Libraries Without Borders

TO EXPAND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND CRITICAL RESOURCES TO BUILD STRONGER, MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES.

LIBRARY OUTREACH - THE CONNECTICUT STATE LIBRARY AND LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS US LAUNCHED A TWELVE-MONTH PILOT PROGRAM TO ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF CONNECTICUT LIBRARIES. THE PILOT INCLUDED A COHORT OF SIX LIBRARIES REPRESENTING URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. THE OVERARCHING GOAL WAS TO GROW EACH LIBRARY'S REACH AND SUSTAINABLY CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ITS RESOURCES AND SERVICES. FOR EACH OF THE SIX LIBRARIES, WE COLLABORATIVELY CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW TO IDENTIFY LIBRARY ASSETS AND OFFERINGS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY ASSETS, NEEDS, AND BARRIERS. FROM THERE, WE CO-DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED RELEVANT OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO GROW THE REACH OF EACH LIBRARY. FINALLY, WE PROVIDED SUSTAINABILITY TOOLS AND TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT EACH LIBRARY WAS POISED TO CONTINUE TO GROW THEIR REACH. THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE INSITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT, ADMINISTERED BY THE CONNECTICUT STATE LIBRARY.

GENERAL PROGRAM - IN 2023, LWB LAUNCHED A NEW NATIONAL STRATEGY TO PARTNER WITH LIBRARY SYSTEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND, ULTIMATELY, EXPAND THEIR REACH. THROUGHOUT 2023, LWB WORKED TO DEVELOP THE CORE COMPONENTS OF THIS MODEL TO BE USED IN FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS.

LOIZA VIVE! - LOIZA, PUERTO RICO IS THE CENTER OF AFRO-PUERTO RICAN LIFE AND ONE OF THE POOREST COMMUNITIES ON THE ISLAND. WITH LOW LEVELS OF DIGITAL LITERACY AMONGST RESIDENTS AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE COMMUNITY RESULTING FROM GENTRIFICATION, HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF AFRO-PUERTO RICAN HERITAGE ARE AT RISK OF BEING LOST. THEREFORE, LWB IS PARTNERING WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS, ACADEMIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO CREATE A NETWORK OF SIX, DIGITAL ARCHIVES ACROSS LOIZA. LWB IS WORKING WITH RESIDENTS TO TEACH DIGITAL AND CULTURAL ARCHIVING SKILLS AS WELL AS ORAL AND VIDEO STORYTELLING. LWB IS ALSO FACILITATING A SERIES OF TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO EQUIP COMMUNITY LEADERS WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO EFFECTIVELY RECOGNIZE, DOCUMENT, AND RECORD THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE. THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MELLON FOUNDATION.

BALTIMORE CROWN - LWB EXPANDED ITS WORK WITHIN BALTIMORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BLACK MENTAL HEALTH ALLIANCE TO CREATE THE BALTIMORE CROWN PROJECT, WHICH WILL INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE ACCESS WITHIN TRUSTED COMMUNITY SPACES - SPECIFICALLY, LOCAL BARBERSHOPS AND SALONS ACROSS BALTIMORE CITY. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE TRAINING FOR SHOP AND SALON STAFF IN SUPPORTING CLIENTS AND DIRECTING THEM TO RELEVANT COMMUNITY RESOURCES.