Librarian Musings: Civic engagement, community networking and library work

Recently, myself, along with other like-minded and dynamic library workers, were tasked with the revitalization of the Maloney Public Library in so far as its level of interaction with the community as well as its overall relevance within the district. I live in Arouca which is in close proximity and my relative familiarity with the neighborhood gave me a good idea of what was needed to reverse the fortunes of the library. It was no secret that the Maloney Library had been experiencing a dip in usage within the last few years. Our objective was to identify ways of tailoring our services to meet the information and literacy needs of the community while repositioning the library as a neutral space of learning, engagement, and mediation. 
Here are 4 personal thoughts emanating from the experience thus far:

1. THE QUINTESSENTIAL COMMUNITY LIBRARY: The Maloney Public Library was opened in October 1993 thanks to the pioneering work of the Maloney Community Council, headed by Ms. Barbara Ince, ably assisted by then Prime Minister Arthur Napoleon Robinson and the National Housing Authority (NHA). Books were sourced from a variety of places, including Canada. Though for the first four years the library operated with no official staff, they impressively oversaw the registration of 501 new members. Four years later, the Maloney Library was entrusted to the National Library and Information and Information Systems Authority (NALIS) upon its establishment in 1998.Unlike most other public libraries in Trinidad and Tobago, Maloney Public Library is truly a community library specifically taking into account its location. Most other libraries are centrally positioned in towns and boroughs for instance Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas, and Mayaro to name a few. However, Maloney Public Library is situated in Maloney Gardens although its serving areas also include Bon Air Gardens, Oropune Gardens, Mausica and so forth. Because of its location, the majority of users are Maloney residents. Nonetheless, the uniqueness of the Library  presents a major challenge in that some potential visitors are discouraged by its location or the perceived negative stigma Maloney Gardens holds.                                                                                     
2. ADOPTING A DIFFERENT APPROACH: Many have questioned the need for a library in Maloney Gardens and have ignorantly remarked on the supposed lack of patronage in the past.  Firstly, I sincerely believe that libraries are needed everywhere. Secondly, you cannot simply commission a library and expect persons to flock there. There needs to be a strategy to foster community sensitization and engagement. This holds especially true for the Maloney Public Library, which we have already
   

   

   Librarian Cheryl-Ann Quamina Baptiste
   interacting with a resident at a recent community fair

    (photo courtesy C. Baptiste)

   established is the quintessential community public library.  To succeed, library workers need to adopt a user-centered approach. Libraries need to align their services  with the needs of the community. Lorcan Dempsey, American scholar and academic, contended that libraries had to shift from looking at 'the user in the life of  the library to library in life of the user.' Such an approach would guide the library's collection development policy, the type of services on offer , its hours of operation, the way staff are trained, and the way the library is designed. As a matter of fact, the challenge of specifically appealing to Maloney Gardens, has forced library authorities to confront the issue of finding relevance in today's society  and the strategically consider the information and literacy needs of the user-base. No longer can we egotistically presume to know our users' needs; there must be an immersive approach to understanding the user experience with conscientious dialogue and progressive decision making. Without this, libraries in Trinidad and Tobago would resign themselves to a state of insignificance.                                                                                              



Members of the Quays Foundation at a recent press
release at the Maloney Public Library.
Source: Newsday, Monday 18 June 2018


 




















3. SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS:Apart from adopting a user-centred approach, libraries need to form sustainable partnerships with local bodies and community groups. Firstly, such collaboration keeps them in touch with the pulse of the community giving library workers a feel of the culture and nuances of the people they are serving. From the onset of the Maloney project, my team and I participated in activism sessions facilitated by the Resistance and Prevention Program (RAPP) which brought various community stakeholders( sporting groups, cultural bodies, social activists, religious entities) together to identify and alleviate some of the social ills facing Maloney Gardens. It was here, we were able to make ourselves visible, apprising those present of our services and identifying the library as a neutral space for groups to meet. The move has since bore fruit as we have already hosted a number community stakeholder sessions, theatrical performances by residential cultural groups, and, established a budding relationship with the Quays Foundation, a youth-based organisation steeped in social activism.                                                                                 
4. STAFF BUY-IN: Naturally, staff buy-in is the main factor if a community library has to realise its true potential. A library may possess the best information resources and be aesthetically pleasing; however, if workers are not engaged in their work and made to see the value in what they do, the service will suffer. Around the world libraries are being called to be innovative in the way they tailor their services to continuously meet the information needs of their patrons. In such an environment, change is ever-present. As such, worker anxiety regarding change has to be dealt with delicately by library leaders. Some of the first things I was privy to when I joined the project was a clear communication, by my supervisors, of what we were trying to achieve within the time frame and the importance of what we were doing. Many library workers are very

   

   Staff meeting in progress (photo courtesy Lyndon Jackson)

   passionate about their job but this can negatively impacted by the wrong leadership style and poor communication. In a job where library workers are increasingly called upon to be creative and change-oriented, amidst increasingly constrained resources; communication and man-management are critical to keeping staff motivated. From the onset the staff at the Maloney Library was acquainted with the project's targets and objectives. Furthermore, everyone was encouraged to participate according to their strengths and be interdependent. Even more significant, is the placement of staff who's forte aligns with the project strategy. This is particularly important for those leading the charge, for the onus is on them. Community engagement, as a strategy, is a specialised type of work requiring personnel to demonstrate particular competencies to guarantee its success.

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