Transcript Library as Community Centre Engaging Local Government

Library as Community Centre
Engaging Local Government
Managers as Library Partners
BETTE DILLEHAY
DIRECTOR
MATHEWS MEMORIAL LIBRARY
MATHEWS, VIRGINIA
• 8,400 Square Feet
• 4,112 Linear Feet Shelving
• 39,522 Items
Where the Mobjack Bay
meets the Chesapeake Bay
About Mathews County
Square Miles, 84
Miles of Shoreline, 210
Population, 9,200
Lighthouses, 2
Bridges, 3
Traffic Lights, 0
About Mathews County
Residents of
Mathews have
historically
been connected to
the surrounding
waters - harvesting
fish, oysters, clams
and crabs for a
livelihood.
About Mathews County
“A Popular Retirement Destination”
ICMA’s Local Government and Public Libraries
Partnership Initiative
Explore
 The role of city and county managers as advocates
for libraries –
 The relationship of libraries to quality of life and
community sustainability.
ICMA Project Goal
Support a dialog which could increase awareness
among managers and other local government officials
of the value of public libraries in the community.
Talking About the Future
Planning the Direction of Your Community
MCSEED
Mathews
Memorial Library
Governance Models
 County/City Agency
 Separate Authority/Board
 Regional Entity
 Contract Services
Library Assets
 Information/Knowledge
 Culture Connections
 Technology Resources
 Community Space
 Local Economy Connections
 Community Ownership
Service Roles
 Knowledge Gateway
 Universal Service
 Neutral Haven
 Cultural Center
Local Government Role In Supporting Libraries
 Ensure that the library has a mission and programs that are consistent with
community and local government mission and values.
 Facilitate aligning the library’s efforts with broader community needs.
 Include the library director on the management team.
 Include libraries in master planning and strategic planning.
 Ensure that libraries are fairly and objectively considered during the budget
process and allocation of resources.
 Look for ways to integrate library staff with other municipal and county staff.
 Facilitate a dialogue and shared understanding on what is excellence for the
library.
 Keep libraries in mind!
Steps Toward An Engaged Library
 Ensure that library mission is consistent with that of local government.
 Get outside the doors.
 Be creative about what the library can contribute.
 Discover and contribute to the unique capacities and conditions of the
community.
 Support local businesses and institutions.
 Make the library building a community center.
 Create a community-minded culture among library staff and volunteers.
Making Good Things Happen
“Equal effort is required on the part of local
government and library in improving the quality of
citizens’ lives and increasing opportunities for all.”
Pete Giacoma, Director
Davis County Library, Utah
E-Government: The Future Is Today
E-Government and Public Libraries: Current Status,
Meeting Report, Findings, and Next Steps
Charles R. McClure, Director, Information Institute
Francis Eppes, Professor
Jessica McGilvray & Kristin M. Bartin, Research Associates,
Information Institute
John Carlo Bertot, Associate Director, Information Institute
http://www.ii.fsu.edu
Public Libraries As E-Government Partners
“For an e-government service provision partnership
between government agencies and public libraries to
be successful and of continuing benefit to clients in
the future, cooperative funding strategies for
additional technology, as well as staff training, must
become a high priority issue in communities across the
country.”
Robert Davidsson, Manager
Government Research Service Section
Library System, Palm Beach County Florida
The Future
“The very existence of libraries affords us the best
evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of
civilization.”
T. S. Eliot
The Engaged Library
URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL
2005
The Engaged Library
URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL
2005
The Engaged Library
URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL
2005
The Engaged Library
URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL
2005
The Engaged Library
URBAN LIBRARIES COUNCIL
2005