COMMUNITY
CONVERSATIONS
Delilah Deane Cummings
London Public Library
Libro Library
Road Show
•
May – October
•
Since 2008
•
Connected with
over 5000
people in 2011
20 years… 142,000 books
What would you do?
Lawrence is working the evening shift and notices a man
looking at the clock. It is winter and the man has no coat.
Lawrence finds something to do in the area and casually
mentions to the man that we are closing in 20 minutes.
The patron indicates he knows and that it’s going to be a
cold walk to the shelter as his coat was stolen that
afternoon. Lawrence doesn’t have another coat to lend to
the patron (his first instinct) and then offers to drive the
patron to the shelter.
Project Background
 London Public Library’s Strategic Plan…Imagine! 2005 –
2008: “establish social inclusion as a policy priority
within London Public Library”
 Funding, Strategic Development through Ministry of Culture
 Project Team: Serving Socially Vulnerable Populations
 Socially vulnerable populations: defined as those peoples
or groups who are socially isolated or excluded from
society
WHY DO YOU USE/NOT
USE THE LIBRARY?
Focus Groups & Interviews
BARRIERS AND
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
We’re listening…
What would you do?
Lorraine is working on the desk and is asked by a person
who is not very well dressed if he can borrow an envelope.
She gives him one and is informed by other staff that we
don’t give out supplies, since if we give it to one, we have
to give it to all.
What Barriers Exist for Vulnerable
Populations?
 Inability to Pay Fines
 Read Away Your Fines
 Hold amnesty days/weeks
 Individual repayment plans based on an individual’s situation
 Have fines geared to income – no income, no fines
 Allow individuals to volunteer at the Library so that they can “work”
off their fines
Permanent Address and/or ID
Requirement
 Do not require I.D. or give people an alternative to
providing an I.D.
 Give each person a code or PIN instead of a card
 Getting ID ripped off: allow individuals to keep their cards
at Library
Attitudes and Behaviour of Library
Staff
 Have a few staff whose primary role is to serve vulnerable
populations
 Have a social worker become part of the staff complement
in order to provide accurate and enhanced referral
 Get the right staff in the right places
What would you do?
Jeannie often waits at the street entrance outside the
Library for a ride after work. While waiting, she was asked
by a passerby for a handout. She gave the man a loonie
and he moved on. The next day, the man came into the
Library and settled into a chair in her area. Jeannie was
reluctant to go over to that area as she might be solicited
again for money (even though the patron didn’t seem to be
asking anyone for anything while in the Library).
London Reads
"I find these [book] talks
invaluable, in that they
offer us the opportunity
to understand "life" in a
different way than we
might otherwise have
done."
Service Area Mapping
My Sisters’
Place
From “Who is
in my house?”
to
“this is
Heather, she’s
part of my
group”
Author Visit
“If you want to get more
people’s ideas for the
conference, you should
ask the libraries in
different cities.
Everyone can go to the
library and everyone
does.”
www.alloursisters.ca
All Our Sisters National
Conference
All Our Sisters National Network
Sharing Stories
HAVE IDEAS OR
QUESTIONS?
delilah.cummings@lpl.london.on.ca
519 661 5100 x 7422