{"id":3047,"date":"2019-05-29T14:36:38","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T14:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/?p=3047"},"modified":"2021-04-27T18:40:55","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:40:55","slug":"planning-to-be-community-catalysts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/planning-to-be-community-catalysts\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning to be community catalysts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"nextbanner_libraryfutures\"Like many institutions, my university kicked off a 2030 \u201cvisioning process\u201d last year and I was asked to present on how the library fits in. Activities like that are often interesting, sometimes fun, and always a bit daunting. Knowing that any one person\u2019s vision for the future is going to be limited, my first thought was, \u201cI need to start talking to some colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

The timing for that need was remarkable, because the 2018 OCLC Americas Regional Council (ARC) conference was just around the corner. I was able to attend sessions in Chicago with a \u201cvisioning mindset\u201d and use the conference to discuss ideas with great colleagues, and even chat with OCLC researchers about related work.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of the great benefits of our OCLC community\u2014the opportunity to connect with fellow leaders and share the knowledge and insights that help us better prepare for our libraries\u2019 best future.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s exactly the theme for this year\u2019s Library Futures<\/a> regional council meetings.<\/p>\n

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Focus on the future through the lens of community<\/h2>\n

I\u2019m really excited about this year\u2019s theme of \u201cCommunity Catalysts.\u201d Libraries are often involved with individuals and groups at a point where they\u2019re looking to make change happen. Again and again, we hear about libraries stepping in to help assess and address important challenges facing the communities they serve. In academic libraries, that often takes the form of working with administrators and faculty to improve student outcomes in new and surprising ways. And we\u2019ve seen public libraries address challenges as diverse as the opioid crisis, affordable housing, preschool readiness, and job training.<\/p>\nPlan to be a community catalyst. #OCLCnext <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

This is a powerful way to leverage our strengths. At our OCLC Library Futures conferences\u2014three of them, to be held in Phoenix, Singapore, and Vienna\u2014we\u2019ll explore the ways that \u201ccommunity\u201d continues to be the answer to so many of our most pressing challenges. And we\u2019ll examine how a catalyst mindset can be a great way to plan for the future.<\/p>\n

Chart a path that invites participation<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s so much to learn from each other and so many great examples of community building, both within the library environment and in other professions. This year, we\u2019ve identified four areas that we\u2019ll focus on that apply the \u201ccommunity catalyst\u201d lens to the work we all do. At the conference, we\u2019ll discuss how to:<\/p>\n