Long Time No Blog

It has been over a month since I have updated my blog. I had a feeling when I started it that there would come a time when I would lose some interest.
But, this week I feel that the Empowerment Zone could use some news updating.



Last Thursday (August 12) we had a dozen people use the Empowerment Zone and it seems like things are really revving up. Yesterday we had a half a dozen people use the room, and Mondays have typically been slower than Thursdays. My reasoning for using Monday (besides the ease of scheduling the room) is that people would be looking for jobs first thing Monday morning just like most employed folks head off to work first thing. This does not seem to be the case as many patrons are showing up after 10am to use the Empowerment Zone. We also seem to be getting a lot of people that come at 11am, which means they only get one hour in the Zone. I have been trying to encourage people to come at 9am since that enables them to have the most time, and I am now writing down what time people are signing in for further research.

Another new thing I have been doing in the Empowerment Zone is a survey of how people heard about the EZ. Most of the respondents either heard about it from a friend, or from a library worker. So far no one has reported reading about it in the local papers (although we have had several articles published, and it is in the events portion of the Palm Beach Post) and only one person reported reading about the EZ in the monthly library calendar. This leads me to believe that word of mouth advertising from staff is the most important way that we can let people know about the Zone. Every time someone complains about the lack of computer time, or the time management software, or the length it takes to fill out various egov forms, I tell them that they can come Monday and Thursdays from 9-11am in the Tech Center and work for three hours straight on the computers in there.

Yesterday I submitted an online application to present on the EZ at the 2011 Florida Library Association in Orlando. My goal is a 60 minute presentation on the creation, and evolution of the EZ here at my library, along with steps for other public libraries to follow if they want to incorporate a similar program. I am hoping to get accepted since I think this would be good experience for me presenting to a large group, and the exposure for my library would be worthwhile as well. Someone I work with mentioned that I do not have enough to present on, but I hope to prove them wrong. And since the conference isn't until next spring I have plenty of time to come up with material for the presentation. Other people have been more encouraging.

Finally, someone from Palm Beach State College who works in the Career Center, and holds a doctorate in education, has agreed to give a resume and career workshop for us in November. I am very excited about this event since it was difficult locating a guest speaker, and this event should draw people to the library that I can then tell about the Empowerment Zone. The tentative date for this is November 15th, from 10am-12pm. I will be working with our PR person to fully advertise the event.

Other than that things have been pretty typical around the library lately. In one month I will reach my 2 year mark here, and I am developing a new project now that the EZ is up and running. To be continued...

EZ Pics as Promised

I was planning on taking some pictures of the Empowerment Zone last Thursday, but then the AC went out in our building and I didn't want to move, yet alone take any pictures. Today we had a good turnout (6 people) with some new faces, and I took some pictures that I will be using for my SSLLI Graduation Presentation.

Check them out!

Empowerment Zone Sign

Today I picked up a huge sign from Fast Signs in Lake Worth for the EZ. It simply says Empowerment Zone in over 5 inch letters. It came with suction cups so that I can stick it on the glass walls of the Tech Center every Monday and Thursday when the Zone is in session. I tested it out today, and you can really see it even from way over where our ref desk is. I am going to put it up tomorrow even though the EZ isn't open as I am hoping to generate some questions and get some interest. I plan on shooting some pictures on Thursday to use for my presentation at the SSLLI graduation. I will post them on here. Today I did one of my last assignments for the SSLLI, and when that is done I am considering posting it on here since it is all about the EZ.

I just added up the EZ stats for June and 36 total patrons used the EZ. This is down from 44 in May. Not bad if you consider June is a big vacation month, and we had help last month from the housing lotto. I would really like to switch one day to the afternoon in August, but since we are starting up our computer classes then, I am not sure it will be possible.

Finally, last week's PBCLA election did not go to the underdog. Me being the underdog. I was thoroughly trounced by two library directors, but did manage to get at least some votes from others outside of my library. I now have the distinction of being the first person to lose a PBCLA election, since in every other election the candidates ran unopposed. So, this is at least some notoriety, and I plan on running in the future and being more active at future meetings. I still plan on helping with the web site and I posted a few things there yesterday. Congratulations to those who won, and I will continue to help out the organization in any way I can. I think the worst thing about losing was that I was 150 miles away in Cocoa at my last SSLLI session and therefore I couldn't even vote for myself.

Palm Beach County Library Association Annual Meeting

Tomorrow is the Palm Beach County Library Association (PBCLA) Annual Meeting at The Society of the Four Arts, Gioconda and Joseph King Library. Members and guests are welcome for socializing and for the featured presentation given by author Deborah C. Pollack. The meeting starts at 2:30 for networking, the business meeting is at 3:00, and the featured speaker event is around 3:45. There will be an election for the board and I am running for a spot on the board as a representative of public libraries in Palm Beach County. If you are a member I would appreciate your vote. I will not be able to attend as I will be in Cocoa for my final Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute session. Only members of PBCLA are eligible to vote, but I believe you could join tomorrow and vote if you wanted. It is only $20 to join. The PBCLA website can be located here - http://pbcla.info/

EZ Updates

The Empowerment Zone will be used by my library director and asst. director to point out the career and eGov services our library provides to the citizens of Delray Beach, and to hopefully convince them to maintain our budget at last year's level. Today we will be taking some photos and then our asst. director will be creating a PowerPoint presentation to show to the City and to the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) for funding purposes. The fact that they are choosing to highlight my program further justifies the time and effort I have put into this project. I will try and post some of the pictures and updates when they become available.

I have also received permission from my director to purchase a large sign that simply reads Empowerment Zone that I will attach to the Technology Center windows with suction cups when the Zone is in session each Monday and Thursday. This sign will be the equivalent of an "Open Sign" and will be visible for the patrons coming upstairs and for us librarians to point people to the EZ. This increased visibility should bring more folks in, and the signage should further legitimize the EZ.

My last session of the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute is next week and I will graduate at the end of July. If it was not for this Institute I most likely would never have been able to create the Empowerment Zone in my library. I hope that the EZ continues long after I graduate.

Empowerment Zone Stats

I started the Empowerment Zone back in March hoping that it would be successful. With much word of mouth marketing, some blurbs in the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel, and articles in the Delray Forum and Atlantic Ave magazine the numbers are increasing. The first month we had 6 people, then 13 the following month, and then in May we had 44 people use the Zone! I am hoping that this keeps up because we are helping people by providing resources in tough times, and this also reflects well on our library. I am in the process of getting approval for some new signs and posters to better advertise the EZ.

Strategic Alliances

A few months ago I emailed my Empowerment Zone flyer, and a blurb about the EZ, to the Workforce Alliance of Palm Beach County. I never heard anything back, but felt that in the future I needed to call them directly to let them know about my project. I strongly feel that there is a lack of communication amongst non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County, and I don't want to be one of those responsible for it. After having so many people that have been using the EZ ask me for resume help I felt it was time to contact the Workforce Alliance directly and see if they could send an instructor to our library for a lecture. So today I made a contact over there, and even though they are unable to send anybody at this time they now know about the Zone and I emailed my updated flyer directly to my new contact. I will not give up looking for a presenter for a resume lecture, and will now focus on Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College to see if they have someone who can fit the role.

I am also working on updating the EZ posters and having a large Empowerment Zone sign created with suction cups on it that I can stick on the windows of the tech center.