Five Mistakes You Might Be Making with Your Library Partnerships
“Forming strong and effective library partnerships can take time and patience. Learn from previous mistakes and keep trying.”
“Although Jackie Mills has a wealth of experience, she didn’t learn these skills overnight; she’s made mistakes and learned from them. We asked Mills to share the most common mistakes people make when beginning community partnerships.
Mistake #1: Assuming that everyone knows library programs are free
Mistake #2: Thinking translation is enough
Mistake #3: Going right in with a big ask
Mistake #4: Neglecting community influencers
Mistake #5: Putting your energy in the wrong places
“Be strategic about where to put your energy in partnerships because one partnership will ultimately lead to others,” says Mills. “It’s important to note that this strategy can be hit and miss. Sometimes you’ll never hear back, and that’s OK!”
Whether a partnership succeeds or not often hinges on whether your meeting is with the right person or your email lands in the right inbox. Finding this key person will help you make other connections. For Mills, that was Cristo Cervantes at the local church.
“Always be ready to strike up conversations with folks in the community about your library,” Mills says. “You never know who you’ll meet who could end up being a partner.””
The STAR Net STEAM Equity Project is offered by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL/SSI), the American Library Association (ALA), Twin Cities PBS (TPT), Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Education Development Center (EDC). It is generously funded through the National Science Foundation. This project builds on the STAR Library Network, or STAR Net (where “STAR” stands for Science-Technology Activities and Resources).
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