Monday, November 29, 2021
Written by Dawn Tevis
Wisconsin Libraries Transforming Communities (WLTC) program provides a pathway by which public library and community teams develop and establish sustainable partnerships. These partnerships highlight the vital role libraries play within a community and the importance of community engagement. This series of 7 weekly articles is the result of the creative relationships and initiatives created by the WLTC 2020-21 cohort, libraries, and community organizations. The results of their work include a deeper level of understanding of and responsiveness to each partner’s needs and resources. Together, the groups are shaping one another’s evolution and helping to ensure Wisconsin libraries continue to serve at the forefront of equity and innovation within local communities.
Richland Center Discovers New Direction, Perspective through Project Process
- Martha Bauer: Director, Brewer Public Library
- Stacy Pilla: Youth Services Librarian, Brewer Public Library
- Chelsea Wunnicke: Educator, Richland County Extension
- Bruce Gay: WLTC Coach, Waukesha Public Library
WLTC’s Team Richland Center demonstrated twists and turns can inform a project and teamwork in surprising and previously unimaginable ways, opening a pathway of possibilities and promise. Their process, while unexpected, ultimately instilled in the team important awareness of community and partnership strengths and resources. They feel their future direction seems clearer than ever.
“The library strives to be a leader and trendsetter in the community,” Brewer Public Library Director Martha Bauer said. “Our project is integral in helping the community be more welcoming to new residents, especially minority populations. If the library can take the lead in this area and create the change we hope to see, then we’ve moved the library forward and created a better community for all residents.”
The Richland Center team began by initiating an equity, diversity, and inclusion taskforce that designed a survey for local elected officials to help determine the level of interest in learning more about those realities among area leaders. The team had planned to connect with the Hispanic community to create a photovoice project to amplify Hispanic community members’ voices and document their lives in Richland County. The Richland Center team’s experiences through that work, however, shed light in new and helpful ways on the relationship-building that needed to take place first. So, team members refocused and turned their efforts to establishing strong connections with members of the Hispanic community. With new knowledge in hand, they are creatively revisioning ways they can connect and achieve their overarching goal of making Richland County more welcoming to new residents, especially those who have been underserved.
“I think WLTC strengthens Wisconsin librarianship in that it gave participants valuable information and tools to better support our communities,” Bauer said. “The connections made during WLTC will allow us to continue this work and create a ripple effect into the community to create the change we are working towards.” Bauer credited the tips and guidance WLTC provided as a vital factor in helping them navigate their project in order to make it as meaningful and relevant as possible to those they serve.
See more posts on the WI Libraries for Everyone page.