This document provides information from a presentation by Pam Seabolt on community engagement for libraries. It discusses the difference between engagement and outreach, and presents a spectrum of engagement from inform to empower. Various methods of community engagement are outlined, such as interviews, art exhibits, and crowdsourcing. Case studies of specific library engagement initiatives are described, like community conversations at Knox County Public Library and an ideas box at Oak Park Public Library. Resources for further information on community engagement are also listed.

1. Community Engagement
You CAN do it!

2. Pam Seabolt
Community Engagement Librarian
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services
• Been with MCLS since 2017
• Earned my Bachelor’s of Science from Purdue
University in 2003
• Earned my Master’s of Library Science in 2007
• Completed certificates for Facilitation Skills,
Facilitating Virtual Training, and Harwood Institute’s
Public Innovator’s Lab
• Worked in Indiana libraries for much of my life in a
variety of positions
• Currently live in Lafayette, IN, love geeking out on
podcasts, all things vintage, and crafting

3. What are you hoping to learn
today?

4. What would it take for you to
have a bigger impact on your
community?
What
If…

5. What you really need is…

6. Libraries are changing
lives all over the world…
• Arid Lands Information Network in
Eastern Africa
• Veria Central Public Library in Greece
• Community Technology Center in the
Dominican Republic
• Digital Literacy Initiative in Chile

7. But closer to home, how can
libraries change lives?

9. Community Engagement
✾ WITH vs. FOR
(Participatory)
✾ ASK vs. TELL

10. Spectrum of Engagement
International Association for Public Participation Spectrum

11. Quiz Time!
Use the chat to vote on whether you
think the following scenarios are
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT or
OUTREACH/MARKETING.

12. YES NO

13. Community
Engagement
Outreach

14. Community
Engagement
Outreach

15. Community
Engagement
Outreach

16. Community
Engagement
Outreach

17. Community
Engagement
Outreach

18. Community
Engagement
Outreach

19. What questions do
you have so far?

20. How and why
would you
engage with your
community?
It begins with your need

21. Methods of
Community
Engagement
• One-on-One Interviews
• Passive Engagement
• Participative Budgeting
• Web-Based Engagement
• Community
Conversations
• Deliberative Dialogues
• Community Timelines
• Focus Groups
• Art Activities/Exhibits
• Advisory Groups
• Forums
• Oral Histories
• Participative/Crowd
Sourced Programming
• Quizzes

22. Community
Engagement
Case Studies
Community Conversations, Knox County Public Library,
Vincennes, IN
Idea Box, Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park, IL
Aspirations Tree, Columbus Public Library, Columbus,
WI
Library Programming Takeover, Madison Public Library,
Madison, WI
One-on-One Interviews, East 38th Street Branch,
Indianapolis, IN
Local History Crowd Sourcing, New York Public Library,
NY

23. Community
Conversations
Knox County Public Library
• “Close the Book on
Hunger”
• Tactile Art Exhibits
• Descriptive DVDs
http://www.knoxlib.org

24. Idea Box
Oak Park Public Library
• Dedicated 19x13 foot
space
• Changing experiences
monthly
• See their installations by doing
a Google search: OPPL Idea Box
Flickr
http://oppl.org/visit/idea-box

25. Aspirations Tree
Columbus Public Library
• An example of Passive
Engagement
• Their Aspirations Tree
made the rounds in
different places in town
(the bank, grocery store,
school…)
http://www.columbuspubliclibrary.info

26. Library
Programming
Takeover
Madison Public Library
• Participatory Programming
• Have an idea for an event that
you’ve always wanted to host?
Madison Public Library wants
you to TAKE OVER the library!
You pitch your idea, we’ll
commit $2000 + time + space +
experts to help you make it
happen.
• “The experience has
‘transformed’ our approach to
the library’s plan for adult
services.” - Kylee Stoor,
Community Engagement
Librarian
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org

27. One-on-One Interviews
East 38th Street Branch, Indianapolis Public Library
• “ASK probing questions to
determine TRUE needs.”
-Shanika Heyward,
Regional Manager
• STEM based storytimes
• Breakfast with a cop
• Mobile food pantry
• Job Center
http://www.indypl.org/locations/
east38th

28. Crowdsourcing
New York Public Library
• “What’s on the Menu?”
• Crowdsourcing transcription and
geo-mapping of the menus,
dishes, and restaurants
http://menus.nypl.org
https://libraryplanet.net
https://transcription.si.edu/

29. Web-Based
Engagement

30. Art & Creativity

31. Methods of
Community
Engagement
• One-on-One Interviews
• Passive Engagement
• Participative Budgeting
• Web-Based Engagement
• Community
Conversations
• Deliberative Dialogues
• Community Timelines
• Focus Groups
• Art Activities/Exhibits
• Advisory Groups
• Forums
• Oral Histories
• Participative/Crowd
Sourced Programming
• Quizzes

32. Resources
ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities
Initiative
http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libra
ries-transforming-communities
Aspen Institute Library Action Guide
http://libraryvision.org/
The National Coalition for Dialogue and
Deliberation (NCDD)
http://ncdd.org/rc
Community Planning Toolkit
http://www.communityplanningtoolkit.org/sites/
default/files/Engagement0815.pdf

33. What questions do you have?
THANK YOU! PAM SEABOLT
SEABOLTP@MCLS.ORG