Libraries Transforming Communities (Session 5 of 6): Calibrating Community Conditions

The American Library Association (ALA) invites library professionals to view a free, six-part online course designed to help libraries strengthen their role as core community leaders and work with residents to bring about positive change.

The webinars explain, step by step, how to use the “turning outward” approach created by The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. The approach emphasizes taking steps to better understand communities; changing processes and thinking to make conversations more community-focused; becoming more proactive to community issues; and putting community aspirations first.

“Calibrating Community Conditions” (Session 5 of 6) describes the first step in moving from public knowledge to action. Topics include identifying your community’s “stage” — its readiness for and receptivity to change — and determining a course to meet your community “where it’s at.”

This webinar series is offered as part of Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC), an ALA initiative that seeks to strengthen libraries’ roles as core community leaders and change-agents. LTC addresses a critical need within the library field by developing and distributing new tools, resources and support for librarians to engage with their communities in new ways. As a result, we believe libraries will become more reflective of and connected to their communities and build stronger partnerships with local civic agencies, non-profits, funders and corporations. The initiative is made possible through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

To download all the materials referenced in this series, please visit http://www.ala.org/LTC/resources. This video refers to the Theming and Using Public Knowledge Workbook.

View the other sessions here:

• Libraries Transforming communities (Session 1 of 6): Hosting and Leading Community Conversations
• Libraries Transforming Communities (Session 2 of 6): Theming and Using Public Knowledge
• Libraries Transforming Communities (Session 3 of 6): Hosting and Using Innovation Spaces
• Libraries Transforming Communities (Session 4 of 6): Partner Selection and Managing Relationships
• Libraries Transforming Communities (Session 6 of 6): Sweet Spot of Public Life