Incubating creativity at your library : a sourcebook for connecting with communities

Title:

Author:

Batykefer, Erinn author

ISBN:

9780838918623

Publication:

Chicago : ALA Editions, 2019.

Physical Description:

xi, 180 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Contents:

The creative library platform -- The elements: Resources -- The elements: Invitations -- The elements: Partnerships and engagement -- The elements: Library staff -- The lenses: Community-led -- The lenses: Evaluation -- The creative library platform in practice -- Packaging and sharing the creative library platform -- Appendix A. The Library as Incubator Project kit: The Great Poetry Hunt -- Appendix B. Online form: data collection for program assessment.

Subject Term:

Libraries -- Cultural programs -- United States.

Libraries -- Activity programs -- United States.

Libraries and community -- United States.

Arts -- United States -- Library resources.

Libraries -- United States -- Marketing.

Arts -- Library resources. (OCoLC)fst00817770

Libraries -- Activity programs. (OCoLC)fst01751537

Libraries and community. (OCoLC)fst00997508

Libraries -- Cultural programs. (OCoLC)fst00997383

Libraries -- Marketing. (OCoLC)fst00997415

Geographic Term:

United States.

Local Subject:

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE COLLECTION

Added Author:

Damon-Moore, Laura C.

Available:

Library	Call Number	Material Type	Status
Searching... State Library of Oregon	021.2 Batyk	4-Week Loan	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Creativity needs a platform. As technology consultant David Weinberger puts it, "A platform provides resources that lets other people build things." The library is an ideal platform, and in this book Batykefer and Damon-Moore, creators of the Library as Incubator Project , share the experiences of numerous creative library workers and artists who are making it happen. Their stories will show you how to move beyond merely responding to community needs towards actively building a platform with your community. And best of all, you don't need to start from scratch--rather, you amplify what's already working. Filled with ideas and initiatives that can be customized to suit your library and its community, this book

discusses the four elements (Resources, Invitations, Partnerships & Engagement, and Staff) and the two lenses (Community-Led and Evaluation) of the Creative Library platform; outlines six steps for surveying your community's artistic landscape; gives methods for expanding partnerships and connections with individuals and organizations through exploration, hands-on learning, and engagement with the community; shares perspectives on the "ideal library" from several artists, with three examples of artist-in-residence programs; offers examples of community invitations in action, such as the Pittsburgh Fiberarts Guild workshops on creating flowers using recycled materials; shows how to use "orphan photos" from your archives for creative inspiration; advises on using qualitative evaluations to effectively "weed" your initiatives; and shares tips for encouraging library staff to express their creativity, turning avocations into library initiatives like Handmade Crafternoons, the Yahara Music Library, or BOOKLESS.

By building on existing elements at your library and filling in the gaps with community-driven additions, your library can be a space that cultivates creativity in both its users and staff.

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

When Batykefer and Damon-Moore talk about creativity, they're referring to the work of actual creators: artists, writers, performers, poets, crafters, and musicians looking for places to find inspiration and work, and to share their output. Stemming from a 2020 University of Wisconsin-Madison library-school assignment, which became the ""Library as Incubator Project,"" the authors used surveys, case studies, and conversations with members of artistic communities to develop a manual full of realistic advice. Handy chapters address practical topics such as resources, partnerships, staffing, and evaluation, and refer to numerous successful efforts already in existence in libraries across the country. Readers are encouraged to survey their current resources and develop their own creative platforms. This resource offers fresh and exciting advice that should inspire creative programs in all kinds of public libraries.--Kathleen McBroom Copyright 2020 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Libraries have long been centers of inspiration and creativity, but how does that happen? As library science students, Batykefer and Damon-Moore (both LJ Movers & Shakers, 2014; The Artist's Library: A Field Guide) started the Library as Incubator Project to answer that question and to find out how libraries can best serve artists. They define artists as anyone who uses physical or digital tools to make something new, and urge librarians to rely on existing resources and materials they have access to remotely, including via databases and interlibrary loan, and to build on ideas that have worked elsewhere. This is not a "how to" guide. Readers won't find lists of what to purchase or how to design spaces; instead, they'll learn how to amplify what their library already has and how to fill in the gaps. The reassuring and enthusiastic tone will bolster librarians: "You can do this. You already have plenty to work with." Case studies, including how Jessica Pigza launched Handmade Crafternoons at the New York Public Library, and how Mallory Arents established Adult Day Camp at Darien Library, CT, round out the work. Included are a sample project kit for a program, "The Great Poetry Hunt," and a form for data collection for program assessment. VERDICT Librarians, artists, and educators will find this a valuable and inspiring guide for developing creative community programs.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI