Samantha Smart for Minneapolis Library Board
Cyber-Campaign: OUTREACH!
please forward to your contacts!
"America why are your libraries full of tears?"
Allen Ginsberg
The mission of the Minneapolis Library Board is to "link the people of
Minneapolis and beyond with the transforming power of knowledge". I believe
this is a beautiful need that can be fulfilled in a myriad of creative and
dynamic ways, thereby increasing the number of library card holders in the
City, increasing the amount of materials checked out, expanding the research
that is done by individuals and groups and enhancing the kinds of programs that
meet the unique needs of folks in our community. Here are a few ideas of how
the Minneapolis Library system can improve its Outreach efforts:
1. Partner with community groups to offer exciting programs in Library meeting
rooms - for example:
link with community garden groups to plan spring gardens over the winter,
partner with the Minnesota Spoken Word Association and SASE: The Write Place to
offer youth Poetry Slams, author readings and writing workshops
work with "new immigrant" community groups to hold English classes and other
activities that assist new residents of the City
Work with community groups to offer film series across the City
the possibilities are endless...
2. Work with community schools in increase youth literacy - for example:
encourage schools to plan field trips to libraries to teach youth how to do
research
start youth book clubs and read-a-thons that will ignite the desire to read
3. Bring back The People's University to the libraries to provide a platform
for skill and information-sharing on a
no-cost basis in order to provide life-long continuing education
4. Take the Library to the streets....for example:
Re-fund the Bookmobile as a top priority!
Examine and adopt models from other U.S. cities wherein Outreach staff leave
the library and bring books, magazines and computers to street corners to
engage folks who may never have used the library before
Recruit Outreach staff that look like and speak like our changing City -
including speakers of Spanish, Hmong and African dialects
Allen Ginsberg's poem refers to the grief, anger and frustration so many of us
feel when we are in the library and have found materials that illuminate the
crisis and tragedy of the global human and natural condition. By improving
OUTREACH efforts and bringing more people to the library to learn and develop
our collective human intelligence - we may surely be able to turn these tears
into joyful ones, as the transforming power of knowledge is translated into
positive community action for change.
I am running for Library Board to make this transformation possible!
Samantha Smart
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.home.earthlink.net/~smartlibraries2005
Smart libraries are OPEN libraries!
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