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Rural Public Libraries and Community Economic Development Norman Waizer and John J. Gruidl Many small rural communities are undergoing a significant transition, changing from market centers to bedroom communities for neighboring employment centers. These towns often count on being quiet, attractive places to live in order to retain current populations and, hopefully, attract new residents. Graduates from secondary schools typically move on to better employment opportunities in larger centers, and local retail establishments face more and more difficulty because of shrinking markets. With increasing frequency, community leaders and local public officials recognize that a positive future for these communities requires local community development initiatives. A vision for the community, a group of committed leaders and an action plan are needed to manage the transition process. Many communities in Illinois have participated in the MAPPING the Future of Your Community program, Competitive Communities Initiative, and/or the Illinois MainStreet program and have succeeded in revitalizing their communities.1 Successful communities have identified and incorporated important local resources into an action plan. Typically, community leaders have mobilized these resources into a cohesive unit to bring about an effective strategic planning effort and successful follow through. In some small communities, however, the resource base is thin because elected officials serve part-time, often with little or no remuneration. Because they are employed full-time elsewhere, local officials have limited time to spend on the multitude of tasks involved in successfully managing a city. These limitations make it absolutely necessary for local officials and community leaders to effectively manage local resources and rely on professionals in the community who can contribute to the process. Public libraries can play a significant role in community economic development for several reasons. First, access to a well-stocked library adds significantly to the overall quality of life in a community. Second, librarians are sometimes the most educated and well-trained community information specialists. Third, libraries frequently have up-to-date computer systems, fax machines, Internet access and information retrieval skills that are of growing importance in an information-based economy. Businesses recognize the need for these services but, unfortunately, often do not know that they are available in the local library. Many local librarians and library boards have recognized the potential for the library in community development efforts and see positive results for both the community and library from these efforts. (See Benefits to Public Libraries from Economic Development Activities). In 1993, the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, with a grant from the Illinois State Library, started a series of workshops for local librarians to help them better understand the role for libraries in community economic development. More than 100 librarians participated in these regional workshops and follow-up activities. Many have continued their efforts. This article is based on a mail survey of libraries participating in the project to determine the extent to which libraries are actively engaged in local economic development efforts and how they perceive the benefits. Participation in Community Development Efforts Statewide, 39 rural librarians responded to the survey mailed in November 1996. Most of the respondents had participated in the economic development workshops. The vast majority (84.2 percent) of respondents reported that their library actively supports local economic development activities. When asked about reasons for not actively supporting these efforts, the most common response was that they had not been asked. The fact that 82.1 percent (32 librarians) reported spending less than 10 percent of their time on community development and/or business retention activities should alert community leaders that additional help may be available if they contacted the library board or librarian. 178 An intended outcome of the economic development seminars was to encourage greater participation in local community activities. Half of the responding librarians (17 librarians) reported being more active in local development efforts now than prior to the workshops. Likewise, 60 percent reported that the percentage of their time spent on community development or business retention had increased compared with three years ago. Only 8.6 percent reported that the time spent had decreased. For involvement in local development efforts to be sustained, libraries must see benefits. Respondents were asked about the efforts of participation on their libraries. The vast majority (88.8 percent) of respondents reported that the library had received at least "limited benefits, or benefits well worth the effort." Only four respondents said that there had been no effects. A related question asked if the respondents would prefer the library's involvement to "increase, remain the same, or decrease" in the future. About two-thirds (65.8 percent) of the respondents said they would prefer an increase in their involvement, and 34.2 percent said the efforts should remain at least at the current level. These findings suggest that a majority of the librarians responding to the survey have found local involvement beneficial to the library and that they, perhaps, would be more involved if opportunities arose. This should be welcome news to local economic development groups. Involvement of Librarians Respondents were asked about the local economic development efforts in which they had participated during the previous year and were provided with a list of activities to be checked:
Presentations to Groups and Organizations: Most often reported were presentations about library services to business groups and social organizations. Making potential clients aware of library services is one of the most important outreach efforts that librarians can perform. The availability or information services has increased so much that many small business owners are not fully aware of the potential for their use. Just being aware of the services may, in some instances, help some businesses better recognize the potential uses of the information. Presentations to business and community groups also offer several advantages to librarians. In particular, interactions with business personnel can help librarians understand the needs for library services within the community. When librarians are perceived as being an integral part of community efforts to expand, they are more likely to receive support, financial and otherwise. In essence, librarians are a valuable community resource and many residents do not fully understand the value of the services available, especially given the explosion in availability of data and business-related information. Better marketing of library services and more exposure in the community can reap significant and immediate dividends. 179 One example of this community support is in Mt. Vernon where the C.E. Brehm Memorial Library needed a local match for a grant to provide Internet access. The local Nations Bank office provided $15,000 to help the library obtain a Southern Illinois Regional Information Network (SIRIN) grant. Many local agencies and groups now have access to Internet because of the library's involvement. Hosting Groups and Meetings: Librarians in this survey have actively hosted meetings of groups or committees in the library. This service offers several advantages. First, the library is often viewed as a neutral location, making it especially attractive for discussions of controversial issues. Second, having residents in the library offers librarians an opportunity to market the services available, e.g. a new business data source, Internet access, and a variety of other items with which residents may not be familiar. Third, interactions with community groups may identify needs for other services, some of which may generate additional support for the library. The Lanark Public Library has hosted the Women's Club for a workshop on the Internet. The librarian recognized that a substantial number of attendees were elderly, and she started a program to help them communicate with their grandchildren who were in college. The library also hosts an open house associated with the high school homecoming. Pictures, scholastic achievements, and other activities are provided during these sessions. The local chamber of commerce pays for the advertising needed for this event. Inventory Business Collection: Responding librarians also assessed their potential for meeting business needs by inventorying the business collection. There is a multitude of data and information available that is, at least potentially, useful to the business community. Some of the information and sources are beyond the current library budget and may be too specialized for use by many businesses. A major contribution of the local librarian, however, is to know the resources available and to make businesses aware of them. The cost of reference information and limited local library budgets make it imperative for librarians to engage in partnerships and cooperative purchasing efforts. Several libraries can jointly purchase a data set or participate in a regional effort through their System Library and stretch scarce resources, while providing high quality services to local businesses. The Internet is very important in this regard because much of the census data in the future will be provided only on an electronic format. Attending Economic Development Meetings: Librarians responding to the survey also were active in attending meetings of the economic development organization and chambers of commerce in their communities. In many small communities, these organizations have few resources and librarians can be of substantial assistance in organizing the overall effort, providing necessary information and serving a clearinghouse role or as a contact point for outreach efforts. At the very minimum, a local library can have a designated area containing community information and brochures so that visitors and residents have ready access. The Lanark Public Library, for example, houses much of the information about proposals for alternative uses of the Savanna Army Depot. Grant applications for uses of the land are housed in the library for public review. Other materials, including city government reports, are also available in the library. Comments from librarians indicated that they are gaining familiarity with local institutions and becoming more actively involved in community efforts. In some instances, this involvement has translated into tangible support by the library board and residents for expanding the library collection and/or for providing specialized services. Ten ways a Public Library Can Get Involved in Community Economic Development 1. Establish the mission of the library. What is the library's role in community economic development? What support is the library board willing to make to engage the library in community development? 180 5. Explore ways of working with your economic development group and/or chamber on community projects. Don't hesitate to contact state and regional organizations for assistance or to identify other communities that have dealt with similar issues. Summary This survey of librarians yields several fittings. First, libraries are active in community development efforts and they view these activities as an important part of the library outreach program. Second, respondents reported that, at least in some instances, outreach efforts have brought increased support for the library and have better integrated the library into community activities.
The benefits from increased involvement by librarians are not limited to the library, however. Small communities usually do not have sufficient resources to employ a full-time economic development staff. Data collection and limited analyses, a repository or clearinghouse for information, a meeting place for community leaders, and serving as a contact point for external agencies are important functions provided by libraries. These activities involve additional time spent on the community activities but may not represent significant additional outlays of library funds. Benefits to Public Libraries From Economic Development Activities: Summary • Libraries gain greater visibility and stature among the business community and local government. Successful community development, especially in small rural cities, depends heavily on identifying important local resources, charting a reasonable future for the community, and having groups fellow-through on assigned tasks. All too often, local librarians are overlooked in this process. The growing importance of information in the economy and the increased access to this information through the local library makes it a key resource in attracting certain types of businesses. In an even more general way, prosperous local libraries add significantly to the quality of life in rural communities and this quality of life is increasingly important in business location decisions. Thus, local libraries can play a direct role in local economic development efforts as well as enhancing the attractiveness of a community to prospective residents. The survey findings reported in this article show that librarians are succeeding in many of these efforts and some would like to be even more involved. Footnote 1. Robin Hanna and Steve Kline. 1997. Mapping the Future of Your Community: Strategic Visioning for Community and Economic Development (Macomb, IL: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs). * Norman Waizer, Director, and John J. Gruidl, Associate Professor, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University, Macomb. The authors thank Carolyn Lawrence and Kristin Baker for their assistance in data collection. 181 |
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