There is compelling evidence that the nation’s underserved populations are often not users of our libraries because of cultural and racial barriers, inequities, and disparities (Lopez et al 2019; The Aspen Institute 2016). In addition, public libraries are on the front lines of supporting the community through many issues. However, library directors and their staff are often not prepared nor trained to deal with the life and death issues they see on the job such as substance misuse in the library, families who are unhoused and/or food insecure looking for support and library spaces and serving as warming and cooling shelters as part of emergency preparedness (Stine 2023; Weinberger; 2022). FEMA now classifies public libraries as essential community institutions and describes librarians as “the new emergency responders.” Furthermore, some of the most pressing issues communities face center around understanding scientific information, namely health concerns (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, lead in drinking water, food insecurity) and environmental impacts (e.g., climate change, energy security, etc.), which disproportionately affect our most vulnerable, underserved populations (Grusky, et al 2017; Chetty, et al 2019).
The need and urgency for libraries to operate as “essential” community institutions means that library leaders should be familiar with and trained in inclusion-centered leadership. They also need to be able to connect with community members around the actionable science issues that are most pressing to them. What is actionable science? The Serving Communities model defines actionable science as: A form of information literacy that is place-based and embedded in strategies to address pressing community issues. As a result, adults have the ability to understand, use, and co-develop information and services to make informed decision and take actions to address what they and their communities want and need.
Led by Cornerstones of Science, the Serving Communities Framework and curriculum was created by 57 project team members and advisors from academic institutions and applied research, and practicing experts in library information and informal science. The collaborative effort, which included representatives from eight state libraries and ten participating pilot library directors and their co-leaders nationwide (from CT, TN, IN, NM, and TX), resulted in the first integrated suite of inclusion-centered leadership tools. This approach allows libraries to deliver inclusive core services and support an equitable, engaged library culture through intentional operational decision-making and planning. The Serving Communities suite of professional development modules allow library directors to discover, reflect, and act upon critical inclusion-centered leadership skills and competencies. The creation of the curriculum was funded by a grant (RE-250085-OLS-21) from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The curriculum is a suite of five self-paced modules, each directly based on the four dimensions outlined in the Framework. These modules are designed to enhance inclusion-centered leadership skills, attitudes, and practices for engaging adults in the co-development of actionable science resources, supports, and services that the community wants and needs, particularly underserved community members. The Framework and curriculum are freely available here as well as on the WebJunction website.
The Serving Communities Framework and curriculum is premised on If library directors and managements have inclusive leadership skills, attitudes and practices, they are better able to partner with underserved communities around actionable science. This means: 1) a greater knowledge of the communities that are not being served (and how the director’s operational decision-making, like budget and resource allocations may be related to this); 2) greater knowledge and skills of how to position you and your library to be more inclusion-centered; 3) improved communication skills and habits to better articulate and know how to engage underserved communities; and, 4) a greater understanding of the role that actionable science plays in community issues that impact underserved groups in the community you serve. Inclusion-centered skills will also improve empathy, self-efficacy, and confidence in community engagement with underserved partners.
In January 2023, the American Library Association revised and adopted the Core Competencies of Librarianship with the goal for library leaders to “Recognize, challenge and change practices, services and programs that have traditionally replicated dominant systems and marginalized others.” The Serving Communities materials provides the tools, strategies, and pathway forward for doing just that! Also, consider checking out the schedule of webinars, newsletter, and other resources on the WebJunction website, for more information and support with using the Serving Communities curriculum.
