rt For All: Planning Process

Librarians at the Othello Public Librarian became interested in the idea of doing arts programming at the library because of the concerns we had heard voiced by community members about declines in funding for art education in the schools, and the more general loss of funding for the arts. We heard these concerns voiced by teachers, school administrators, school board members, parents, and local artists. We believed that these concerns were widespread, but wanted to test that notion through open meetings with members of the community. We solicited opinions and ideas about doing arts programming at the library, and whether this should be a priority, from both the general community and stakeholders in the community that we identified. Response to the idea of arts programs at the library was very positive, though there were some naysayers, and we decided to continue with the planning process.

We developed a planning committee, made up of members of the library staff and each of the stakeholder groupd the staff had identified in the community. The Art For All Task Force, included representatives from the school, parent, art, library, and business community. The purpose of this joint planning committee was to develop partnerships that would be useful for program implementation and to draw on the superior knowledge and expertise of teachers and artists in the community in developing the programs. Library staff and community stakeholders decided that the Art For All Task Force would be responsible for developing and implementing the Art For All programs. It was agreed that there would always be at lesat one library staff member on the task force, and that all programs and program budgets developed by the task force would be subject to approval by the library staff and library board.

Month One: Early Planning Stages

• Design planning process. Decide who will be involved in the planning process and what their roles will be.
• Identify stakeholders. (For example: schools, school board, teachers, parents, artists, librarians, library board, chamber of commerce, local businesses.)
• Make initial contacts with members of stakeholder groups. Discuss the feasability of meeting some part of the gap left by declining funds for arts education through library arts programs. Seek informal input from stakeholder groups.

Month Two: Solicit Community Input

• Research succesful arts programs in libraries.
• Formal meetings (1-2) with community members and stakeholders to solicit input about library priorities and whether pursuing arts education and appreciation programming in partnership with local schools and artists should be a priority. Solicit ideas for potential new arts programming at the library.
• IF, as we suspect, there is widespread support for arts related programming from the schools, parents, local artists, and the business community,
  THEN select members from each stakeholder group, including the library, for a Planning Committee.
• Short presentation to library staff and board about community input and ideas, and planning process for new programs.

Month Three: Planning In Earnest

• Planning Committee continues to develop program ideas and seek information about costs.
• Planning Committe works on developing partnerships among stakeholder groups in the community to bring all interested parties together to make these programs a reality.
• Planning Committee discusses potential funding sources. (For example: grants, corporate sponsors, donations from local businesses and organizations, donations of materials and/or skills.)
• Planning Committee members seek information about grant money that might be used to cover program costs.
• Planning Committee presents results of their work to staff and board for comment and to seek approval of programs recommended by the committee.

Month Four & Five: Fundraising

• Planning Committee will continue to develop plans for those programs approved by the board. This includes building partnerships and seeking volunteers willing to donate their time to arts programs, workshops, and exhibits.
• Members of the Planning Committee will prepare and submit grant applications.
• Fundraising - Planning Committee members and volunteers will seek donations of materials and sponsorship of programs from local businesses and organizations.
• Planning Committee will keep staff and library board up-to-date on their progress toward fundraising goals and program implementation.

Month Six: City Council

• The library and the Planning Committee will develop and present a request to City Council to fund a half-time volunteer co-ordinator and to make up any gaps in program needs not filled by fundraising.

Month Seven: Hire Volunteer Co-ordinator and GO, GO, GO!

• Seek applications for and hire volunteer co-ordinator. The volunteer co-ordinator will manage arts programming at the library and co-ordinate staff and volunteer activities related to those programs.
• Seek volunteers for the arts programs, based on the contacts made by the Planning Committee.
• Start program implementation, based on plans developed by the Planning Committee and library staff.

Send Questions or Comments to: Othello Public Library