Evidence of Competency
Goal 5: Effectively communicate and collaborate to deliver, market, and advocate for library and information services.
5a.
Grant Proposal
Outcome 5a. Apply marketing and/or advocacy principles to demonstrate and promote the value of libraries and information agencies.
There is a lot of invisible work that happens in both public and school libraries. A great way to show the value of the library is through marketing. In the 725 Curriculum and School Libraries course we practiced writing a grant proposal. This project gave me hands-on experience researching and preparing a grant application to advocate for needed materials and or resources for the library. The grant proposal helped me build the skills needed to identify a need, impact, and create plans for the management, promotion, and sustainability of the materials. As this was an assignment for a school library, the project also gave me the chance to practice tying the needs to curriculum standards. My grant proposal was to create Monarch Bingo for my students. Through this project I was advocating for my imaginary library through the grant and also marketing the library through the bingo challenge. Writing grant proposals is a great skill for any librarian to have in either a public or school library. Your community will benefit from materials that sometimes you do not have the budget for. Writing grants can help absorb those costs.
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5b.
Internal & External Communication
Outcome 5b. Demonstrate effective professional communication to achieve common understanding as an individual or in group settings.
In the 707 Leadership, Marketing, and Strategic Communication course we discussed the importance of not only external communication for your patrons but also internal communication and proper leadership for your staff. Proper communication is necessary to have a healthy and thriving library community. We saw examples of library staff having to go to news outlets to advocate for their communities' needs when board members did not have the community's best interest at heart. We also discussed good and bad leadership and how that impacts staff and their abilities to provide quality services. Poor leadership and communication leads to staff feeling disconnected from their jobs, while quality communication leads to staff rapport and overall the success of the library’s programs and services.
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5c.
Leadership Examined
Outcome 5c. Demonstrate leadership principles in an educational, professional, or community context.
It is not a unique experience to work under poor leadership. Unfortunately, most people experience more bad leadership than good. In the 707 Leadership, Marketing, and Strategic Communication course we discussed what skills are needed for good leadership in the library. It is so much more than a love of reading. True leadership requires quality communication to not only be able to interact with staff and the community but also to advocate for them. Proper leadership also requires the ability to coach and mentor staff. As well as the ability to adapt for the needs of staff and the community when disaster strikes such as the pandemic or a natural disaster. Proper and healthy leadership is the difference between a thriving library and a dying one.
Whether I am working in a public or school library, I myself need to have these leadership skills as they apply to all levels of working in the library. I need to make sure that I am communicating to the best of my ability with staff and patrons, advocating for all, mentoring when possible, and having flexibility in what and how I am doing things.
(Image Source: Wix)