January 18, 2024
Topic: Partnerships: JustServe and Alabama Humanities Alliance
Attendance:
Bridget, Homewood
Weston, BPL
Lora, Vestavia Hills
Tamara, Irondale
Lynn, West End
Alisa, BPL
Katie, Trussville
Nicole, Tarrant
Ellen, Avondale
Laura, BPL
Tywanna, BPL
Leslie, Avondale
Msplane
For those of you unable to attend, here is the link to the roundtable discussion via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/Ed4vOKPczNnnY7mUYj2jeGk6aOm7JCM161Wfji6Z6zuFdppy-RRI-3E1AKNSetTu.LM9BryVBoD7rPb0P
We welcomed two speakers to the meeting. The first is Karli Piennette (karli.justserve@gmail.com, 801-910-5662) from JustServe.org This nationwide (and 15 country-wide) organizational database offers opportunities for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to find volunteer opportunities whether they are one-time projects or ongoing projects by nonprofit organizations. It is a great tool to use with patrons that may need volunteer hours or those that are just looking to connect. The database allows you to search by topic (want to work with animals? want to work with kids? etc.) or geographic location or by title of the organization. On the flipside, nonprofits (like a library's Friends group) can call a regional representative of JustServe for tips on entering their organization and projects. There are also many opportunities for people to volunteer remotely. If you don't already have an entry for your library, it would be well worth your time to call on JustServe. Also, Karli and everyone at JustServe know the nonprofit sector well. The database is kept up-to-date with websites, contact information, etc. If you have a need, call on them for help! You won't regret it!
We also welcomed Laura Anderson (landerson@alabamahumanities.org or 205.558.3992) from the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Laura comes from a archivist background and now works as the Director of Partnerships and Outcomes (great title, right?) at AHA. She came to discuss two sides of her work - AHA's Speakers Bureau Roads Scholars and AHA's granting process and procedures. For those seeking speakers, the Roads Scholars Speakers Bureau can provide a wealth of informative and stimulating programming opportunities. When looking at the listing of speakers, the first step is to directly reach out to the scholar with the contact information given to verify whether the speaker is available. Your next step is to book the scholar by filling out the form and submitting to AHA. They need at least 45 days notice to book a scholar. The first scholar you book will cost you $50, and $75 for each additional scholar. AHA helps by producing press releases and they do more with marketing too. AHA pays the scholar an honorarium and round trip travel expenses. Laura is working to add scholars and is excited to promote the 50th Anniversary of the Roads Scholar program.
There are several ongoing and upcoming projects that might be interesting to libraries. "Healing History" is "a collaborative initiative is designed to strengthen our communities, workforces, and state by helping Alabamians examine their shared history and get to know each other better. Across race, religion, politics, and all the supposed dividing lines that shouldn’t keep us apart. We aim to build trust, foster empathy, and grow community through mutually respectful discussions about our shared past, present, and future." This initiative might be something a library can host for their community. Read more here: https://alabamahumanities.org/program/healing-history/ There are examples of the project in action. Also check out AHA's Past Forward, which is an entry point for understanding Healing History.
There are also some traveling exhibits that may interest libraries. One that is already in place is the Crossroads project and one that is still looking for host sites is Spark! Innovation project.
For consideration for grants, there is a option to "schedule a call" with Grants Director Graydon Rust. They have different categories of grants. One of the most popular is the Mini grant which gives up to $2,500 with no matching restrictions - those applications are accepted each month throughout the year. Then there are bigger grants that are accepted quarterly and might have matching requirements. For more information, Mr. Rust is open to discussing your ideas and working with you. Of course, it must have a Humanities angle, but the process is fairly simple.
I hope you find some of this information useful! Next meeting will be on WEDNESDAY, March 20th via Zoom. We will be discussing services to patrons such as passports, notaries, social services and the like. We will also be discussing what various libraries are doing about dwindling CD and books on CD collections, along with DVDs and Blu-Rays. Bring your ideas and your thoughts to share!
