Telling Our Library Stories

Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute Year 11Marianne B. Reeves

July 2015

IntroductionMylene and her 8-year-old son

Lukas are regular visitors to the Jupiter Branch library. This story begins when Lukas, who has a learning disability, attended the library’s creative writing program with his friend. Mylene was moved to tell how her son’s participation in the program boosted his confidence.

“Thank you for being inclusive of children with all learning abilities. Though both boys were nervous and intimidated at first, once they saw that the program was not like school, they had fun. After class, both boys – on their own - wrote short stories with drawings and used the adjectives they had learned.”

 

The Telling Our Library Stories leadership project identifies current practices and suggests new procedures for generating, gathering and sharing the stories that reveal how the services of Palm Beach County Library System libraries and librarians are not only informational but transformational.

Purpose Story has the power to touch

hearts and make positive change. Crowd-funding websites are filled with compelling narrative that moves ordinary people to contribute to extraordinary projects to make a difference in our world. Human beings are wired to share and connect to stories.

The Mission of the Palm Beach County Library System is to “Connect Communities, Inspire Thought and Enrich Lives.” This project serves as a tool to gauge the fulfillment of that mission. Telling our library stories expresses the library’s connectedness to the community and demonstrates that the library cares about it’s customers.

Overview

In November of 2014, the charge was set to investigate how to create and maintain a story bank of kudos, comments and anecdotes about PBCLS services and resources that can be shared with the public and used in fundraising and marketing campaigns. A combination of research, numerous in-person discussions, and a focus group study provided valuable information about:

The current methods used for collecting patron feedback. What an effective story bank structure would look like. Recommendations for going forward.

Research

Nicole Hughes, Public Information Services ManagerNicole Hricik, Public Relations SpecialistAdam Davis, Manager Main Library and Outreach ServicesPeter Brandt, Director Library Information TechnologyJames Larson, Library Experience CoordinatorSuvi Manner, Acreage Branch ManagerAnne Alsup, Jupiter Branch ManagerJennifer Webb, Jupiter Assistant Branch ManagerJing Yan, Head of YS, West Boynton BranchSusan Kelly, Head of YS, Lantana BranchEllen Kentner, Librarian, Loula V. York BranchAmanda Wolf, Librarian, Acreage BranchChris Jankow, Librarian, Acreage BranchBea Ceruti ,Head of YS, Gardens Branch

Lisa DeLaRondia, Director Palm Beach County Public Affairs DepartmentKarlyn Voss, Director of External and Government Relations, Carnegie Library of PittsburghSharon L. Morris, Customer Service Coordinator, Broward County Libraries Division and 2007 Library Journal Mover and ShakerDagmar Lopez, Assistant Branch Manager, Osceola Library SystemTracy Zampaglione, Public Relations Administrator, Orange County Library SystemJennifer McQuown, Youth Services Manager, Mandel Public Library of West Palm BeachMargaret Kavaras, 2014 Google Policy Fellow American Library Association; developer of the “Living Stories, Living Libraries” project on Tumblr.

Professionals interviewed during the information gathering stage of the project:

Patron comment cards (How did we do today?) are available but do not specify the “personal ask.” These comment cards have the potential to lead to stories but currently there is no standard procedure for evaluating and compiling these cards.

Evaluations for adult programs are not consistently distributed, completion is not encouraged and most have only rating numbers circled and little or no narrative comments.

Assessment

Lack of an online “tell us your library story” form to invite feedback from patrons who rarely come to the physical library yet still use electronic resources such as databases, e-books, streaming video and music from home.

Staff may not recognize the importance of telling our stories, are not aware of story gathering opportunities, or do not have the training to make the “personal ask” for stories when engaging with patrons.

Targeted story collection occurs during special events throughout the year but it is infrequent.

Library systems and organizations that effectively tell their story.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh http://www.carnegielibrary.org/about/story/

Orange County (FL) Library System http://www.ocls.info/campaign/librarytales/default.asp

Initiative of the American Library Association http://ilovelibraries.org/real-stories

Living Stories, Living Libraries page on Tumblr http://living-stories-living-libraries.tumblr.com

Food Retailer Publixhttp://mypublixstory.com

Effective Storytellers

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

February 2013 - Telling Our Story Committee; one of six pillars of a 5-year Strategic Plan

Existing CLP processes revealed:1. No culture of story gathering in the organization.2. Lack of a useful mechanism for collecting stories.3. Stories collected and utilized sporadically, usually around a particular

campaign or marketing initiative. CLP’s plan for collecting stories:

1. A mapping document identifying targeted groups and defining sharing tools.2. A process to identify key messages that demonstrate the library’s impact and

methods to encourage staff to use these messages.3. A plan and process for sharing items 1 and 2 with staff, board, Friends and

community.4. Stories collected will be entered into an Excel spreadsheet, color-coded by

topic and searchable by keyword.5. Tools to evaluate effectiveness of communication methods.6. Recommendations for the use of Social Media that specify the rights and

responsibilities, best practices, and expectations for all.http://www.carnegielibrary.org/about/strategicplan/documents/StrategicPlan-approved.pdf

Deliverables

1. A mapping document to identify how stories can be identified, received and collected.

2. A web form to invite patrons to share stories and photos on the library’s webpage.

3. Methods to encourage all staff to be library advocates and encourage patrons to share their stories.

4. A recommendation for a Story Bank Coordinator to develop and manage a Microsoft Access database as a story bank repository.

According to the Families USA publication How to Create a A Successful Story Banking Program, “the first step to building an effective story bank is to develop an infrastructure that allows an organization to seamlessly collect stories, work with “storytellers” (consumers willing to share their stories), and coordinate story distribution.” With this goal, the following recommendations are offered.

Bonacci, Cate. How To Create a Successful Story Banking Program. Washington, DC: Families USA. 2015.

Website Users

Story Sharing

Tools

Telling Our Story Website

Stories told to staff

How Did We Do Today? forms

Surveys

Letters, calls and email to

Managers

Program Evaluations

Social Media

Story Tellers

Bookmobile Users

Tour groups

Authors

Community Leaders

Teachers

Books by Mail users

Library Board

members

Friends of the

Library

Families

Teens Childre

n

Program Presenter

s

Volunteer

s

Program Attendees

Special Event photo

kiosk

Outreach Organizations

Story Gatherers

Adult Programmers

Adult Literacy Project Staff

Branch Managers

System Youth Services

Creation Station Team

Front Line Staff

Community Relations

Books-By-Mail

Youth Services

Child Care Outreach

Talking Books Service

Book Club groups

Embedded Librarians

Staff at Special Events

Story Bank Coordinator Speakers

Bureaurepresentatives

Deliverable 1a: How stories will be identified, received and collected.

Target Groups

DonorsMediaCommunity Stakeholde

rs

Potential Users

Current Library Users Staff Library

Board

Outlets

Happenings

Monthly guide

Annual ReportBooks & Bytes

E-Newsletter

Video Testimonial

s

Social Media Posts

Telling Our Library Story

webpage

Story Bank Coordinator

Friends of the Library

Speakers Bureau Groups

Community News Media

Deliverable 1b: How stories will be shared with targeted groups.

Check It Out staff

publication

Library Volunteers

Beyond the Book & monthly podcasts

Deliverable 2: Suggested web form/consent form to invite patrons to share stories and photos.

In June of 2015, West Boynton and Belle Glade branches were selected as runners-up in the SirsiDynix Love Your Library Contest. The two winning entries, from patrons Osmara and Laura, showed the effect that PBCLS programs have on the community.

 The Internet is where many library users are. Peter Brandt, Director Library Information Technology, confirmed that adding a web form to the existing library webpage would be an appropriate and efficient method to collect stories.

Karlyn Voss, Director of External and Government Relations, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, recommended that frontline staff invite patrons to complete the online form at a catalog in the library. This encounter between staff and user can be relationship building.

Tell Us Your Library Story 

First Name*

Last Initial*

Email*

Phone*

Please provide a valid email address or phone number so that we can respond to you. This will only be used for Library communication and will not be displayed. Library Visited* (Select from drop down menu)

What’s Your Story?* 

  Attach photo here.*

If you submit your library story, we may publish your story on our website or in our print newsletter and other print publications.

Deliverable 3a: Methods to encourage all staff to be library advocates.

According to Karen Voss of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, in order to foster a culture of story gathering, there needs to be increased awareness of the organization’s story. At CLP, the Telling Our Story Committee developed a process to identify key messages throughout the year that demonstrated the Library’s impact. These messages were regularly shared with staff through passive and active education.

Key Message Example: Our print and digital resources help students complete

assignments so that they can achieve school success.

Passive Education

Active Education

Email message to all staff.

Print message in Check It Out

Post message in break room.

Encourage managers to discuss current message in staff meetings.

Have managers hold training sessions in ways to share the message with the public.

Make story sharing and collecting part of every staff member’s initial training.

Deliverable 3b: Methods to encourage all staff in story collection.

Always be on the lookout for potential storytellers in day-to-day activities. Be familiar with all story collection tools (web form, How Did We Do Today? Form,

program evaluations, social media platforms, using the branch iPad) Identify those patrons you know by name and actively ask for and listen to their

stories. Challenge staff to reach out to a favorite patron and ask for a story to be eligible to

win a prize. Give potential storytellers context and reasons to share their stories; the “personal

ask.” For example, “What would our community look like without its libraries?” “Tell us how the library helps your family.” or “How have librarians helped you?”

Ongoing Story Collection

Targeted Story Collection

Host a story gathering program for patrons to be interviewed and have their story recorded.

Host an essay competition for children and teens.

Send an email or text message to users to tell their story and be entered in a drawing for a prize.

Prepare to invite patrons to share stories when at special library and community events.

Create a calendar to highlight yearly opportunities for inviting stories, e.g. National Library Week in April.

Deliverable 4: A recommendation for a Story Bank Coordinator to develop and manage a Microsoft Access database as a story bank repository.

According to Cate Bonaci, author of How To Create a Successful Story Banking Program, “choosing one person to coordinate collection efforts and story circulation is crucial for an effective story bank.”

The IT department of the PBCLS has the capability to create a web form that will automatically convey information from the form directly to a Microsoft Access database. The database can be designed with additional fields for metadata such as demographic information and interview notes.

The Responsibilities of the Story Bank Coordinator Create a rubric to identify which How Did We Do Today? forms offer valid leads. Send a note of appreciation to those who shared their stories. Determine which stories and or comments need to be referred to a manager or

department head. Develop the story further though vetting, fact-checking, and conducting a more in-

depth interview. Tag the stories by category. Suggested tags include: Education. Workforce and

Economic development. Neighborhood vitality. Government services. Community health services. Books by Mail. Adult programming. Computer classes. Children’s programming.

Respond to requests for stories.

Proposed ImplementationPHASE ONE

ACTION ACTORS

Determine web form content Outreach, Community Relations, Administration

Develop web form for library webpage IT staff, Story Bank Coordinator

Create Microsoft Access database IT staff, Story Bank Coordinator

Test web form and database IT staff, Story Bank CoordinatorPHASE TWO ACTION ACTORSCreate rubric for How Did We Do Today? forms

Community Relations, Story Bank Coordinator

Train managers on procedure for sharing HDWDT forms

Story Bank Coordinator

Begin inviting website users to share their stories

Community RelationsPHASE THREE

ACTION ACTORS

Develop advocacy training for staff Administration, Outreach, Story Bank Coordinator

Develop story collection training for staff Story Bank Coordinator, Community Relations

OutcomesThe “Telling the Library’s Story” project will be measured in these key ways.

First, all staff will recognize the importance of capturing and passing along relevant stories and contact information. They will understand who to share their stories with or where to best direct patrons with transformative stories to share.

Second, the “Telling the Library’s Story” Story Bank Coordinator will identify those stories that require follow-up and tag those ready for use. This will yield a readily available databank of searchable stories for a variety of purposes.

Finally, procedures will be set in place for identifying and researching patron comment cards that may lead to a powerful story.

Benefits Library staff will better recognize the need for advocacy and a culture of story

gathering will be fostered within the library organization. Guided by the “personal ask,” staff and patrons will form and strengthen positive

relationships as a result of the process of recording customer stories. Stories about service will not only affirm the efforts of those staff that offer exceptional

service but increase their visibility within the library organization. The stories shared will increase the awareness of library services, especially those

newer services that patrons might not realize are available. Additional tangible benefits will be evident by increases in the following areas:

Website hits Program attendance Door counts Print and digital circulation Requests to volunteer Friends of the Library membership Donations Community and government support for libraries