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| New York State Library |
The four-day EqualAccess Libraries Institute is the cornerstone of EqualAccess LibrariesTM, a national professional development program. It was developed by Libraries for the Future (LFF) in 2003 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners.
EqualAccess provides public librarians and staff with comprehensive training and support, empowering them to transform their libraries into community-responsive centers for information and education. It gives participants the skills and tools needed to collaborate with other organizations to better address the needs of their communities.
Since 2003, EqualAccess has been successfully implemented in multiple states. In New York, the program has been offered through a partnership with the New York State Library, New York Library Association, and Public Library System Directors Organization. Institutes were held in the central eastern and southeastern parts of the state in 2006 and 2007. In the spring of 2008, a third Institute was held in Geneva, NY, to librarians and staff of the Finger Lakes, Onondaga, Pioneer and Southern Tier Library Systems and their branch/member libraries.
The EqualAccess Libraries Institute is organized into four full-day workshops. During the first two workshops, participants become acquainted with the Guiding Principles. These seven principles are core characteristics and attitudes shared by community-responsive libraries. An EqualAccess Library:
- Goes beyond business as usual
- Expands its service
- Exploits the power of technology
- Values physical and social space
- Is a civic hub
- Is adaptable and responsive
- Promotes public awareness
In addition, participants receive training in the Access Skills Framework. These skills provide the basis for community-responsive programming and services. They include:
- Conducting effective assets and needs assessments to understand communities and meet their needs
- Developing work plans that are specifically designed to implement changes in library programming and services
- Conducting effective outreach to identify and attract new and underserved populations
- Building a powerful network of collaborative relationships in communities through partnerships and coalitions
- Developing public awareness and advocating in support of library programming and services
- Evaluating process and outcomes through documentation and continuous assessment
During the second two workshops of the Institute, training in the Access Programs is provided. These programs build upon the Access Skills Framework and provide flexible models for library programming and services that address essential information and education needs of target populations. Each participant selects one of the three Access Programs:
- Health Access -- a model for promoting healthy communities by strengthening the capacity of libraries to provide health and wellness information and programming
- Lifelong Access -- a model for meeting the needs of active, older adults for lifelong learning, life planning, and civic engagement
- Youth Access -- a model for promoting positive youth development and meeting community needs for constructive after-school environments
Upon completion of the Institute, participants join the EqualAccess Community of Practice. Through ongoing workshops, forums via EA.WebJunction.org, and collaborative projects, public librarians, staff, and trainers continue to connect, share ideas, and discuss issues and trends at local, statewide, and national levels.
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For more information about EqualAccess, visit the program's national site at EA.WebJunction.org |
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