American Democracy Annual Meeting June 18, 2010 Susan Shumer & Rob Shumer
Urban 4-year public institution with 9,606 students Mission Statement: The university is committed to academic excellence and community partnerships through curriculum, teaching, scholarship and services designed to support an urban mission. Vision Statement: “The faculty, staff and students will reflect the area’s rich diversity and will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to civic engagement”
Consists of a central library and 12 branch libraries a public institutions that provides materials and service to the public Vision Statement: To be respected and recognized, by people of all ages and diverse backgrounds, as their doorway to reading and information.
The complementary mission and vision of Metro State and the St. Paul Public Library: ◦ A shared commitment to civic engagement and lifelong learning
Meeting authentic needs of both communities/organizations Authentic collaboration to achieve mutual goals Institutional and community leadership History of collaboration: Center for Community-Based Learning
Sharing of personnel Funded by a joint grant from Bush Foundation Created collaborative working partnerships with community organizations: CLUES, Dayton’s Bluff Elementary School, Community of Peace Charter School
Described in book chapter: ◦ CLUES collaboration grows tremendously ◦ American Library Association: Teens Know Best and Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) ◦ Para los Ninos – collaboration between MN Children’s Museum ◦ The Homework Help Center
…and beyond the chapter: College Goal Saturday Gordon Parks Gallery Initiatives
All relationships take time Defining mutual operating procedures and policies Maintain institutional commitment Shared staffing
Develop commitment at all levels in participating partner agencies Understand that partnerships, like all relationships, take time Maintain respectful communication, which builds trust Clarify shared values and mutual interests Create mutually defined goals Identify opportunities to work together Make a commitment to evaluate the collaboration as well as the joint programs
Design formal structure of the partnership Build trust and understanding: relationships matter Clarify roles of each partner Meet on a regular basis Identify grant sources/fundraising collaboratively Create short and long term goals and action plans: focus more on inputs than outcomes ---process more important than products Reflect Celebrate
The most notable success of this partnership is that through the efforts of an institution of higher education, a public library system, and a community with a dream, and a mutual need, worked together to build a University-Library Partnership which provides Dayton’s Bluff residents and the Metropolitan State community access to an array of services, technology and opportunities.