We numbered 10 for our March meeting, where we returned to the Allen County Public Library for the first time since our initial meeting nearly a year ago. We welcomed two newcomers to the table this month, a handful of regular attendees and few folks who make time for us when they can.
After introductions and thoughtful discussion, we headed off on a tour of the depths of ACPL. We started with a brief glimpse of the Rare Book Room and discussion of circulation issues and practices and peeked at the library’s underground storage holdings.
From there, where else? We headed straight backstage and quickly on stage in the library’s theater where some attendees began improving “NeXtGen Digest: the Musical” to an empty house. We like to have fun, but seriously, these spaces have been highly utilized resources for community nonprofits. Check out the Meeting Rooms information on the ACPL website.
We rounded off the tour in the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center area of the Reader’s Services Department where Lettie discussed the myriad services the PCNRC can offer everyone at the table. Of particular interest, and always in high demand, are our board trainings on BoardSource’s Ten Basic Responsibilities of the Board, facilitated by Marilynn Fauth, PCNRC Coordinator, previous Executive Director and community board member. Marilynn needs about 6 weeks lead time to plan a board retreat covering the 10 Basics, or to facilitate a Strategic Plan. You can ask around the table at NeXtGen for feedback on Marilynn’s work, as she has led several folks through the 10 Basics to date.
Once we returned to the meeting room, we quickly went over the Mentoring Program Outline that NeXtGen is working through with NINA (Northeast Indiana Nonprofit Alliance). The blog will be updated with information on how that program is shaping up soon!
Of further interest to the group was feedback from and plans to meet with members of NFP, a group of Not For Profit professionals who are approaching, considering and/or embracing retirement. Look for more information available here, as it shapes up, on our next meeting, Thursday, April 16th, when we will sit at the table with members of NFP who are interested in their legacy in the nonprofit world.
Andrew Hoffman said
Lettie,
Thanks for the tour of the library. I’m sure many of us had little idea of the underground hostage holding cell of the thousands of books. Nor did we ever think we’d get to romp around backstage of the theatre.
The library is a phenominal place and a largerly underused asset to our community.
Also, thanks to everyone that has been putting in the time to develop a mentoring program. Only through shared experiences and the wisdom of those who have gone before us will we learn to navigate our jobs and more importantly, our lives. I believe strongly in the power of intentional relationship. If there is anything that I can do to add to the conversation, please let me know.
Andrew
Lettie said
Thanks, Andrew! Your feedback is appreciated, although the implication that I took a group of about ten individuals who are not employed by the library through our staff-only underground storage areas would suggest that I may or may not have broken the rules. A little.
This would be a good place to point out that the collection of books kept in storage can be accessed by patrons through our catalog. If someone needs a book that is shelved in storage, they can get it simply by pushing the button “Get from Storage” under the “Place Hold” button in the catalog.
I would also like to suggest that our facilities are not so much underused, as used differently by different people. We get a lot of traffic and the residents of Allen County really love their libraries for a lot of different reasons. It is fun, for example, to surprise someone who regularly attends Childrens’ Programming by noting that we also have active book blogging, Nonprofit Resources or a full-service Public Access TV station, or NEIRRS, a radio reading service for blind or visually impaired patrons – to name just a few of the things we do for our community.
In short, we love serving Allen County and that keeps us very busy, indeed. Also, what basement?