Blog post author Nina Coffin is a librarian in the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Social Science & History Department at Parkway Central Library and a participant in Cohort 6 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings.
Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” One way to get a different perspective on things is by using a SOAR Analysis.
Like many libraries across the nation, the Free Library of Philadelphia is undergoing a paradigm shift toward the community.
Communication is complex. The way people communicate and the beliefs we have are deeply layered; our life experiences impact how we connect and communicate with others.
People with whom we’re communicating also have a lived experience that they’re bringing to our interactions. They also have lenses through which they see the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought out some of the very best in libraries.
The Free Library of Philadelphia received a 2017 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to implement the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries Initiative. The project’s goal is to create a practical curriculum to build community engagement capacity in 300 staff members at all levels.
