Two Librarians & A Microphone

Roanoke County Public Library responded to a cultural shift ushered in by the tech revolution and its implications. After recruiting Pepper®, a humanoid robot, the library has leveraged its deep roots in innovation, privacy, equity, and access. With this, they are able to become a leader in AI and workforce development, particularly for tech skills. The success of the program has attracted 350 people with 60 class offerings, which include topics like Photoshop, stop-action video, Python, Scratch, and Linux. Urban Libraries Council Innovation Winner | 2019 | Workforce and Economic Development | Top Innovator

Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) seized the opportunity of the main library’s temporary closing to launch a new mobile team charged with expanding the library’s capacity to help customers advance their entrepreneurial skills. TLCPL created the Economic Success Team to go beyond the library doors and work throughout the community to offer more one-to-one assistance in less-reached populations. This mobile staffing model broke the mold of how the library served their community, provided colleagues with new skills untethered from their traditional service desk, and produced remarkable results – a 265% increase in one-to-one research and technical assistance and a 188% jump in contacts with aspiring and active entrepreneurs. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winner • Workforce and Economic Development, Honorable Mention

Mindfulness is an important part of Santa Clara County Library District’s wellness initiative to help patrons reduce stress and live healthy lives. Making meditation simple and accessible to all is the goal of their partnership with Headspace, a service offering more than 1,000 hours of virtual meditation classes for all ages to help reduce stress, cope with pain and cravings and better manage anxiety. All 580 of the library’s Headspace seats are in use with a patron average of 3.6 uses per week. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Wellness, Safety and Sustainability, Top Innovator

The Cedar Rapids Public Library’s Downtown Ambassador Program grew out of public safety concerns in central gathering places following several violent confrontations. This collaborative community program worked together to find a way to ensure safe, friendly public spaces and create a more positive environment in the central downtown area. The ambassadors, who are currently or formerly homeless, work to encourage good behavior, provide information about local resources, and deescalate arguments.Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Wellness, Safety and Sustainability, Honorable Mention

The Do Space Women Innovators Fellowship challenges fellows to develop new resources to promote the advancement of women in technology entrepreneurship in Omaha and, in the process, address the underrepresentation of women in tech jobs and business leadership. This six-month experience provides fellows with an expert female mentor, $10,000 stipend, and valuable community connections and resources to bring her big idea to life. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Race and Social Equity, Top Innovator

Richland Library’s My Life Experience Mobile Empathy Lab uses virtual reality technology to cultivate empathy in the community. The first-of-its-kind lab helps users “try on” someone’s life to create deeper community connections on challenging issues such as immigration, homelessness, living with impairments, and racism. More than 300 people have participated, and 80% of those surveyed believe they will feel or act differently as a result of the experience. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Race and Social Equity, Honorable Mention

Baltimore County Public Library’s Entrepreneur Engagement Group strengthened the library’s capacity to serve entrepreneurs without hiring any new business development staff. Instead, to build confidence and competence, the library created a staff development curriculum that includes partner-led classes, uses the library’s small business e-resources and provides coaching on the mission of the entrepreneurial services program and staff roles. The library experienced a significant uptick in patrons using business resources and services as a result of the staff effort.More About the Initiative Here: https://www.urbanlibraries.org/innovations/entrepreneur-engagement-group

A weekly informational video featuring the library director and senior leaders ensures that the 850 staff spread across 41 locations of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County know about library priorities and major initiatives and see themselves as vital parts of the library system. The library director’s video series, which averages 200-300 weekly views on the internal blog, provides information about community, board and staff meetings, government relations, program updates, and staff shoutouts.

Greensboro Public Library customers and staff are becoming tech-savvy together through the library’s Tech Navigators program, which offers one-on-one support from staff who are committed to helping patrons explore and integrate technology into their lives. Since the program launched in January 2018, the library has carried out more than 4,000 Tech Navigator appointments, providing individual guidance on email, social media, computer basics and smartphone, and mobile applications. Plus, library staff now feel increasingly confident in using their new skills to provide valuable guidance and support without being technology experts. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Measuring the Library’s Impact, Top Innovator Find out more about the program here: https://www.urbanlibraries.org/innovations/tech-navigators-experts-no-explorers-yes

San Francisco Public partnered with The Financial Justice Project to do a comprehensive study on the impact of fines on library access. Drawing on a literature review, dialogue with library leaders, surveys of patrons and staff and analysis of ILS data, the study concluded that fines restrict access to library resources for those most in need and disproportionately affect low-income and racial minority communities. The report provides a blueprint for libraries nation-wide to view fines through the lens of equity and inclusion. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Measuring the Library’s Impact, Honorable Mention See more about the program here: https://www.urbanlibraries.org/innovations/long-overdue-improving-access-by-eliminating-fine

Palo Alto City Library is encouraging kids and teens to embrace the possibilities of AI and robotics through workshops, toolkits, and robot shows. In addition to exposing more than 500 families to robotic technologies, the library’s program has created great synergy in the community about nascent technologies. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Education – Birth thru Teens, Top Innovator More information about the program here: https://www.urbanlibraries.org/blog/practices-and-thoughts-on-robotics-and-ai-in-libraries 

The library’s joyous family art program celebrated black history, educated children and their families about renowned black artist Kehinde Wiley who painted the Obama portrait, encouraged healthy identity development and addressed community challenges in a positive and optimistic way. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Education – Birth thru Teens, Honorable Mention

Austin Public Library partnered with Austin Community College to bring vocational educational opportunities to one of its most underserved communities by offering ACC’s Welding Class that allows students to receive a Welding Certification. A generator-powered mobile education pod was brought to students, rather than the other way around, making it much easier for community members interested to attend. This program was able to remove some common barriers to obtaining workforce training and to provide individuals with skills that will lead to jobs, an increase in disposable income, and a better life. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Education – Adults, Top Innovator

With the goal of creating a center for lifelong learning and meaningful experiences, Cambridge Public Library developed the Creative Aging Program, an eight-week course for adults aged 55+, centering on the arts. Taught by certified artists and instructors, this program provides participants with opportunities to learn new skills, to make new connections after retirement, and enrich the lives of older adults. Courses include the Art of Storytelling, Poetry Writing, Basics of Drawing, Writing Memoir, and Basics of Dance. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Education – Adults, Honorable Mention

Just when artificial intelligence looked like it was far beyond the reach of most learners, the Frisco Public Library leveraged computing tools to bring AI home. Combining an at-home experiential learning kit with classroom instruction, FPL demonstrates how public libraries can be innovation generators for emerging roles in the job landscape. Not only did they overcome the challenge of budgets, space, and talent, these AI education efforts have led the conversation in the community about the library’s role as a tech navigator and leader. Urban Libraries Council 2019 Innovation Winners • Category: Customer Experience, Top Innovator

Chesterfield County Public Library wanted to create circulatable items that provide a learning experience – not just a checkout to customers. Through partnerships with eight local museums, the Museum Pass Project provides 21 curated messenger bags for check out. Each bag contains a museum family pass and a combination of books, DVDs, unique toys, educational brochures, and maps related to the museum. These kits created access to Chesterfield’s multitude of cultural and historical resources for all residents, whether unaware or financially unable to utilize before while underlining the value of the library as an essential part of their community. The collection launched with all 21 bags checked out within 48 hours. Within the first week, they had 389 holds.

San José Public Library (SJPL) partnered with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) San Jose (SJ) Sharks to promote the value of libraries by co-branding a library card to help increase memberships and build awareness about SJPL services and member benefits. In 2018, SJPL introduced several programs, from fine forgiveness to book replacements, to remove barriers for the community to access library services. In order to boost awareness about these access programs, SJPL developed a marketing strategy that would attract news media, increase community outreach, and develop ongoing partnerships to welcome members back and motivate residents to visit the library. Since the SJ Sharks co-branded library cards released in February, nearly 9,000 have been issued to date. Urban Library Council's Innovation Award Winner 2019 • Category: Communicating the Library’s Value, Top Innovator

Edmonton Public Library (EPL) demonstrates how the library is a significant player in cultivating the vibrancy and diversity of local arts through its local music initiative, Capital City Records. Its first vinyl compilation album, “Riversides,” produced through this project, inspired excitement for music recording studios in EPL’s new downtown library. It also strengthened the city’s music community, showcased local artists, and celebrated the diverse and vibrant talent of Edmonton’s music and arts scene. From the 126 tracks submitted by 71 artists to the jury of experts that selected the tracks and even the album artwork, every element of its production was local. EPL’s “Riversides” has become a piece of Edmonton music history and demonstrates how the public library is a significant player in cultivating the vibrancy and diversity of the local community. Urban Library Council's Innovation Award Winner 2019 • Category: Communicating the Library’s Value, Honorable Mention

Toronto Public Library created a voters’ knowledge base through a website. The website allowed voters to learn about the Toronto City Council candidates running to represent their neighborhood, how candidates thought Toronto should tackle big issues facing the city, and how decisions are made in the city they call home. The site garnered 23,224 distinct users in the month before the election date and was recognized by media and candidates as an authoritative information source, with 72% of candidates submitting responses. Urban Library Council's Innovation Award Winner 2019 • Category: Civic & Community Engagement, Top Innovator Award

The San Diego Public Library partnered with the San Diego Public Defender Youth Council to host a Youth Candidate Forum where young people could ask local political candidates questions on issues that were important to them. The forum offered a civic engagement opportunity to bring forth the voice of youth and allow young people to lead the discussion with local candidates that represent their communities and influence the political platform that directly impacts their generation. The youth-led program engaged over 160 young people to bring their concerns on topics like global warming, homelessness, violence, and equitable access. Urban Library Council's Innovation Award Winner 2019 • Category: Civic & Community Engagement, Honorable Mention