Description: 

We know how hard libraries work to reach those in their community to help build strong literacy skills, to foster a love of reading and learning, and to provide enriching, educational experiences through engaging programs and diverse collections.  But many public libraries are doing more than literacy and learning support – they are also compassionately striving to help meet basic needs for their community members, which must be filled before any learning, reading, and enrichment can occur.  In this Showcase, a panel of Maryland libraries’ staff will highlight various projects their libraries either coordinate or support as a partner to meet community needs: from coats, to food, to prom dresses.  Attendees will gain inspiration about what their own library organizations might explore offering, based on their own community need and staff capacity, through the panelists’ sharing and Showcase open discussion.  Participants will also gain insights about the planning process of such projects, promotional strategies, working with partners, and how to assess the impact of compassion projects to help them take next steps to go “beyond books” in serving those in their communities.

Learning Objectives – Participants will be able to:

• Name at least one resource that can help library organizations identify a basic need in their community
• Identify one strategy to implement to get started in organizing a library compassion project 
• Articulate at least one benefit to the library of offering or coordinating a community compassion project to meet a basic need in their community

Presenters:

Rachel Myers, Branch Manager, Discoveries at the Mall, Anne Arundel County Public Library

Rachel Zukowski, Programs Services Manager, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

Katie Brown, Teen Services Supervisor II, Frederick County Public Libraries

Cari Gast, Head of Children’s Curriculum, Howard County Library System

CE Hours: 1.5

Registration opens:  July 7

Registration closes:  November 10, 5:00pm.  A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants