Introduction:
Reaching out to potential library users and community partners is as essential as offering high-quality service to the patron standing at the desk. I visit classrooms, network with community leaders and organizations, connect with local media, and invite classes and groups to come experience the library. Of course outreach and advocacy isn’t always a formal activity; I’m always advocating for the library! Most of the word-of-mouth, one-on-one advocacy and outreach I do can’t be easily documented, so although this section has fewer entries, I still hold it to be one of the most important. I also believe strongly that community service is both an important aspect of public librarianship and an effective way of engaging the community. However, because my community service experiences are often leadership experiences as well, I’ve included them in the Leadership and Service page. Take a look there as well!
Script Writer, Milwaukee Public Library Super Reader Summer Reading Program Video
May 2011
Competencies demonstrated:
- Defines and implements outreach services to increase children’s and families’ use of library services and to reach underserved populations
- Maintains positive public relations through communication and promotion of the library’s values, services, accomplishments and needs
- Articulates and communicates to stakeholders the needs of children to receive quality library service
- Uses Web tools and social networking communities to engage with and provide age-appropriate services to children
I had a blast writing the script for this year’s summer reading outreach video! Although much of the informational text was reused with slight adaptations from last year, Dr. Brain Drain, the evil archenemy of all Super Readers, was brand new. I kept the campy introduction from last year, and used Dr. Brain Drain’s nefarious interruptions to infuse the rest of the video with a little more fun. (And listen for the word “nefarious” in the video – after some debate, it made it into the script. I never miss an opportunity to enrich kids’ vocabularies!) The video is a powerful outreach tool. It’s shown in outreach visits to classes and daycares, posted to the website, and shown on a continuous loop in the Central library. It really gets kids (and their parents!) excited to come to the library and keep up their reading skills over the summer.
MPL Representative, Milwaukee School of Engineering Outreach Fair
October 2010
Competencies demonstrated:
- Defines and implements outreach services for the library community to increase use of library services
A coworker and I represented the library at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) student resource fair. We brought library publicity materials, including a bookmark aimed at college students which I helped to create. It focused on services important to college students, such as WiFi, downloadable resources, online chat with a librarian, and quiet study spaces. We put out giveaways such as candy, stickers, magnets, and pens to attract people to our booth. Once they were there, we could use a laptop to demonstrate our services. Many students said they had never been to the public library, but were now interested in getting a library card. Others signed up for the email list, and several took applications to volunteer as tutors or work at the library. I also approached other student organizations present to make connections, ask about what services they would like to see at the library, and raise awareness of existing services. A big success!
Other community service experience:
I invite you to take a look at my community service work as a volunteer story time reader with Page Ahead, a nonprofit dedicated to “giving kids in need the chance to read,” and my volunteer book reviews for a local publication, the Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children’s Media. Since these community service experiences are also evidence of competencies in programming and collection development, I offer details in those sections of this website.
Coursework: LIS 586, Public Libraries and Advocacy
In this class, we learned about advocating for the library in formal and informal settings, creating 
proposals for library programs and partnerships, and making sure the library earns a “place at the table” for community and government discussions and decisions. I created a proposal for a library outreach program targeting homebound immigrants and refugees. The proposal includes, among other things, an action plan, a preliminary budget, suggestions for supportive partnerships with local social service agencies, and evaluation criteria.
