People with DisabilitiesStudentsParents

EntrepreneursActivistsVeterans

Ex-offenders

Physical Space

GardensParks

PlaygroundsParking LotsBike Paths

Walking PathsForest / Forest Preserves

Picnic AreasCampsites

Fishing SpotsDuck Ponds

ZoosWildlife Center

Natural Habitats - costal, marine, amphibian

Bird Watching SitesStar Gazing Sites

HousingVacant Land and BuildingsTransit Stops and Facilities

Streets

Local Economy

For-Profit BusinessesConsumer Expenditures

MerchantsChamber of CommerceBusiness Associations

BanksCredit UnionsFoundations

Institutional - Purchasing Power and Personnel

Barter and ExchangeCDCs

Corporations and Branches

Stories

Of background and personal historyOf what you like to do and contribute

Of realizing and engaging skills and capacities

Of successful community development

Of economic growthOf addressing racism

Of including those who are marginalized

Of recognizing the value of everyoneOf a time when you or your group

felt appreciated and valuedOf a time the community

was at its best

Institutions

SchoolsUniversities

Community CollegesPolice Departments

HospitalsLibraries

Social Service AgenciesNon ProfitsMuseums

Fire DepartmentsMedia

Foundations

Individuals

Associations

Stories

Local

Economy

Physical

Space

Institutions

MyCommunity

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Please fill in the types of assets that can be found in the community surrounding your library.How can these assets strengthen your library?

YOUR COMMUNITY ASSET MAP

Associations

Animal Care GroupsAnti Crime Groups

Block ClubsBusiness Organizations

Charitable GroupsCivic Events Groups

Cultural GroupsDisability/Special Needs Groups

Education GroupsElderly Groups

Enviromental GroupsFamily Support GroupsHealth Advocacy and

Fitness GroupsHeritage Groups

Hobby and Collectors GroupsMen’s groups

Mentoring GroupsMutual Support Groups

Neighborhood Improvement Groups

Political OrganizationsRecreation GroupsReligious Groups

Service ClubsSocial GroupsUnion Groups

Veteran’s GroupsWomen’s Groups

Youth groups

Individuals

Gifts, Skills, Capacities, Knowledge and Traits of:

YouthOlder Adults

ArtistsWelfare Recipients

People with DisabilitiesStudentsParents

EntrepreneursActivistsVeterans

Ex-offenders

Physical Space

GardensParks

PlaygroundsParking LotsBike Paths

Walking PathsForest / Forest Preserves

Picnic AreasCampsites

Fishing SpotsDuck Ponds

ZoosWildlife Center

Natural Habitats - costal, marine, amphibian

Bird Watching SitesStar Gazing Sites

HousingVacant Land and BuildingsTransit Stops and Facilities

Streets

Local Economy

For-Profit BusinessesConsumer Expenditures

MerchantsChamber of CommerceBusiness Associations

BanksCredit UnionsFoundations

Institutional - Purchasing Power and Personnel

Barter and ExchangeCDCs

Corporations and Branches

Stories

Of background and personal historyOf what you like to do and contribute

Of realizing and engaging skills and capacities

Of successful community development

Of economic growthOf addressing racism

Of including those who are marginalized

Of recognizing the value of everyoneOf a time when you or your group

felt appreciated and valuedOf a time the community

was at its best

Institutions

SchoolsUniversities

Community CollegesPolice Departments

HospitalsLibraries

Social Service AgenciesNon ProfitsMuseums

Fire DepartmentsMedia

Foundations

Individuals

Associations

Stories

Local

Economy

Physical

Space

Institutions

MyCommunity

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A WINDOW INTO MY LIBRARY

Personnel

Expertise In/Outside of

Job; Ability to Teach:

ArtMusic

Athletics

Individual Abilities:

FinancesCommunity History Writers

Health Care

Individual Traits:

IdeasEnergy

Enthusiasm

Technical Training:

ComputersCommunications

Investigation and Research

Networks of Connections

Knowledge of Community

Leadership Development

Economic Power

Job Training

Sponsor Fundraisers

Hire Local People

Assist in Writing and

Submitting Grants for

Community Projects

Purchasing Power

Power to Generate and

Receive Special Funds

Through Bond Issues,

Government, and

Foundations

Materials and

Equipment

Books, Magazines, and

Newspapers

Computers and Software

Scanner

Desks, Chairs, and Other

Furniture

Fax and Copier

Digital Camera

Telephones for Hearing

Impaired

Artwork

Literacy and GED Materials

Community History Files

Information on Community

Organizations

Social Service Resources

Networks of

Connections

Private Institutions

Public Institutions

Associations

Individuals

Expertise

Classes:

GED, Literacy, Language

Education Workshops:

Crime PreventionComputer Literacy

Healthy EatingStorytelling

Leadership Skills

Knowledge of

Community

Education and

Training Courses

Space and

Facilities

Meeting Rooms

Break Rooms or Kitchen

Glass Display Cases

Computer Rooms

Drinking Fountains

Gardens

Bulletin Boards

Lobbies

Parking Lots

Bathrooms

Constituents

Individual Abilities

and Interests

Individual Traits:

Ideas, Energy, Idealism

Linkages to Community

Collective Abilities

and Interests

Review the types of assets that can be found within a library.

Use the next page to document your library’s assets.

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INVENTORY YOUR LIBRARY’S ASSETS

Your Library is filled with people, knowledge, and materials that should be recognized and shared.

� Identify your library’s assets

� Document these assets

� List the ways in which these assets can be shared with the surrounding community

A WINDOW INTO MY LIBRARY

Personnel

Economic Power

Materials and

Equipment

Networks of

Connections

Expertise

Space and

Facilities

Constituents

Schools

Computers, films, LSCmeeting space, afterschool tutoring

Large spaces, kids whobring parents to the library,support for programs

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The engaged library builds mutually beneficial relationships

THE ENGAGED LIBRARY

Police

Local Residents

Business

Bakery or

Restaurant

Social Service

Agency

Community Based

Organization,

Civic Organization

Media

Artists and

Cultural

Institutions

Senior Citizens

BanksDay Care Center

Faith Based

Organizations

Higher Education

Institution

Publicity, volun-teers, leaders and

speakers

Display space,artwork contests,

publicity

Classes andworkshops, face-painting, enter-tainment, dona-tions of cultural

materialsPeople who can

contribute articles,or talk on TV and

radio shows

Advertising, meeting space,volunteers, grant money

Neighborhood informati-ion, grants for collections,

promotion of library incommunity

Literacy Programs, cataractscreening, holiday meals,

seminars, exercise classes

Oral histories of commu-nity, tutoring, Friends

groups, crafts for library

School

Computers, films, LSCmeeting space, toys,after-school tutoring

Large spaces, kids whobring parents to the

library, support for pro-grams

Publicity

Money, donationsfor prizes

More effective waysto connect with the

community

Crime Preventionworkshops, interest-ing dogs, transporta-

tion Loyal kids who bringparents to library

Storyhours, toys, films

Library information innewsletter, extra space,co-sponsoring of events

Information on church history,storyhours, referrals of people

for programs

Tutoring, donations ofbooks, lobbying

Librarians to review booksor recommend titles, sup-

plementary research materi-als

Ideas, volunteers forGED and literacy pro-

grams

Books, programs, con-nections to other peo-ple and institutions in

the community

Sponsoring of collectionsand workshops, dona-

tions for prizes

Small business collec-tion, databases, com-

puter workshops

Refreshments forprograms, demonstra-

tions

Good publicity

Lists of clients, healtheducators for programs

Referrals, contacts in the community

LIBRARY