YOUR LIBRARY AND YOUR
COMMUNITY’S CULTURAL
IDENTITY
Marjatta Asu
Service Team Lead – Skills
Development
OLS-NORTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012
The role of public libraries
UNESCO and IFLA Public Library Manifesto:
“The public library, the local gateway to knowledge,
provides a basic condition for lifelong learning,
independent decision-making and cultural
development of the individual and social groups.”
 Belief in the public library as a living force for
education, culture and information, and
 An essential agent for the fostering of peace and
spiritual welfare through the minds of men and
women
1 UNESCO, UNCESO/IFLA Library Manifestos,
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/libraries/manifestos.html
What is culture?
The 3 V’s of Culture
Meaning
Channel
Values
Identity, customs, memories,
stories, standards, beliefs
Celebrations, festivals,
museums, libraries, art and
heritage collections
Vibe
Buzz, the culture that pours
out into the street
Shops, stores, restaurants,
cafes, clubs, pubs,
architecture, public spaces
(e.g., parks)
Expression of artistic
excellence and
appreciation of artistic
merit
Music, drama, dance, visual
arts, craft, sculpture, design,
movies, books, poems, stories
and new media
Virtuosity
City of Mississauga’s cultural plan, 2009
What are libraries doing? Language



Northern Ontario
 English, French, Ojibway, Cree, OjiCree
Toronto Public Library
 Online language learning products
 Newcomer workshops
 ESL classes and reading circles
 Canadian Cultural Café
Nipissing First Nation Public Library
 Partners with community’s Language Committee
 Nbisiing Anishnaabemwin Language Camp
 Nbisiing Traditional Knowledge Revitalization Project: A
Cultural Plan for Nipissing First Nation
What are libraries doing? Arts
Powassan and District Union Public
Library
Powassan Art Group
 Enever Room



Meet, paint and learn
Community workshops
Downstairs Gallery
Toronto Public Library
Museum + Art Pass (MAP)
 Sun Life Financial
partnership
 Free passes to arts
and cultural institutions
What are libraries doing? Heritage
Schreiber Public Library
 Heritage mural (125th)
 Community quilt
 Cemetery tour brochure
 Schreiber heritage brochure
 Along the Track

Multi-library heritage project
Municipal Cultural Planning (MCP)




“The strategic and integrated planning and use of
cultural resources for economic and community
development.”
Community assets and their benefits
Municipalities and First Nation communities began
integrating cultural planning (2003)
The library’s place at the table
Municipal Cultural Planning http://www.ontariomcp.ca/
Municipal cultural mapping
Two types of cultural mapping
1.
Asset mapping

Identifies and records tangible cultural resources often
using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Community identity mapping
2.


Explores intangible cultural resources
Stories, traditions, ‘sense of place’
Municipal cultural mapping (examples)
Libraries & archives
Radio and TV
Theatre
Publishing
Graphic designers
County fairs
Film festivals
Multicultural festivals
Public art tours
Creative
cultural
industries
Festivals
& events
Archaeological sites
Aboriginal heritage sites
Historic sites
Heritage districts
Natural
heritage
Cultural
assets
(resources)
Cultural
heritage
Parks
Farms & orchards
Conservation authorities
Natural history site
Spaces
&
facilities
Community
cultural
resources
Digital & media studios
Libraries & archives
Theaters
Performing arts
Community arts
Historical societies
Multicultural
Aboriginal
http://mappingauthenticity.com/work/resources/concepts/cultural-mapping/
Cultural map and directory
Perth County, http://www.perthartsconnect.ca/pdfs/PAC_Directory_DF.pdf
Cultural map and directory
Cultural Mapping, http://wawaculture.com/cultural-mapping/
Cultural resource inventory



A crucial step in the
municipal cultural
planning process
A list of the community’s
cultural resources
 Includes organizations,
people, buildings, land,
etc.
Don’t have one? Good
role for the library?
Supports a range of
activities:
 Policy development and
planning for community
 Identify internal
infrastructure (arts,
culture, heritage and
other aspects of the life
of the community)
 Resource allocation (e.g.,
funding to institutions,
organizations and
individuals)
 Marketing and promotion
Cultural resource inventory

London, Cultural Resource Mapping and Asset
Inventory: the framework
http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Cultural_Prosperity/culturemapping.htm
Innovative cultural resources map
http://www.cultureonthemap.ca/mapcms/com/index.html
Planning cycle
1. Planning
to plan
7. Evaluate
outcomes/
results
2. Establish
goals
3. External
scan
(community)
6. Establish
strategies
Work with Cultural
Planning Committee
5. Establish
library
priorities
4. Internal
scan (library)
Cultural planning process
City of Nanaimo’s New Cultural Plan
http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/departments/parks-recreation-culture/Culture.html
Environmental scan
External scan (community)



Cultural level of interest
Hidden cultural resources
Cultural needs not currently
met
Internal scan (library)


Library’s cultural strengths
and weaknesses
What is library doing or
what could it be doing to
meet community’s cultural
needs?
Toolkit: 1. Sample survey 2. Library scan checklist
External: Community cultural survey
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who are the cultural leaders in your community?
Name 5 cultural organizations in your community
Can you name some cultural events that have
taken place in your community in the past 5 years?
Is your library a cultural organization?
Internal: Library scan checklist








Public arts displays
Arts meeting space
Access to local history
Cultural programs
Language resources
Hosting language classes
Writing workshops
Municipal cultural planning
and mapping






Partnership with museums
and galleries
Partner with local history/
genealogical groups
Community festivals and
events
Access to genealogical
resources
Local authors and poets
Cultural resources inventory
Partnership development strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Research the organization
Identify what the library has to offer
Clarify what it is the library needs and expects
from a partner
Establish a working relationship
Identify type of partnership
Build the relationship
Don’t get discouraged
Partnership Tool Kit: Assisting Northern Ontario’s Public Libraries
in Initiating Community Partnerships. OLS-North, 2007
Creative Communities Prosperity Fund (CCPF)

Objective of funding
1.
2.
3.

Assist municipalities
and First Nation
communities develop
cultural resources and
integrate cultural
planning
Support the creation
of tools and initiatives
Encourage partnerships
and models
Northern examples
 Atikokan
 Dryden
 Nipissing First Nation
 Wawa
New program 2013
http://www.grants.gov.on.ca/GrantsPortal/en/OntarioGrants/
GrantOpportunities/OSAPQA005128
Tips for successful cultural planning
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Focus on assets not needs
Mobilize and empower community leaders and
champions
Make sure everyone is on the same page
Engage all sectors of the community
Be inclusive
Resources


Your Library and Your Community’s Cultural Identity:
Community Development Toolkit #3, OLS-North 2011
Mississauga Culture on the Map
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/discover/culturalmapping

Municipal Cultural Planning
http://www.ontariomcp.ca/

Creative Communities Prosperity Fund
http://www.grants.gov.on.ca/GrantsPortal/en/OntarioGrants
/GrantOpportunities/OSAPQA005128
What is your library doing?
Capacity Building Team
Ontario Library Service – North
marketing@olsn.ca
1-800-461-6348 ext. 507