You want to plan ahead to serve your community, but you have endless possibilities and only finite resources. How do you know which options to choose? Whether you’re planning a single program, a system-wide strategic plan, or anything in between, using community-led planning techniques can set you up for outstanding success. Discover the results of new research into how libraries can become more equitably community-led. Then learn how to apply these concepts to create highly relevant, inclusive services for—and, more importantly, with—your community.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this class, students will be able to:
Describe what it means to be authentically community-led, and why this benefits your library and community.
Explain how to apply evidence-based strategies from the CoLaB model to build your capacity for community-led planning.
List real-world examples of how libraries have used community-led planning for successful outcomes.
Instructor
Audrey Barbakoff is the CEO of Co/Lab Capacity LLC, which provides community-centered consulting for libraries and social good organizations. She brings more than a decade of experience in public libraries. Her innovative and inclusive work has been recognized by Library Journal Movers & Shakers, the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 40 Under 40, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the Urban Libraries Council. She is certified in design thinking and sat on the advisory board of the design thinking program at the Tombolo Institute at Bellevue College. In addition to her MLIS, Dr. Barbakoff holds an EdD in organizational change and leadership. Her dissertation research focused on building organizational capacity for equity, diversity, and inclusion in public libraries through community-led programs. She is the author of Adults Just Wanna Have Fun: Programs for Emerging Adults and the forthcoming book Twelve Steps to a Community-Led Library. Find her at www.colabcapacity.com.
