Sunday, June 30, 2013

Partnerships in unlikely places

Presented at the ALA 2013 on Sunday at 10:30am. 

"The absurd can become fantastic!"

Stop saying:
10. That won't work
9. That's stupid
8. There's no money
7. We don't had enough staff
6. We can't do that
5. We've tried that before
4. The board won't let us
3. They can't do that
2. They've don't it before
1. It just won't work

Example: doing story times in Panera
Example: partnering with local tv station to do children's programming for tweens
Example: partnered with developers to build a library on the first floor of an apartment building. 

Zandra Campbell's food partnership in Baltimore was mentioned!!!

Example: host the local hospital's annual fundraiser
Example: get local window manufacturer to donate all new windows
Example: partner with park district/nps to put laminated kids books in local parks. 

Tips to identify opportunities
1. Get involved in your community; know the players because partnerships depend on relationships
2. Look for the service gaps; has there been a service that has been eliminated or threatened?
3. Listen and read; local news, conversations, newsletter, eavesdrop everywhere
4. Make partnerships a priority; include this in a strategic plan. 
5. Don't forget yourselves; include your staff and library. Ask ourselves what do we offer? Practice tooting your own horns. Moresville, NC partnered with NASCAR to pay for staff development for the library.

Why don't people use our library? They don't know why they should. 

What do we have or could we have to offer inside or outside our spaces?
1. Cross advertising (have a sample museum gallery inside and say, if you like what you see here you can go the full gallery at X place)
2. Community rooms. Dance classes, telecommuter space, kids birthday parties
3. Roof top dining or picnic area (if living rooftop)
4. Coffee houses samples...
5. Wifi
6. Entertainment
7. Temperature control
8. Education (classes)
9. Attentive listeners

When identifying potential partners be sure to ask:
1. Do your organizational values match?
2. Do we have common/complementary goals?
3. Is there a mutual commitment? (Equal time to dedicate to the project)
4. Are there complementary/complimenting strengths?
5. Are there other potential partnerships that we are overlooking?

Read FastCompany magazine. Or their website. 

How to succeed in a partnership
1. Trust your partner. If you don't, then start small and build trust. 
2. Clearly defined goals and expectations of all partners
3. Get buy in from the top from all partners
4. There's no such thing as over communication
5. Be patient. It won't happen overnight nor without glitches. Slow down. 

Process - how it works
Find a hole, come up with a goal, and then fill the hole. 

Brainstorming exercise - be as absurd and imaginative as possible
Identify a Potential gaps and opportunities 
Define end result
Identify partnerships
What do those partners bring to the table

Other questions to ask:
Is the program or project on target with libs mission and vision?
Is there enthusiasm within the lib?
Does the project support other lib department obj?
Is there potential for growth?
Will it result in a lasting impact?
Will we learn from this? Does it present professional development for staff?


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