Should Libraries Have Non-Traditional Programming?

Do libraries risk getting “off message” when we focus on non-traditional services and community collaboration. Is there a line to walk and if so how do you think an innovative organization walks that line?

Libraries can’t do everything. I know librarians wish that libraries could do everything, but there just isn’t enough money or manpower. And really, when it comes down to it, libraries don’t have to do everything. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave the coffee-making to baristas in a café, or karaoke night to the local watering hole. The question is, how does one choose which programs to implement and which to skip?

I think it all comes down to creating a detailed mission statement for your library. Once you have this in place, it will be easy to decide if a program idea furthers the library’s mission or not. If it doesn’t, how can the idea be modified to do so?

This mirrors exactly what Nina Simon reiterates in both the book The Participatory Museum and her follow-up blog post. She writes on the blog, “I still feel strongly that there is no universal reason to encourage visitor participation.” She emphasizes that you need to have a reason to implement collaborative and participatory projects.

I think if one of a library’s explicit missions is to foster dialogue or connections among patrons, then certainly non-traditional services will be a great way to do this. But if it is not, then a participatory program must be designed such that it meets the stated goals of the library. Hopefully, it will be able to do so in a stronger and more lasting way than a traditional program. For example, if fostering childhood literacy is one of a library’s missions, then using a “flipped learning” approach or even a participatory bulletin board that invites kids to write about their favorite book would both work toward that mission very well, perhaps better than a librarian standing up in front of a group of children talking about books would. Or maybe it wouldn’t. Programs need to be evaluated, and if it turns out that it is not furthering the mission, it shouldn’t be done anymore.

I think an innovative organization can always find ways to design good programs that meet the organization’s goals. With a wider arsenal of tools to choose from, including all the ways programs can be collaborative and participatory, there is an even greater chance that these goals will be met with better results and efficient use of resources. As always, there is no disadvantage to having more knowledge at your disposal. If something doesn’t work for your library, you don’t have to do it.

Simon, N. (March 4, 2015). The Participatory Museum, Five Years Later. Retrieved from http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-participatory-museum-five-years.html