Embracing the old saying “the more you know, the more you grow” holds true for Libraries, but with just a little adjusting, “the more you are known, the more you’ll grow.” Expanding outreach allows the community to know and acknowledge the Library as a thriving community service. Using this idea the Floyd County Library Director Melissa Merida will share their library’s expansion of services over the last 5 years through creating unique service locations including an art museum, a digital library branch, and a satellite library in a local college library. Their approach through a low cost commitment to deliver creative outreach points of service without a bookmobile will be highlighted and tools for successful events will be shared . “Our growth in branches, funding and services is not due to any one thing, it is due to staff being committed to dream big and finding a way to say “yes” to community events and partnerships.” Allowing people to SEE the Library in new and unique ways that has people asking for library locations in their neighborhoods. The ideas that will be shared can be duplicated or may inspire your own creativity.
Date Recorded: 4/12/2023
Format: Archived YouTube Video
Presenter: Melissa Merida, Library Director / Floyd County Public Library
Libraries give their communities access to amazing online resources with enormous potential to improve lives and build skills, but these databases and digital courses are a challenge to promote and often underutilized. The St. Joe County Public Library has had success with Bendable, a life long learning platform that pairs online learning with in person connections. Community engagement and outreach are at the heart of our strategy, and we work directly with community members, organizations, and businesses to curate learning opportunities. These strategies focus on workforce development and partner networks. This webinar will provide an introduction to Bendable and also explore strategies for learning-centered engagement and outreach that can be implemented by any library.
Our LGBTQIA+ youth are increasingly under attack and subjected to constant bullying. Participants will learn how to easily identify themselves as an ally: a port in the storm. Participants will also receive resources and advice on how to navigate the troubled waters with these formative young people. Questions were submitted in advance for this webinar and the presenter guided participants through best practices for a variety of scenarios.
The staff of the North Manchester Public Library strive to meet the needs of their community in a variety of innovative ways. Unique programs and resources strengthen community relationships, center the library as an integral part of community life, and undergird literacy. In this webinar, Sarah Morbitzer, Children’s Department head, will share the ways NMPL is working to promote food security, physical activity, sensory integration, accessibility, and curiosity in learning.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of social workers will grow 12% from 2020 to 2030 to meet an increase in demand. Further, with the growth of telehealth and telemedicine visits continuing beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are finding more ways to reach their healthcare providers. However, in rural areas, finding local providers and reliable Internet access can create a barrier to access. As public libraries have long been viewed as the central hub for information, gatherings, and broadband service, their pivot to serve as a place for patrons to meet virtually with social workers comes at an opportune time. This presentation will show how three public libraries developed a pilot program – titled “Because You Matter” – with the Indiana University School of Social Work to coordinate weekly telehealth visits with social work students and library patrons. They’ll share successes, failures, and what they learned to improve the program in the future. 
