[This column appeared in the August 28, 2024 edition of the Sopris Sun.]
Did you know that there are more public library buildings in Garfield County (and in the nation) than there are McDonald's, Starbucks, or City Markets?
We hold our own with traffic, too. There are the young ones who come to storytimes, the moms who bring them, the local businessmen and women working from laptops and library wifi, the seniors showing up for meetings and exercises to stay sharp.
But there's something more important than the presence and use of the library.
People trust us. A study by Pew Research found that 40% trust libraries "a lot," and 38% trust us "some"--both of which are about double the rate of local and national media.
Part of that, I'm convinced, is that libraries have typically been established and administered by smart and service-oriented women. They're not in it for glory or money. They're in it because they believe institutions of knowledge make our lives, personal or public, that much better.
In my own life, one librarian, Mrs. Johnson, had an immediate and profound impact on my life. Twice. The first time was when she handed me, at age 10, the Dialogs of Plato. (Who would do that but a librarian?) The second time was when I returned dejected from my first semester at college. "Have you considered a career in librarianship?" she asked me. And my spirit lifted. I had found my calling.
But aside from that personal trust in librarians, I think there are three characteristics of trustworthy institutions.
Purpose. What is the mission of the institution, and does the institution fully embrace it? For the public library, the mission is pretty clear: this is where you go to explore the world. At the Garfield County Public Library District (GCPLD), our mission is "To connect our communities to a world of possibilities." That fundamental belief in potential, the ability of anyone to follow their curiosity by sampling the literature, art, music, ideas and stories of the world, is our defining characteristic. You don't know about something? You can find out!
For some people, a room full of resources is all they need to lift themselves up by their bootstraps. For others, it's handy to have knowledgeable people around to help. For still others, the gathering is the point, a way to get outside the confines of your own skull and learn together with others.
Another test of trustworthiness is whether or not an institution sticks to its purpose when challenged. Any organization will face political or financial pressures. But we admire the ones that stick to their values.
Planning. The next characteristic is the concerted effort to anticipate and prepare for the future. Libraries have long been early adopters of technology, from the typewriter (you laugh, but it was a big deal) to the 3D printer and AI. It wasn't that long ago that most of our resources were books, followed by LPs and spools of microfilm. Today, the majority of our resources are digital, although books remain the preferred package for many.
Planning is about more than technology. It's also about people. As detailed on our website (see https://gcpld.org/about-us/) GCPLD recently interviewed almost a hundred community leaders. We were trying to uncover a Garfield County agenda. What were the issues that our leaders heard our residents talking about? What were their aspirations for the community?
Then we spent a lot of time as a staff and board talking about how the library can respond to those needs and hopes. For instance, the number one issue in Garfield County was the lack of affordable housing. The library doesn't build homes. But we can host programs (as in our February 22 housing summit at the Ute Theater), buy books, and help bring awareness to local efforts to address the problem.
All told, we have developed a five part plan to demonstrate the library's value in moving our community toward the future it wants.
Performance. The last characteristic of institutional trustworthiness is the ability to pull it off. This has at least two dimensions. The first is personal. To succeed, libraries must be welcoming. I sometimes think that libraries are among the last places in America where you can pretty well count on someone smiling at you when you walk in the door. You don't have to hand them a credit card first.
The second dimension is assessment of performance against objective metrics. How many people know about and take advantage of our services? What's the door count? How many children's materials made it out the door and into someone's home? If we said we were going to team up with Garfield County's Public Health department to host programs on mental health, did we in fact do that? (We did and do!)
I believe that today's public library, which offers a window to the world, which opens its door to anyone, is both a thriving community hub, and a sanctuary for those of us who need it. Do you want to find your story? You can trust us to help.
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