Libraries Transforming Communities Blog

Libraries Transforming Communities

Stipends available – ALA dialogue/deliberation workshop at ALA 2018

Public libraries that serve small and/or rural communities are invited to apply for a travel stipend to attend a one-day dialogue and deliberation pre-conference workshop at the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans.

“Libraries Transforming Communities: Conversation Café Workshop for Public Libraries Serving Small, Mid-Sized and/or Rural Communities” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 22, 2018, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

ALA awarded IMLS grant to offer free community engagement training for libraries

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office has been awarded $243,922 by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program for a two-year professional development project that will train library professionals in community leadership techniques like coalition-building and dialogue facilitation.
 
Through Libraries Transform: Community Engagement Models for Change, ALA will offer a series of web-based and in-person workshops, all free of charge for participants and specially designed for public and aca

Suffolk (Va.) Public Library: Turning Outward to Chuckatuck

Suffolk (Va.) Public Library is one of 10 libraries that took part in an intensive 18-month training in the Turning Outward approach as part of ALA's Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative. Here, Assistant Director Sarah Townsend shares how and why her library took on new community engagement strategies and how they're changing the library's culture.

Transforming School Communities: An Interview with Blue Valley High School's Ken Stewart

In 2014, a partnership between the American Library Association (ALA) and The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation resulted in Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC), an ALA initiative that provides resources, training and support for libraries to engage with their communities in new ways using the Harwood Institute's "turning outward" approach.

One Year Later: An Interview with Ferguson (Mo.) Library Director Scott Bonner

Aug. 9 marks one year since police in Ferguson, Mo., shot and killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown. With the anniversary looming this Sunday, Ferguson Municipal Public Library Director Scott Bonner is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. Bonner, who has received awards for providing a safe harbor for residents during the Ferguson protests, spoke to us about how the past year has changed his library.

ALA invites member feedback at Kitchen Table Conversations at 2015 Annual Conference

As part of an ongoing effort to improve member experience, the American Library Association (ALA) will host a series of gatherings at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition to receive feedback about how it is communicating with current and prospective members.

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Get started with the free e-course, "Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries."

LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities will offer more than $7 million in grants to better serve people with disabilities.

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Learn basic facilitation skills with ALA's free guide, "Leading Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries."