Developing Maker Partnerships in Rural Communities
Jennifer Ensign is the Children’s Programming Coordinator at the Cameron Public Library in Cameron, MO. Outside of the library, she loves learning new ways to create with tools like 3d printers and Cricuts as well as bringing back traditional making skills like restoring quilts, crocheting, and homesteading.
Thinking creatively about your existing community connections can help build the foundation for a vibrant maker community.
When we read about library partnerships, frequently our thoughts drift to museums and universities. These large educational institutions are sought after and relationships with them are certainly nothing to shrug off. But what about the small, isolated communities? For a lot of these, the nearest college is an hour away. Does this mean they lack options to bring community makers to their library? I feel that libraries in these areas have great resources that will bring a variety of talents to their Maker programming, they just need to know where to look.
My library is located in a rural community of about 7,000, positioned at least thirty minutes from the nearest urban area. We are one of those communities where everyone knows everyone else. Relationships matter here - your child’s teacher goes to your church and also owns a local small business that you patronize. There aren’t many options for enrichment or entertainment in our town and honestly the school is the hub of most extracurricular activities. That’s where our library decided to start.
The easiest and most logical starting point to building a relationship with your school is to get to know the school librarians. Ask them how you can help them, not how they can help you. They are busy and the last thing they want is to feel like you are putting more on their plate. Public libraries can provide enrichment activities to the school that they may not have the time or resources to pursue. We’ve sponsored author visits, helped out at book fairs and open houses, acted as guest presenters, and more, because we want the school libraries to know that we are there for them.
As your relationship with the school grows, you may have the opportunity to draw more teachers into your network. When our library added coding programs for kids, we first talked with the computer science teachers. We valued their insight and strove for our programming to complement theirs. We also wanted to make sure the schools knew that we were there to support them, not to take away from them. We approached the art teachers to invite them to display student art in the library. Your local science teacher may be the STEM expert you need for an upcoming event. The drama teacher could have a passion for Reader’s Theater or may see an opportunity for high school drama students to help out or perform for younger kids. But you don’t know if you don’t ask.
Social media groups and the local Chamber of Commerce can also be great resources. Following local community groups can help you find makers in the community. Our small town has an Arts Council, which we’ve joined to provide a venue as well as to find potential presenters. You may have a local blacksmith, a jewelry maker, or even a baker that would be willing to come in as a special presenter.
Don’t discount the value of your marketing. The more events you spotlight on your social media, the more community makers will take note. After our kids coding programming kicked off, we were contacted by a local computer programmer that just wanted to volunteer to help teach. We sent out a call for community members who crochet or knit and several volunteered to help teach teens. Our university extension office contacted us to see if we would help facilitate a garden-to-table series for kids. A local quilter runs a program at our library helping disabled adults learn to sew. These volunteers are out there and would love to share the joy of making with others! You just have to let them know that they are valued and needed!
So don’t be shy, be proud of what you bring to the community and help others feel that pride as well. A small community without organized special interest groups can hide treasures. But as libraries aren’t we experts in helping others find what they are looking for?
Library Makers is a community of learners and leaders for public library maker programs. You can currently find us on Facebook. Would you like to share your knowledge, story, or project idea on this blog? Email info@librarymakers.org for more information.