Strategic Collaborations Presented by Nancy Bolt and Janet Lee Sister Libraries in Sister Cities: Grassroots Efforts

Colorado Association of Libraries International Library Cultural Exchange Interest Group  Formal Interest group status December 2011  Initial Goals  Create international partnerships between Colorado and international libraries  Share information on how to celebrate the cultural heritage of people who visit Colorado Libraries

Denver Sister Cities International  10 Sister Cities around the World  Expand to Libraries?  YES!! From  Brest, France  Takayama, Japan  Partnered both with Denver Public Library

Aurora Sister Cities International  Revitalizing its program  Gabrabito, Costa Rica in 1989  Seongnam, South Korea in 1992  Zielona Gora, Poland 1992  New Partnership with Adama, Ethiopia 2014  Interest between both cities to include library partnership.

Denver, CO and Brest, FR  Second-oldest Sister City in the US  Started in 1948, after visit from Amanda Knecht, teacher at East High School, Denver  Her class raised $32,000 to help build Children’s wing of the Brest hospital and donated books to the hospital

Brest, Franc

A Comparison BrestDenver Branches826 Service Pop150,000649,495 % with cards16%49% Price of card$32Free Resource Budget$519,000$5.2 million Circulation1.3 million9 million Employees Computers50961

Current Services – Programs ServicesBrestDenver Children priorityYesYes HistoryRare booksWestern Hist OutreachYesYes Community InfoYesYes Multi -mediaYesYes Business CenterWantsYes Maker spaceWantsYes Large printHome deliveryNo

Brest Current Services - Collections  Rare book collection with 8 incunabula  Historical children collections of 50,000 items with 10,000 between 15 th and 19 th century  Brest cultural information center  Large print – deliver to senior housing  Closed stacks – 300,000

New library part of cultural center “Change the image of the library” Expand all current services Heavy emphasis on media

Branch Libraries

Lambezellec Mediatheque Branch Library  Built in 1996  Popular DIY library  Extensive media – 4000 comics  Collection of Brezhoneg, Keltic collection  Will remodel and create  Deep quiet  Work spaces  Maker spaces

Book Store Arrangement

Denver, CO and Takayama Japan  Denver’s second Sister City in 1960  Denver and Takayama have much in common, from tourism as an important industry, to geographic similarities such as mountains, rivers and hot springs.

Takayama Japan Denver Public Library hosted Japanese delegation

Takayama Japan Students at DPL’s IdeaLab

Takayama Japan DPL hosted Norihito’s Kiri-e Akila Tanaka (Executive Director, Overseas Marketing Strategy Bureau, City of Takayama) Steve Sander (DSCI Board Member; President,) Norihito Yoshimoto (Kiri-e artist, Takayama)Derek Okubo (DSCI Board Member;)J ayne Buck (Vice-President, Visit Denver)

Takayama Japan DPL hosted Norihito’s Kiri-e Mt. Fuji Springtime in Takayama Norihito Yoshimoto (Kiri-e artist)

Aurora Sister Cities/Adama Ethiopia  At the Aurora Public Library Aurora Public Library Director, Patti Bateman greets the Deputy Ambassador from Ethiopia and the Mayor of Adama, Ethiopia. Adama Mayor tours the Aurora Public Library.

Aurora Sister Cities/Adama Ethiopia  At the Adama Public Library

Aurora Sister Cities/Adama Ethiopia  At the Adama Public Library

Ideas for Cooperation – Exhibits - Physical or Virtual  With Brest  Celebrate centennial history of WWI  Historical exhibit of rare and incunabula books  Historical children books from Brest

Ideas for Cooperation – Exhibits - Physical or Virtual  With Takayama  Exhibits  Youth Exchange: IdeaLab  With Adama  Library committee established  Book drive  Most active committee of ASCI in brief six month history

Cooperation  With all partners  Art exhibits from children, teens, and adult artists  Advice on starting new services  Business center  Maker spaces  Serving immigrants  Networking among staff

Ideas for Cooperation - Visits  Have to lobby the mayors for permission  Home library pays travel, visited library pays site expenses  May need a joint proposal to the mayors “Let’s just get started and see what happens.” Bénédicte