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G2S Project Code: 2017-MN-79683
State: Minnesota
Fiscal Year: 2017
Grantee
State Library Services - Minnesota Department of Education

Project Director
Director Name: Jennifer R. Nelson
Director Phone: 651-582-8791
Director Email: jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us
General Information
Title: Wash and Learn Initiative
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2017
End Date: 09/30/2018
Abstract: The Wash and Learn Initiative, a partnership between State Library Services and Libraries without Borders, extended customized library services into coin laundry small businesses. Building on best practices and lessons learned from similar programs in Michigan and New York, Wash and Learn was implemented by the Anoka County, Scott County and Saint Paul Public library systems. The project team created and tested new digital tools and outreach models for early literacy, digital literacy and health literacy. A model of hyper-local public-private partnerships was developed. At each partner coin laundry, the project team built out library spaces for families and others to use. Each site reached an average of 20 participants per day, accruing over 25,000 unique uses over a six month implementation period.  
State Goal: Increase access to library resources
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$20,772.90
$0.00
$0.00
$20,772.90
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Digital Literacy
Early Literacy
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Instruction for library partners
Narrative:

Libraries without Borders trained three library systems to customize, implement, monitor and evaluate the laundromat outreach model. Anoka County, Saint Paul and Scott County libraries were supported in selecting content, designing the project, selecting a site, implementing and monitoring the project. The Coin Laundry Association helped to make connections with local laundromats.  Consultation with the association also covered issues of data and evaluation, including a brainstorming session on key metrics that libraries can track in outreach at the laundromat


Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 18
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: ANOKA COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 707 COUNTY RD 10 NE
City: BLAINE
State: MN
Zip: 55434
Name: Giant Wash Coin Laundry
Address: 401 1st Avenue West
City: Shakopee
State: MN
Zip: 55379
Name: Giant Wash Coin Laundry
Address: 1675 Rice Street
City: Saint Paul
State: MN
Zip: 55117
Name: SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 90 WEST FOURTH STREET
City: SAINT PAUL
State: MN
Zip: 55102
Name: SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 13090 ALABAMA AV S
City: SAVAGE
State: MN
Zip: 55378
Name: Tidalwave Laundromat Inc.
Address: 1415 S 5th Ave
City: Anoka
State: MN
Zip: 55303

Activity Details
Title: Acquiring Content
Narrative: Two technologies were designed to make content available for this project. An IdeasCube, an offline server that creates a curated WiFi hotspot and Aprendi, an online curation software for PDFs and videos, were customized for each library system. Digital content included legal, health, digital literacy and early literacy
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Combined physical & digital


Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 15
Number of software acquired: 1
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 1,200
Number of electronic materials acquired: 50
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: ANOKA COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 707 COUNTY RD 10 NE
City: BLAINE
State: MN
Zip: 55434
Name: SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 90 WEST FOURTH STREET
City: SAINT PAUL
State: MN
Zip: 55102
Name: SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 13090 ALABAMA AV S
City: SAVAGE
State: MN
Zip: 55378
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Wash and Learn engaged a relatively high number of participants for a relatively light time and resource commitment from libraries. Going to laundromats on weekends allowed libraries to engage an average of 10 children under the age of 8 for every hour of facilitation in St. Paul; an average of 15 adults for every hour of facilitation in Anoka County and an average of five adults for every hour of facilitation in Scott County. Each site served distinct demographics in terms of age, race, ethnicity and native language -- all of which informed outcomes. Across all three sites, the digital materials averaged 20 unique engagements per day, and families have taken out over 30 books per week on average, with more adult literature in Scott and Anoka counties, and more children's literature in Saint Paul. The pilot program has engaged other library branches in Saint Paul to request resources to build out laundromat programs. In Anoka County, the laundromat owner and staff began to stock the bookshelf with their own donations. The Anoka County Library is exploring expanding to a second laundromat in Fridley, MN. In Scott County, the library will be hosting a series of events on issues identified through the laundromat program. These include a legal clinic with a bilingual attorney, a Readmobile celebration and an event with the county health department on immunizations and healthy exercise.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Each library system tailored its programming to the unique concerns of the local community, leading to an array of findings about library user-ship, legal and health concerns and cultural barriers. In Saint Paul and Scott County, which had a high percentage of recent immigrants and non-English speaking customers, many families were completely unaware of library services altogether as a result of linguistic and cultural barriers. Saint Paul librarian Rebecca Ryan noted that Wash and Learn was as impactful for the community as it was for the librarians who participated because it introduced them to communities far outside the library's reach. The Saint Paul Public library focused on early childhood literacy due to the high volume of young children and the expertise of librarians on-site. While all library staff was typically able to engage young children, regardless of race or language abilities, library staff with foreign language skills and ties to the local community were most successful in engaging parents. In Anoka County, where the laundromat customers were predominantly white and English-speaking, customers were familiar with the library but not aware of existing programs for literacy, digital literacy and other social services. Library staff adapted the resources on the computers to suit the particular needs of customers and provided direct reference support. Among the various issues of concern, affordable housing emerged as paramount over the course of the program. In Scott County, the laundromat is located next door to a Mexican restaurant frequented by the Latino community. Resources in Spanish were most popular. At the close of the project, the Scott County library hired a Latino liaison who is integrating the laundromat program into his services. For partnering library systems, the major barrier to creating laundromat programs was limited human resources and adaptability. In this program, the project team learned how the provision of library tools inside coin laundries provided a means to engage a relatively high number of community members with relatively low investments in human resources. Library systems gained new skills for community engagement in diverse, informal settings with new prospective library patrons. Participating systems requested additional support, including case studies, proofs of concept, operational resources and technology tools.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
With tools and training provided, each library system was able to tailor services to the specific audience of the laundromat. The distinct demographic needs informed how individuals engaged with the books, computers and print handouts. While the tools and the structural framework of a library-laundromat partnership may be common, the key to success relies on the ability of the local library to customize the content provided. At all three locations, customers struggled with the basic digital literacy skills and confidence needed to use the computers, and future programs should include basic digital literacy training, in addition to subject areas like early childhood literacy or affordable housing. Many customers required a direct interaction with library staff before participating in a program. It is not sufficient to build a space; the most successful librarians walked around the space first and individually invited customers to participate in the activity. Libraries that sent the same staff each week were likewise more effective at garnering higher levels of trust and participation. Dynamic curation of materials is required inside laundromats, since different groups of customers come through on different days of the week and at different times of the day.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
Yes
Explain:
Activities are continually being refined as the libraries learn more about the needs of customers.
Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: wash and learn, partnerships