Libraries Respond to Recent Crises

Local libraries help communities cope

July 11, 2016

Books from Hennepin County (Minn.) Library's #BlackLivesMatter Reads for Teens list

In Orlando, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Falcon Heights, Minnesota; Dallas, and beyond, people are struggling to understand and cope with the tragic events of the past few weeks and their underlying causes. Often in the face of crisis, there is one place many turn to: their local library.

As it was last year in Baltimore, Maryland, and in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, librarians are connecting their communities to vital information and resources. The library is a place where patrons learn more about the issues at stake from credible sources, find quality books, take advantage of community resources, utilize safe spaces, learn from others, and engage in self-care as they confront one of the most difficult periods in recent memory.

The following are just a few of the many ways libraries are responding to community needs:

Following the shooting of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, the Hennepin County (Minn.) Library (HCL) has remained open and invited the community to reserve space to meet. In addition, HCL compiled a #BlackLivesMatter Reads for Teens reading list of books that can serve as a springboard for discussing race, privilege, and justice.

Following the July 7 police shooting, the Dallas Public Library offered counseling services at its Central Library and set up a toll-free counseling hotline.

The San Francisco Unified School District library developed a LibGuide on teaching the #BlackLivesMatter movement, including lesson plans, readings, poetry, and official case documents as well as background information.

Ramsey County (Minn.) Library hosted a lecture outlining the history of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, led by Macalester College Professor Duchess Harris.

How is your library helping? What programs or resources you would like to highlight? Share your story in the comments below, or tweet using the #librariesrespond hashtag.

JODY GRAY is director of ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS). JOHN AMUNDSEN is ODLOS program officer, outreach and communications.

Tagged Under

This is Jamie Lee

Jamie Lee Curtis opens up at ALA Annual

Dr. Carla Hayden Approved as Librarian of Congress

Latest Library Links

15h

John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
20h

Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
2d

Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13
2d

Rowana Miller writes: “In my experience, many young library-goers identify as storytellers but not writers. These are the kids who draw Captain-Underpants-style cartoons, who craft meticulous Minecraft universes, and who plot elaborate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, but who believe that ‘writing’ is limited to five-paragraph essays. But when children draw the connections between their natural storytelling proclivities and the written word, they can become self-motivated to develop the communication skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. Libraries, I believe, are uniquely positioned to help children make this connection.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 15
3d

ALA has reopened its search for an executive director in partnership with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. A committee of ALA member leaders will oversee the search. The selected candidate will succeed Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger, who was appointed in November 2023. “We are excited to embark on our search for a new executive director,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “This leadership position is critical as we navigate the years ahead. We seek candidates who have knowledge of the library community and the urgent issues we face.”

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, Nov. 14
3d

Emily Weak writes: “Something I always hear from hiring managers is that they want to build a resilient, diverse workforce. Sometimes we say we want a resilient workforce, but what we mean is that we want staffers who are willing to go above and beyond, or to do more with less. These concepts are deeply entrenched in librarianship, but I think we’re beginning to see how they can cause problems. Instead of trying to hire people who will do more with less and who will thrive amid adversity, let’s think about resilience as an organizational feature.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
3d

Elisabeth B. White writes: “How can librarians ensure their instruction materials are as accessible as possible? One way is through Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, a set of best practices to improve teaching and learning and create inclusive and equitable educational experiences for all students. The guidelines include three principles that instructors must provide via multiple means: engagement (the ‘why’ of learning), representation (the ‘what’ of learning), and action and expression (the ‘how’ of learning). However, to create a truly equitable educational experience, school library workers need to consider accessibility principles as well.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.

View more Latest Library Links