If you ever get the chance to travel to South Africa, instead of a “hello”, you may instead be greeted with the Zulu phrase Sawubona (see:ya:wu:bow:nah), “we see you”. Instead of a passive hello, this Zulu greeting is an intentional acknowledgment and active witnessing of the presence of other and their place in their community. IMLS hopes to inspire and support more of the library field, civic institutions, the philanthropic community, community and local non-profits and to affirm to our communities, Sawubona!
IMLS is gathering input from the library, museum, and community revitalization fields to develop frameworks, tools, and resources to support staff skill-building needed to help transform the connections libraries have with their communities. The Community Catalyst Initiative intends to support libraries as they develop a deeper understanding of how they can partner with their communities to bring about positive change around a shared vision or goal. During this session, BCALA members will delve into the recent findings shared in IMLS’s recent publication “Strengthening Networks, Sparking Change: Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts” and explore how their institutions can best leverage federal investments and their own local assets to best support their communities. As IMLS move forward with the Community Catalyst Initiative and other legacy funding priorities like the National Leadership Grant for Libraries, it hopes to explore the role of libraries in community development and for participants at BCALA to share their thoughts on how IMLS and the field can be enablers of community vitality and co-creators of positive community change.
