Turning Outward: Museums and Libraries as Sites for Community Innovation and Revitalization

Editor's Notes

• #56: Quick mention of NAAM programming and how the museum is used
• #57: Equipment grant overview
• #60: Let me take you back to a little over two years ago and remind you to what was happening nationally and locally in Oakland: On August 9 2014, there was a young 18-year old African American male by the name of Michael Brown, who was fatally shot in Ferguson, Missouri by a white police officer. The shooting of an unarmed young black man sparked existing tensions in the majority-black city, and protests and civil unrest erupted. The events received considerable attention in the U.S. and elsewhere, attracted protesters from outside the region, and generated a vigorous debate about the relationship between law enforcement and African Americans
• #61: Again on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2014, nationwide and in Oakland, marchers and protesters were out in force to remind our city that Black Lives Matter and that Michael Brown and the Ferguson incident would not be forgotten. That night, interstate 880 was closed.
• #62: Of much concern to all of us, those of us who are parents, students, community organizers, concerned neighbors, elected officials, let’s face it, anyone who lives and works in Oakland should be concerned about issues of racial profiling, police abuse, mass incarceration and finding solutions for the violence permeating so many of our children’s lives. The City Council held a special Saturday meeting on January 24, 2015. The Library had already produced a special Listen, Learn, Participate: #BlackLivesMatter Event Series that included subject matter on social uprisings against injustice, institutional racism, police conduct and the justice system with the library holding workshops, events, and listing on the library’s website books, lists, websites, articles, research and reports, videos and multi media, And also asking: How does the Library fit into all of this? How does the Library help with understanding all of this? Why does this keep happening? How did it get this way? What does it say about our country? Our city?
• #63: That’s why as part of the Listen, Learn, Participate: #BlackLivesMatter Event Series we also kicked offed a series of dialogue with our community, starting with an Al Jazeera America Film Ferguson: Race and Justice in the US where Fault Lines travels back to Ferguson to investigate why the relationship between the police and local black communities is broken—and if those sworn to protect operate with impunity. We partnered with a local facilitation firm to assist with the conversation, in a primarily African-American community, and its reaction to the film.
• #64: We continued with the series with Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration. From 1915 to 1970, thousands of black Americans undertook a pilgrimage of hope and determination that led them from cotton fields, rice and tobacco plantations, from villages and towns in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to a new world in the north. They followed the trails and tracks of the Underground Railroad laid down by generations of escaped slaves and abolitionists before them, settling primarily in Chicago, Milwaukee, Gary, IN, New York, Newark and Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Oakland.
• #65: There was a wonderful event at the Oakland African American a Museum - a celebration of Octavia Butler's short stories. If you haven't read Butler- do!An amazing writer weaving social justice issues through her work. Realistic science fiction that shows the world the injustices faced by people of color.Octavia's Brood is a collection of short stories by all types of people all invited to contribute.And if you haven't been introduced to Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha you need to be.
• #66: I’ve never met Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, and I’m looking forward to meeting her. Eberhardt has been heavily involved with the Oakland Police Department—to the point that she's almost embedded, says Assistant Police Chief Paul Figueroa. She attends staff meetings, gives feedback, tracks data and provides training. Her work raising awareness at the department about implicit bias has contributed to changes that include a new policy for foot pursuits. Rather than follow a suspect into a backyard, Figueroa says, officers are now supposed to wait for backup, reducing the chances of a high-adrenaline confrontation in which biases can surface unchecked. "If we slow down and take our time and go in very slowly and methodically, we put everyone in a safer position," he says. Figueroa is eager for the results of one of Eberhardt's most ambitious projects. She and her colleagues are analyzing footage of thousands of encounters recorded with officers' body cameras in an attempt to parse the behaviors that lead to positive outcomes from those that spiral into problems. Such scrutiny can be uncomfortable, Figueroa says, but it's worth the investment in the future.
• #67: Let me start by telling you briefly about Oakland Public Library. We are the second oldest public library founded in California, November 7, 1878. Oakland has the benefit of having 18 locations throughout the City including the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and the Tool Lending Library, all within 54 square miles. Within the Bay area, the only other city that has a better ratio of walking community libraries is San Francisco. You will usually not have to walk more than 2.5 miles to find a library in Oakland.
• #68: That said, and despite the excellent work we did and continue as part of the Black Lives Matter series, the question for us at the beginning of 2014 was how do we best serve the needs of our community Inside, Outside and Online. You see, OPL has been around for almost 140 years and we believe we do a pretty good job of serving our patrons inside – we’ve been doing it a long time. Additionally, we’ve been putting more resources into our online and web presence so that you can use it 24/7 – like another branch; another service. And we’ll continue to improve that. It’s the Outside part that we struggle with…. And we held a Strategic Directions Workshop on April 4, 2014 with more than 70 Community leaders to help us envision and plan for the future.
• #69: As it says, the Final Activity helped develop strategic directions or themes for OPL
• #70: Out of that work, Staff developed a Framework to help us prioritize our programs, services and systems that keeps our Community at the center. A “PEOPLE OVER THINGS” approach.
• #71: THIRD SPACE OPL as a 2nd Home a learning commons Offer experience rather than transaction Invest in relationships Foster conversation Policies and practices that reduce barriers Equity and Respect INVESTING IN STAFF OPL Employees are talented, creative and dedicated Leverage staff strengths Foster a culture of participation, creativity, experimentation Mistakes are OK Value and prioritize diversity Create opportunities for collaboration & mentorishoip Ensure support, training, expectations ENGAGING BEYONG WALLS We are dedicated to community partnerships We are visible to our community and available Library as active and valued We will be where our community is (Nerd Night) Seek new audiences
• #72: Patrons have more positive experiences in all areas Every Staff member feels connected to OPL’s mission and to their colleagues OPL staff are seen as visible and vital participants in the community by participating in key coalitions, discussions and events.
• #73: Third Space Decluttering Project is a signage and shelf project Toy Lending for early childhood literacy and development Library Staff Library Aide Boot Camps Design Thinking Engaging Beyond Walls Children & Teen off site activities (Juvenile Hall services Write to Read) Books and Brew
• #74: Where is OPL Headed? The Library received $500K from City Council for FY 2016-17 to provide additional hours of service city-wide. That doesn’t go far. What are we looking at? Taco Truck Concept for our Next Mobile Library. OPL as a Third Space; A Second Home
• #75: National Night Out at 81st Avenue Library
• #76: Our Bike Mobile All Over the Place. This has been such a positive service out in the community. One of the ways of getting OPL Outside….
• #77: Bike Clinics at different libraries.
• #79: There was a wonderful event at the Oakland African American a Museum - a celebration of Octavia Butler's short stories. If you haven't read Butler- do!An amazing writer weaving social justice issues through her work. Realistic science fiction that shows the world the injustices faced by people of color.Adrienne Maree Brown
• #80: Don’t forget your elected officials: Two of Our City Council Members: Our City Council President on the Left; and Our Greatest Supporter who helped close a $3.5M gap in this last two year budget on the Right!!
• #81: And we’ll continue to do what we do best: Meet the varying needs of our community. Thank you.