When I was imagining this project, I realized that outreach would be important to make sure we were getting a variety of contributors. I thought I’d visit business organizations like Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce. I’d contact educators from local K-12 schools and colleges. I’d speak to the local art partnerships and gallery owners. I’d take advantage of people with large local networks to help spread the word. I’d also need to prepare all our front-line staff to let me know about any interesting patrons who share their stories at our customer service desks. I need to get them a script or a hand-out so they can help me identify interesting people who would like to create a video or podcast for LibraryYOU.
Since the project is just beginning, I’ve been tentative in my recruiting efforts. I’ve spoken to a few people and they have all been interested in being a part of the project. Some have told me they know other people who would be interested. Today I received a phone call from a local author who was excited about contributing and telling his network about the opportunity.
I am much less afraid that we will suffer from a lack of contributors. I am starting to be concerned that we may have too many. In order to keep track of all the interested parties, I’ve created a spreadsheet to capture names and contact information. My current priorities are creating a Release Form and Guidelines for Inclusion (or a Collection Development Policy). I need to have these things clear in my mind so I may easily answer questions about who can contribute, what they can contribute, who owns the contribution and what they may do with it.
