[Nmtriblibs] Library Staff as Public Servants: A Field Guide for Preparing to Support Communities in Crisis

[Osterloh, Cassandra, DCA]

From the iSchool at the University of Maryland.

Webpage: Reimagine Libraries (umd.edu)<https://reimaginelibraries.ischool.umd.edu/>
Field Guide: Field-Guide-2021-Final.pdf (umd.edu)<https://yxlab.ischool.umd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Field-Guide-2021-Final.pdf>

More info:
In the summer of 2020, the project team worked with 137 library staff in the United States to learn how they are supporting their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, when library buildings were fully or partially closed. COVID-19 was the impetus for this work, however, as the process launched, the country saw increased civic unrest resulting from the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and Dion Johnson. As a result of the multiple crises facing the nation, this work took on an expanded role with a focus on the multiple crises facing the country.

As these crises unfolded, it became apparent that public libraries are aspiring to support their communities, but do not know how-to or rush to design ways to serve their communities. They reacted and provided what they could as events unfolded. Through a series of seven virtual participatory design sessions, we co-learned and co-created solutions on how to support communities during crises with library staff serving non-dominant youth and their families. We created a Field Guide<https://yxlab.ischool.umd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Field-Guide-2021-Final.pdf> that maps the essentials tasks that public library staff must enact pre and during crises. While this Field Guide focuses on supporting non-dominant youth and families, we believe this Field Guide can be adapted to serve the needs of other age groups and can also be used at any time.


Cassandra E. Osterloh, MLS, MA (Cherokee Nation)
Pronouns: she, her, hers​
Tribal Libraries Program Coordinator
Library Development Services Bureau
New Mexico State Library
1209 Camino Carlos Rey
Santa Fe, NM 87507

505-476-9764 (office)
505-264-2427 (cell)
cassandra.osterloh at state.nm.us
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.zianet.com/pipermail/nmtriblibs/attachments/20220407/6f440226/attachment.html>