November 11, 2022 — If you follow the national news about libraries you will often hear about the large library systems across the country – New York, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Across the state line the Kansas City (Missouri) Public Library gets a lot of attention, especially for the beautiful book façade of their downtown library. These libraries serve thousands of people every day and are truly amazing.
Possibly even more interesting are small-town libraries. With low budgets and limited staff, these libraries are just as essential to communities (and maybe even more essential). Their innovation comes out of direct necessity. In many communities in Kansas, the library is the downtown anchor, the storefront that is consistent year after year. It draws people into the downtown area. The librarian is the person you visit one or two days a week. Not just to pick up your requested books but to find out what is going on locally.
Small-town library innovation comes about because libraries are living labs. The staff has people coming in and out all day, they can try new things, ask questions, and experiment to find out what works for their community.
In a world full of information, library staff listen and therefore, know the community best. They are connected via partnerships throughout the region and are pragmatic in problem-solving. They may be well-positioned to create solutions for a specific family or systematically for the wider community.
Over the next couple of weeks, the I Love My Kansas Library blog will feature libraries across Kansas that are embracing innovation. Going deeper than just the outcome, we can begin to understand how the innovation came to be and how library staff are leaders and advocates for their communities and families.