Literacy—and how libraries are reimagining services to address it for patrons of all ages—took center stage at the Northeast Dade–Aventura Branch, Miami Dade Public Library System (MDPLS), FL, March 9–10, at LJ and School Library Journal’s 2017 Public Library Think Tank. The event—targeting “Libraries and Literacies: Redefining Our Impact”—looked at multiple literacies, including digital, media/information, civic, reading, visual, multicultural, and health, and focused on strategic thinking through a literacy lens.

Among the gauntlets thrown was a call from Gina Millsap, CEO of the Topeka-Shawnee County PL, KS, for librarians to work on improving their own “literacy literacy.” Jason Kucsma, deputy director, Toledo Lucas County PL, spoke to the importance of creating an intentional culture within the library. John Szabo, City Librarian, Los Angeles PL, noted that one can “replace the word literacy with equity” and still have it be on the library mission.

PUBLIC VS. GOVERNMENT

John B. Horrigan, senior researcher, Pew Research Center, shared thoughts from “The Role of Libraries in Advancing Community Goals,” a recent study of what government officials want from libraries, conducted by the International City/County Management Association in partnership with the Aspen Institute and the Public Library Association, and correlated the findings with Pew’s research into the desires of library users.

Much of what communities value (high-speed Internet, education, civic engagement, digital literacy) are also considered by officials as areas in which libraries can play a major role. The one exception: neighborhood/ community development.

“The striking thing is the role of digital,” Horrigan said. By contrast, he noted, “economic issues were the dog that didn’t bark as loudly as I expected.” Workforce development efforts didn’t make the top 50 percent. The public shares officials’ high priority on digital skills, coordination with schools, and Maker spaces. However, early literacy is the public’s top priority, according to Pew; privacy programming ranks much higher with the public than with officials; and services to entrepreneurs and immigrants also show up near the top.

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

Christopher Sopher of WhereBy.Us, a start-up focused on “real world literacies and communities” through a local lens, spoke to the problem of fake news, saying that the model of “more information helps people make better decisions” is flawed. Instead, he said, we should focus on connecting to users with content that’s relevant to their day-to-day lives, so that when information on big issues is added into the balance, it doesn’t feel unmanageable. By building “with, not for” users, we can ask, “What’s the emotional thing that can bring people into the conversation?” and layer relevant data on top of that dialog.

LIBRARY EXEMPLARS

In other event highlights, Kimberly Matthews, assistant director, MDPLS, outlined Miami’s literacy programming. Danielle Patrick Milam, director of development and planning, Las Vegas–Clark County Lib. Dist., NV, explained how the library partnered with Civic Technologies on a community needs assessment via market segmentation to map areas of low literacy.

Jill Bourne, city librarian of San José, CA, and LJ’s 2017 Librarian of the Year, spoke to the San José library’s central role in recovery from recent flooding and addressed the library’s position as the lead agency in a new collaboration with the city’s 19 school districts. “Don’t shy away from real goals,” she urged. “Pick what’s important, and then see how to make it happen.”