Digital inclusion and local government priorities

To the extent that the U.S. has made progress on digital inclusion is due largely to public libraries. However, if large scale, strategic progress is to be made, libraries cannot do it alone. Libraries have to build partners across other government agencies, non-profits, and businesses.

Ron Carlee from the International City/County Management Association sharing his thoughts on digital inclusion from the perspective of local government.

Carlee is speaking about libraries in the US, but this statement about partnership holds true in every country I have had the opportunity to visit. All of the great libraries I have visited (and I don’t mean great as in beautiful buildings, I mean great as in thriving, community responsive, community-owned institutions) have mastered partnership.

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Ukrainian Librarians focus on Library Space Design in Germany

Library space design has been a challenge for many Ukrainian libraries. Often hosted in old buildings with uncomfortable furniture and no heat in winter, many libraries do not come across as cozy and welcoming spaces to their users. Frequently an open layout of shelves and tables is overlooked, which contributes to the “unwelcome” look of libraries filled with stacks of books instead of  space for users to socialize, hold meetings and serve as a “third space.” These issues are key factors affecting library visitation in Ukraine.

The librarians visited the new Philological Library at the Free University in Berlin.

Fortunately, many Ukrainian librarians recognize the importance of modern library space design, and Vinnytsia Regional Scientific Library is leading an initiative to address these challenges. The Designing for Harmony and Success project  (http://bit.ly/H5TO1G) is focused on the modernization of the library’s space through researching best international and Ukrainian practices, compiling the findings into a handbook, and offering training for Ukrainian librarians. To do this, the library has already forged partnerships with local designers, as well as the city public library in Berlin, Germany.

I had an opportunity to accompany a Learning Library project team headed by library director Natalya Morozova on a study trip to Germany on March 13-15, 2012. Taking advantage of the existing partnership with the Central City and Regional Library in Berlin (also known as ZLB, http://bit.ly/HfPmKu), the Ukrainian librarians traveled to Berlin to learn more about German libraries and their design, meet with leading library interior designers and architects to collect information and gain even more inspiration to implement innovative library space design methods back home and transform Ukrainian libraries into more vibrant, welcoming spaces for users.

Over three working days the group visited nine German libraries, including eight in the city of Berlin and one outside the city, in Eastern Germany, in a small town called Luckenwalde, where the library is located on the premises of a redesigned railway station: http://bit.ly/GGdjz7

The Humboldt Box, part of the Humboldt Forum project, which brings together museums, Humboldt University, and the Central and Regional Library in Berlin.

One of the many highlights of the trip was visiting the public library in Adalbertstrasse in Berlin: http://bit.ly/GLq49W, which is located in a neighborhood populated by recent immigrants who often do not yet speak the language and need substantial support accessing information and overcoming a range of social challenges. The library has been recently renovated, and the architect who was responsible for this project, Ralf Fleckenstein, accompanied the group on the tour and shared design ideas, including materials, color scheme, furniture, and layout aimed at creating a welcoming space. The library served as an example of a multicultural center open for everyone, and showed us how it effectively responds to its users’ needs by providing a print collection in different languages, offering homework assistance, and holding a variety of community events. The team found this library especially interesting not only in terms of its design, but also in the services provided to the diverse local community.

The newly equipped public library in Adalbertstrasse in Berlin.

The Learning Library project team returned to Ukraine after brainstorming and identifying ways to adapt the experience to the Ukrainian context, and materials about German libraries will be included into their handbook  and training materials. One idea was to use mats on wide windowsills on the library’s top floor to attract more users with laptops to sit there and enjoy wi-fi access. Next, the team will look into changing the library floorplan to provide more space for social activities. The library will share its expertise with their colleagues at the Libraries and Community Development Fair, which will be held by Bibliomist and its partners on May 21-22, 2012 in Kyiv: http://bit.ly/GKz1wL More photos from the study trip are available on the Bibliomist Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/GLiz4e

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The Internet Connects Librarians from Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan

Galina Konashko, Director of Molodaya Gvardia Library talks to her colleagues in Kyrgyzstan

In January, we blogged  about IREX’s work in  supporting library development through the US Embassy funded Digital Youth Dialogue project in Kyrgyzstan (Working with Kyrgyz Libraries). It has been less than five months since three libraries in southern Kyrgyzstan received their first IT trainings and were connected to the internet but they are already breaking new ground by using those skills. IREX is always trying new ways to connect people who could learn from each other. An example of this kind of a connection is a recent Skype call that took place on April 21 between libraries in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. For 11 librarians from Kyrgyzstan this was their first international video-conference experience. They were connected with the director of Molodaya Gvardialibrary, Galina Konashko. Her library is one of the Global Libraries program grantees and she is always excited and eager to share their knowledge and experience with others. The head of Library & Informational Consortium of Kyrgyzstan, Rosa Sultangazieva also joined this call. This call proved to be helpful as libraries in Kyrgyzstan started applying some of the new knowledge they gained in their work:

Librarians in Jalal-abad talk to Galina Konashko, Director of Molodaya Gvardiya library in Kiev

•  Galina Konashko addressed questions from her colleagues during the conference call and spoke about methods and activities they use to partner with different organization in the area of education and youth as well as electronic catalogs that library uses. Kyzyl-Kia and Jalalabat libraries were very much interested in developing their own electronic catalog. Skype call with Konashko and learning about Molodaya Gvaridya’s electronic catalogs inspired them to intensify their work on this and currently Jalalabat Library is looking for funding to purchase a server for cataloging.
• Also, after talking to Konashko libraries started revising their reporting system and are now trying to transfer their reports into more attractive form and make it more visual using Power Point presentations. For example, the Jalalabat library staff will make their division report presentations at their May staff meeting in Power Point form.
• Participants from Kyrgyzstan were able to visit Molodaya Gvardiya’s website which was useful to them as they are currently developing their own website. After careful review of Molodaya Gvardiya’s website, the library now plans to include a blogging space into their website in order to be able to better facilitate two-way communicate with their patrons.

Thanks to the internet connection, librarians in Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine can now communicate with their colleagues abroad and continue exchanging information and resources that will help make library services better and more relevant to their patrons.

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The potential of partnerships

Libraries across the world are undergoing major transitions, and information professionals have been called upon to use strategies new and old to prove their relevance to their communities. The American Library Association will meet in Washington, D.C. next week, with the need for advocacy at the forefront of many discussions. On the eve of that conference, I’ve been thinking about the ways that partnerships can bolster both the position of the library and its ability to provide services to its community.

flickr user @cquarles

Partnerships have been an integral part of the Community Participation Contest. Applicants are encouraged to find partners to work with, and new relationships have been forged at all stages of the process. Some projects, like “The 0 Kilometer of the Community” in Filiasi, collaborated with schools and cultural institutions. Others worked with NGOs, or founded their own organizations after the program was over. Both Infopitici in Simian and CLIO in Jurilovca (pdf) have generated new NGOs seeking to address the needs of their communities. How have these partnerships transformed the way that librarians think about their role, and their ability to reach out to a broader audience? What are the challenges and benefits of using this strategy in Romania?

These questions are part of what I’ll be researching this summer. Beth Hovius’ 2006 article, “Public Library Partnerships which Add Value to the Community: The Hamilton Public Library experience” has offered valuable insight into the many ways that partnerships can affect a library. Hovius reviews several projects that her Canadian library has done in collaboration with others, and points out lessons from each. Some of the points that stood out to me:

• Librarians should recognize the value that they bring to the table. One of the benefits of working with others is that each person has different expertise. Highlighting the unique skills that the library can offer shows the natural role that the library can play in many community initiatives.
• Communication is critical. The beginning of any partnership will come with a great deal of conversation about what each stakeholder can offer and expects. Ensuring that there is trust and a common language will prepare the partners for the hard work ahead.
• Use the strengths in your community. There are many ideas that are too big to be taken on by one institution or person. Hamilton worked with the school board and local immigrant groups to complete a family literacy project that required the knowledge and skills of each group to succeed.

A successful partnership can bring new patrons, new ideas, and new visibility to a library. It can be an opportunity to showcase the many ways that libraries support literacy, learning, and access to information. It can also be an avenue for seeking funding and sustaining or re-imagining a project. The creativity that these collaborations generate, in both the participants and organizers, is inspirational. The DC Public Libraries project “Your Story has a Home Here” is an excellent example of the types of innovations that are possible, and reminds me of several of the CPC projects. I look forward to learning more about how this opportunity for outreach and cooperation has been realized in Romania.

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PPPs and Sustainability

Big thanks to Wayan Vota and the folks who support the Technology Salon series for this morning’s event focusing on private sector partnerships. Rob Schneider, Senior Alliance Advisor, Office of Development Partners at USAID offered some of the background on the GDA strategy toward PPPs and his own take on (sometimes difficult) questions on how implementers and donors alike can approach these opportunities.

Flickr User @jimmyroq

At IREX, we’re always trying to figure out better ways to purposefully connect people with the technology they need, so we have an interest in building successful partnerships with both multinationals and also local companies (for example, we recently reached a deal with MTS, a mobile provider in Ukraine to provide free 3G broadband connections for up to a year to public libraries in which wired infrastructure does not exist (read about it here).

But where I think this conversation get’s really interesting is when we talk not just about broad development strategy of negotiating the partnerships, but how these partnerships can function as an ongoing part of program implementation strategy. Implementers need to think seriously not just about how to strike a deal with their business peers, but about what type of partnerships make sense for their particular program goals. It’s a different way of thinking about the partnerships because the focus is less on just getting the capital or being able stick brand X’s logo on the website. It’s about figuring out why these relationships make sense for ongoing project sustainability.

To circle back to the MTS agreement I mentioned earlier–this is a relationship that makes a lot of sense for all sides–not just for increased market share and burnished CSR credentials in a one-off deal, but because libraries will increasingly allow service providers access to new markets and connect companies with the important kinds of information they need to better serve existing and potential customers.

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