Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The Importance of Community Partnerships

--by Sara Mcmullen

It is becoming increasingly important that information centers garner partnerships with other community institutions for a multitude of reasons.  Collaborations with learning institutions create opportunities for ongoing education in unique and creative ways that are vital in our world.  Partnerships allow both libraries and schools to increase the number of students with whom they positively engage in the community.  Creating partnerships with local organizations allows for community growth and development that would otherwise be unobtainable. 

Patrons involved in various types of partnerships are given the great advantage of coming into direct contact with a librarian who can give them invaluable skills that can be put into use for the rest of their lives. Ake Nygren (2014) states the following concerning libraries working with learning institutions:
At the core of connected learning is the conviction that web literacy, together with reading and writing, are the literacies of the future and that we need to prepare efficient learning pathways for youth that are relevant for a society where coding is as important as writing. (p. 6)
Technology surrounds us and it is essential to become fluent in this new language if we are to thrive and be successful.

An aspect of the digital world that is growing daily is coding.  Two examples of coding collaborations include the Orange County Library System and the Denver Pubic Library.  These collaborations have attracted the attention of local technology companies and they are now giving internships to some of the participants (Enis, 2016).

Interested in coding in libraries?  

Another great example of community collaboration is the Hartford, Connecticut Library partnering with their local police department.  The library staff asked what the main concern of the community was, and they stated, “public safety, community violence, and their relationship with the police” (Public Libraries Online, 2015).  As a result of the ongoing collaboration and programming, the residents felt heard and that their concerns were addressed, resulting with a better relationship with local law enforcement.

Want to see more wonderful examples of library partnerships?  

Building a connection within your community can help your library pull patrons back in who may not have used the library in a while and may also draw in new users.  It will remind your community that the library is still relevant.  Partnerships may also improve the relationships with local organizations making advocacy for future needs easier.

Interested in starting a collaboration in your community?  WebJunction and the California Library Association have some ideas to get you started!
     
Watch this for even more inspiration:



What kind of collaboration would benefit your library service area?  Share your thoughts in the comment section!

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