View Project

G2S Project Code: 2019-MN-83737
State: Minnesota
Fiscal Year: 2019

Grantee
State Library Services - Minnesota Department of Education

Project Director
Director Name: Jennifer R Nelson
Director Phone: 651-582-9791
Director Email: jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us

General Information
Title: Libraries Without Borders Partnership
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2019
End Date: 09/30/2020
Abstract: LWB re-imagined how to adapt outreach models to suit the unique opportunities and barriers of rural and suburban communities, which have often struggled to implement WALI. Together with the Rochester and Anoka County Libraries, LWB fostered a series of conversations between residents of local, manufactured housing communities and library leaders. These conversations, including a formal “town-hall” style meeting in Anoka with 30+ people, led to new partnerships and prospective library installations.
In 2020, LWB began expanding the scope of the work between public libraries and manufactured housing communities. LWB developed a relationship with the Blandin Foundation, which yielded a $50,000 grant to the Minnesota Department of Education/State Library and Libraries Without Borders to support the planning of efforts at manufactured housing communities. LWB also received a second grant of $100,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to use the data from the 2019 “town-hall” style meeting to create a permanent library learning space at the community space in the Park Plaza manufactured housing community in Fridley, MN.
COVID-19 forced all Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) laundromats to pause temporarily due to concerns about virus transmission with in-person programs and public access technology. LWB collaborated with the Saint Paul Public Library to coordinate outdoor events in the parking lot of the WALI laundromats, including public WiFi, socially-distanced reference and lending. LWB also approached the Saint Paul Public Library with an opportunity to learn from LWB’s national initiative, ConnectED, which delivers computers, WiFi hotspots, and books to low-income adults and families without technology at home. The project helped formed the basis of Ramsey County’s “TechPaks,” which have connected more than 1,000 individuals.

State Goal: Library services and policies promote barrier-free access

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$16,226.23

$0.00

$16,226.23

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Education
Outreach & Partnerships

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Site Build Out
Narrative: In many cases, the collaboration between the library system and LWB deepened considerably in 2019 and 2020. For example, in previous years, LWB identified that the Anoka County Library had struggled to implement successful library programs at WALI laundromats due to its limited staff capacity and its low population density. While LWB continues to support Anoka County librarians to troubleshoot new opportunities for engagement at the local laundromat, the parallel efforts to deliver library services at the Park Plaza manufactured housing communities have grown rapidly. Through this contract, LWB procured the first set of computers, furniture, hygiene supplies, and other materials to transform an abandoned community space at Park Plaza into a de facto branch of the Anoka County Library.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Physical

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 31
Number of software acquired: 27
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
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: Beautiful Laundrette
Address: 625 Stryker Ave
City: Saint Paul
State: MN
Zip: 55107
Name: East 10 Coin Laundry
Address: 3318 US-10
City: Moorhead
State: MN
Zip: 56560
Name: Giant Wash Coin Laundry
Address: 1675 Rice St
City: Saint Paul
State: MN
Zip: 55117
Name: Giant Wash Coin Laundry
Address: 401 1st Ave W
City: Shakopee
State: MN
Zip: 55379
Name: HIBBING PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 2020 EAST 5TH AVENUE
City: HIBBING
State: MN
Zip: 55746
Name: LAKE AGASSIZ REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 118 5TH ST S
City: MOORHEAD
State: MN
Zip: 56560
Name: Madelia Mobile Village
Address: 25 5th St NW
City: Madelia
State: MN
Zip: 56062
Name: Park Plaza Cooperative
Address: 1260 Onondaga St NE
City: Minneapolis
State: MN
Zip: 55432
Name: Rochester Public Library
Address: 101 2nd Street SE
City: Rochester
State: MN
Zip: 55904
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: Sungold Heights Mobile Home
Address: 1538 Spring Ave
City: Worthington
State: MN
Zip: 56187
Name: Tidalwave Laundromat
Address: 1415 S 5th Ave
City: Anoka
State: MN
Zip: 55303
Name: Zumbro Ridge Estates
Address: 1951 Hadley Creek Dr NE
City: Rochester
State: MN
Zip: 55906

Activity Details
Title: Develop and Deliver Professional Development/Training
Narrative: LWB created a WALI “toolkit,” a set of easy-to-understand resources to train any library on how to deliver library services in laundromats. Librarians from Anoka County and Saint Paul, as well as the laundromat owner from the Beautiful Laundrette, have been provided LWB with feedback and support to ensure the toolkit reflects the lessons learned so far. LWB provided a sample of this new training in a WALI webinar offered by the Minnesota Library Association in December 2019.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 60
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 21

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 21
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: Strategic Partnerships
Narrative: In 2019, LWB supported six library systems to customize, implement, and evaluate outreach models for their own communities using laundromats and manufactured housing communities. In 2020, LWB continued to engage with those six library systems while assessing the needs and capacity of other library systems to replicate successful models from previous years. LWB met with public library administrators in St. James, Worthington, Lindstrom, and Marble to discuss opportunities for expanded outreach activities and technology use, either through laundromats or manufactured homes.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Prospective
Format: In-house

Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 0
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 0

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Below Poverty
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: residents of manufactured housing communities

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Madelia Mobile Village
Address: 25 5th St NW
City: Madelia
State: MN
Zip: 56187
Name: Sungold Heights Mobile Homes
Address: 1538 Spring Ave
City: Worthington
State: MN
Zip: 56187
Name: Zumbro Ridge Estates
Address: 1951 Hadley Creek Dr NE
City: Rochester
State: MN
Zip: 55906

Activity Details
Title: Strategic Analysis
Narrative:

LWB developed a simple, regular reporting mechanism for libraries who offer programs or activities in WALI laundromats, including in Anoka County, Moorhead, and Saint Paul. Data is available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wV3N231b76o_jXngn9leMVgCzi5oSrO9LOIpLeWFxyw/edit?usp=sharing

Cumulatively, data shows a total of 254 participants, which is defined as individuals who engage with a library staff member or volunteer in an activity with a clear outcome, e.g. a child who participates in storytime or an adult who receives reference support. There were a total of 400 interactions, which encompass any person who engages with a resource or activity at a WALI laundromat while a library staff member or volunteer is present.

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

Activity: Planning & Evaluation
Mode: Retrospective
Format: In-house

Quantity
Number of evaluations and/or plans funded: 0
Number of funded evaluation and/or plans completed: 0

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Below Poverty
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: laundromat customers

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: LAKE AGASSIZ REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 118 5TH ST S
City: MOORHEAD
State: MN
Zip: 56560
Name: SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 90 WEST FOURTH STREET
City: SAINT PAUL
State: MN
Zip: 55102

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Manufactured housing communities offer a unique opportunity for rural and suburban communities to engage underserved communities in sustained, cost-effective literacy and digital literacy programs. For urban communities, like Saint Paul, WALI is an effective vehicle for delivering library services, e.g. digital and basic literacy, to underserved communities, as evidenced by Saint Paul’s independent expansion and allocation of resources to develop a new WALI laundromat in Sun Ray and the Beautiful Laundrette.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Outreach programs like WALI or with manufactured housing communities are a two-way street: they help libraries engage new users and force libraries to rethink how they can be inclusive and public-facing. For example, many laundromats or manufactured housing communities serve a demographic that is not easily serviced by the library. While this can serve as a challenge for library capacity, e.g. the library doesn’t have staff that speak the languages of the customers in the laundromats, it also teaches important lessons to the institution about the community’s need and how to best serve it.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Turnout remains a considerable variable in all outreach activities, where new programs often yield low engagement when they are first launched, especially in non-traditional spaces. Weather can also contribute to low-engagement. Staff or volunteers who speak multiple languages and are bi or multi-cultural often create the highest levels of sustained engagement in immigrant communities.
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:
No
Explain:

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: