East Palo Alto and Palo Alto and cultural bridge work

I agree with a number of my classmates in thinking that collaboration and promotion are, when added together, the keys for the sustainability of libraries in general and especially for their outreach to minorities and other communities.  Love (2007) wrote that even “… a limited partnership, while still remaining strong, will set the foundation for a lasting relationship for new collaborative opportunities.” (p. 17) I agree that reaching out and forming organizational bonds is the only way to successfully a lasting impact on local communities, and that even the most limited partnerships can have lasting impacts on both the library and the other local cultural organizations.

Any outreach to other community and organizations is bound for potential difficulties especially with limited staff and limited budget, but reaching out is a necessity to foster goodwill in other local organizations and to solidify the library as a fully inclusive community center!! 

 As to an idea of my own for forming a bond between a library I might eventually work at and a community organization, I would like to see East Palo Alto and Palo Alto have a better relationship in general, and specifically in terms of their libraries. I think Palo Alto would make serious gains if it interacted more regularly with the East Palo Alto libraries. I think that just a stronger communication and promotion of the diversity of literature that is abundant in East Palo Alto libraries and sharing information about events happening in both libraries would be helpful for all of the cultures and identity groups living in Palo Alto.    

 I think it could start as simple as promoting each others events through websites and social media. The cultural diversity and social acceptance climate of Palo Alto would only benefit from its Eastern Neighbor. I mean we already have kids who are bussed in from EPA to Palo Alto for all elementary, middle and high school, why not share Palo Altos library "wealth" with East Palo Alto? I think there is no legitimate answer to that question.  

Reference:

Love, E. (2007). Building Bridges: Cultivating Partnerships between Libraries and Minority Student Services. Education Libraries, 30(1), 13-19.