Engaging the Community & Decision Makers
Click here to download a printable version of the beta benchmarks, which are currently being revised. Benchmark Framework V1.0 will be released in spring 2013.
Engaging the Community & Decision Makers - Encourage libraries to raise awareness of and build a positive perception of the library as a valuable community resource so that communities experience an innovative, agile, and inspirational organization and service.
Benchmark 7: Libraries have leaders and staff who actively engage in high-level community planning and digital inclusion efforts to amplify their value in the community
7.1 The library has leaders (and staff) who maintain on-going relationships with community leaders by doing some/all of the following:
• Has at least one library representative who sits on a key community board (e.g., community planning)
• Has at least one leader from a community-based organization serving on a library committee or governing board
• Has at least one board member with an IT management background
• Arranges to meet at least annually with a key community IT decision-maker
• Has at least one library representative who sits on a local technology advisory committee
• Makes at least one presentation annually about library technology to a community group (e.g., Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce)
• Includes representatives of disability support organizations in library planning activities
• Assesses needs for information and technology resources in languages other than English
• Attends regular meetings of local funding bodies
7.2 The library gathers feedback from the community about its public technology needs by doing any of the following:
• Sponsoring a telephone, mail, or door-to-door communitywide needs assessment survey that includes questions about library technology
• Including library technology needs assessment related questions on a local government survey
• Convening a community-representative focus group on library technology needs
• Holding an advertised community forum on library technology needs
Benchmark 8: Libraries build strategic relationships with community partners to maximize public access technology resources and services provided to the community
8.1 The library develops and maintains partnerships that amplify the library’s reach, avoid duplication of efforts, aid the library in planning or advocacy, or are otherwise mutually beneficial by doing some/all of the following:
• Engages in at least one resource sharing partnership with local economic development offices, employers, business organizations, and/or local vocational providers
• Engages in at least one resource sharing partnership with K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, supporters of independent learning and online education, and/or child and youth support agencies
• Engages in at least one resource sharing partnership with local government and quasi-governmental agencies, and/or social services organizations
• Engages in at least one resource sharing partnership with local, state, and federal government agencies and/or community-based organizations focused on health and wellness
• Collaborated on a grant with a community organization
• Reviewed and assessed the effectiveness of partnership in the past two years
• Has an emergency response plan produced in cooperation with local government agencies and community-based organizations
8.2 The library engages in technology outreach activities by doing some/all of the following:
• Maintains mobile training equipment for librarysponsored technology training in partner facilities
• Loans devices or space to community organizations for technology-related training classes
• Maintains a roster of community organizations to distribute materials about library services
• Maintains a roster of community service organizations to easily refer community members in case additional
services are needed
Benchmark 9: Libraries support continuous improvement in public access technology services by sharing expertise & best practices with other providers locally, regionally, and nationally
9.1 The library participates in a community of practice and shares public access technology knowledge, resources, and other tools by doing some/all of the following:
• Shares its training resources and curricula with other libraries or community-based organizations
• Shares its network management policies and practices with other libraries
• Uses existing resources for improving public technology management and services (e.g., TechSoup, WebJunction, Benchmarks Portal)
• Presented at formal professional gatherings (conferences, webinars) in the past year
