“Libraries Change Lives,” the American Library Association's 2013-2014 initiative, has evolved into a new initiative: “Libraries Transforming Communities."
“The initiative addresses a critical need within the library field by developing and distributing new tools, resources and support for librarians to engage with their communities in new ways," an ALA media release states.
The LTC campaign will help libraries become more reflective of and connected to their communities. This approach calls for libraries to become more community focused, and we have achieved that focus.
Our library is the community go-to place for internet use, e-government access, job search, entertainment and a place to find art and cultural exhibits. We are reaching out to our community to find out what else is needed and provide that need to our customers.
We are transforming our community by setting goals and objectives to provide updated computers, access to business, testing and education resources, databases with accurate information on medicine, law, car repair and many social issues, and other materials of interest to the general public.
The library provides one-on-one training to adults, particularly senior citizens, on the use of technology, electronic databases and information resources.
We encourage the staff to participate in continuing education sessions that offer professional and paraprofessional help.
"ALA also hopes to shift public discourse away from past themes about libraries in crisis and toward talk of libraries as agents of positive community change" the release states.
This is the Crestview library's hope for this New Year as well.
Jean Lewis is the Crestview Public Library's director.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Libraries are agents of positive community change