Cultivating the Relationship-driven library Planting Seeds start internally-build trust! think about groups/organizations your library represents use strong ties to build inter-organizational partnerships think about existing connections Nurturing the Seedlings: actively listen to your partner- basic small talk identify overlapping goals pitch your project idea Harvesting the bounty: assess and celebrate what was done via your relationships communicate success internally and externally- think strategically Resting the garden and prep for next year: reflect onchallenges, solutions, & partnerships document process and results think about sustaining and letting go of methods or partnerships

Toolkit Additional Resources

This toolkit is the result of nearly 130 interviews with roughly 70 library workers and 60 community partners in 18 United States communities.

In addition to the narrative toolkit, we have also developed a suite of images that illustrate the process of cultivating the relationship-driven library.

Those images are available on this webpage with a Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. This means you are welcome to remix, tweak, and build upon these logos. These uses must be non-commercial. We invite any librarian anywhere around the world to use these images!

Just let us know what you do with them.

We’d also love this document to be a living document. To that end – please share with us whatever resources, visual or otherwise, you have found to help you and your partners support the relationship-driven library in community. Contact us to get started.

Milagros Tanega, librarian standing outside on a sunny day, holding a shovel

Questions to ask:

What resources have you found most impactful in your community?

What are the go-to resources you use to cultivate the relationship-driven library?

How could these images help you in your community?

An infographic Left side reading "Librarians often feel they have to ask" Do I have: space (with icon of a farm field) budget (with icon of a dollar sign $") staff (with icon of multiple people grouped together) at the bottom left the text reads "can I do this" next to an icon of a farmer Right side reads "Librarians increasingly find success asking" with an icon of farmers in a group underneath the icon the text reads "Who can I work with
People often ask librarians Can you distribute, host, market Can you do something for me? People increasingly find success asking How can can we work together?
on left palm tree in a snowstorm text reads: "Growing a palm tree in a snowstorm... Doesn't work!" on right palm tree in greenhouse in snowstorm Text reads: "Growing a palm tree in a greenhouse in a snowstorm Now we're on to something!"
two seed bags with one labeled "interest" and the other "need" the text reading "Seeds= confluence of need and interest"
infographic: a seed turning into a seedling in four different stages Text reads Shift from idea to reality a difficult process Seedling so precious and vulnerable Right set of conditions have to come together for seedling to successfully sprout Now we have to give our seedling the best chance of becoming a plant
vegetables in soil surround text reads: Bounty You and your partners have put so much work into taking an idea and turning it into a reality It's critical that you and your partners take the time to celebrate your labors, and also make sure your bounty nourishes those that need sustenance.
two farmers in a field thinking about farm related plans A sign in the field reads: "Looking back" "Looking forward Text: "Seek to understand what just happened as you simultaneously prepare your garden for your next ideas"
an table listing the different categories of partnerships decorated with vines text reads "Building relationships- communication has been initiated. No partnership activities has been scheduled or taken place. Possibilities for future meetings may be discussed Common goal/Common language- the partner reciprocates communication, agreeing to discuss partnership development. Discussions include opportunities for activities that can be accomplished together or ways each partner can benefit one another. Supportive roles- A common goal has been defined, and the partner provides ongoing input to support the issue and partnership initiative Strategic collaboration- This partner views the partnership initiative as benefiting their organization's vision. Coordinated, scheduled communication takes place between partners. Routine communication is reciprocated between partners to accomplish activities or goals. This partnership is fundamental in addressing the topic/issue and the initiative's success. The partner actively participates in key actions that lead to system or policy change around the topic/issue."
text reads "How else does advocacy help? garner admin buy in draw in future community collaborators obtain future funding" on the right there is a clip art image of two people holding boxes of crops
infographic reads "Reflection exercise: 1. Have you ever had to let go of a partnership? What did that look like (image of bare field) 2. Do you need a larger garden plot or do you need more partners? (image of field with budding crops) 3. Or do you need to scale back? Are there too many plants in the garden and not enough gardeners to manage it all?" (image of fully grown crops)
infographic that reads "Growing pains: Highlight some common challenges and issues" What worked this year and what didn't What doesn't work in this 'soil'? What needs to be moved to a different part of the garden? What really thrives in the conditions that you have? What crops did your community need the most? How to increase yield?" on right: image of drooping tulip image on left: upright tulip
Setting up Seedlings There are both formal and informal ways to nurture a partnership along – all of which focus on sustaining open communication and keeping the different moving parts in motion towards a common goal between you and the community partner: contracct letter of commitment memorandum of understanding handshake proposal What are ways you document or solidify your partnerships?
Serve more-extend your reach Collaborations: extend our library services to more people and more groups within our communities. Create opportunities to pool resources, share ideas, and provide more services with more support from within the library departments and beyond the library can be centered around any topic of interest (literacy, digital inclusion, makerspaces, economic development)* *Our experience is in health- and exercise-related programs and services. Librarians can create profound community partnerships around unexpected topical areas.
Try More- Do new things without stretching yourself thin Shift from 'being all things to all people' to 'Being part of community solutions to community problems" By using the power of multi-sector coalitions and organizations in our collective experience, the magic happens when librarians are deep into multi-sector community work (rotary organization, chamber of commerce, health coalition, STEM Action force).
Feel More- The joy of your seeds bearing fruit Community support provided through these collaborations Tie your personal passions and interests into your professional work Encouragement to library staff to keep going
Connect More- Collaborations abound Parks and Recreation=Community Wellness Hubs Local health departments=Chief Health Strategists We will highlight many examples later in this toolkit
Cultivating the Relationship-driven Library
Cultivating the Relationship-driven library Planting Seeds start internally-build trust! think about groups/organizations your library represents use strong ties to build inter-organizational partnerships think about existing connections Nurturing the Seedlings: actively listen to your partner- basic small talk identify overlapping goals pitch your project idea Harvesting the bounty: assess and celebrate what was done via your relationships communicate success internally and externally- think strategically Resting the garden and prep for next year: reflect onchallenges, solutions, & partnerships document process and results think about sustaining and letting go of methods or partnerships
infographic illustrating the progression of the perception of libraries. The goal of a relationship-driven library is to have community members that naturally look to librarians as partners! Step 1: (coupled with a clip art picture of books on a shelf) Library = "storytime, book clubs, and book borrowing" Step 2 (coupled with a clip art image of a library building): Library = Trusted Resource "always there, people turn to them, stable, trusted: A space to use for health promotion" Step 3: (coupled with a clip art image of a group of people cheering with a banner over them that says "teamwork") Librarian = Partner "We work together with librarians to figure out what to do in our communities"
infographic illustrating the progression of the perception of libraries. The goal of a relationship-driven library is to have community members that naturally look to librarians as partners! Step 1: (coupled with a clip art picture of an ear of corn) Library = "storytime, book clubs, and book borrowing" Step 2 (coupled with a clip art picture of a box of corn flakes and a bowl of popcorn): Library = Trusted Resource "always there, people turn to them, stable, trusted: A space to use for health promotion" Step 3: (coupled with a clip art image of a barrel of ethanol gas and a gas pump handle) Librarian = Partner "We work together with librarians to figure out what to do in our communities"
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