
Collaborating with Strangers
Facilitating Workshops in Libraries, Classes, and Nonprofits
Association of College & Research Libraries (Publisher)
Published on 28. February 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-0-8389-1542-4 (ISBN)
Description
Interaction with strangers cultivates creativity and provides opportunities for joining forces to achieve great ends. However most people tend to avoid talking or working with people they do not know, whether in the library, a classroom, or in academic and nonprofit settings. And to do so is to short-circuit much of the creative potential that is so necessary for innovation, and that organizational stakeholders crave. Enter CoLAB. Developed and presented by de Farber at workshops across the country, and used by the authors to successfully spur collaboration at the University of Florida (including faculty-librarian, librarian-librarian, librarian-student, faculty-faculty, student-student, and student-librarian-community member), it showcases the power of face-to-face conversations. Leading readers through a unique framework that breaks down barriers to collaboration while also kindling long-lasting enthusiasm, this manual includes:
testimonials from workshop participants that demonstrate the benefits of a Collaborating with Strangers workshop;
step by step guidance on every aspect of organizing and presenting a CoLAB workshop;
helpful photographs and diagrams that show prep and workshops in action;
ready to use surveys for assessment before and after the workshop;
grant proposal development techniques for bringing two or more organizations together on a project;
pointers on how to adapt the workshop for ice-breakers, conference programs, or classrooms; and
samples of workshop promotion pieces that can be adapted as needed.
Libraries have always connected patrons to resources and information; this resource shows how, through successful group collaboration, organizations can extend that connection to include the talents and assets of community members.
testimonials from workshop participants that demonstrate the benefits of a Collaborating with Strangers workshop;
step by step guidance on every aspect of organizing and presenting a CoLAB workshop;
helpful photographs and diagrams that show prep and workshops in action;
ready to use surveys for assessment before and after the workshop;
grant proposal development techniques for bringing two or more organizations together on a project;
pointers on how to adapt the workshop for ice-breakers, conference programs, or classrooms; and
samples of workshop promotion pieces that can be adapted as needed.
Libraries have always connected patrons to resources and information; this resource shows how, through successful group collaboration, organizations can extend that connection to include the talents and assets of community members.
Reviews / Votes
"This book offers a fresh new set of strategies for engaging communities of people in dialogue. It offers a clear description of the concept of CoLAB, then it lives up to its billing as a how-to guide by clearly laying out the steps needed to run one of these dynamic meetings. This is a must-have resource for anyone who wants to engage communities in collaborative action. Very timely and much needed. Congratulations to the writing team for producing such a valuable resource."" - Ingrid Bens, author of Facilitating With Ease!"An impressively organized and presented resource."" - Library Bookwatch
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 279 mm
Width: 215 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
377 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8389-1542-4 (9780838915424)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Bess G. de Farber, a nonprofit management specialist, is the grants manager for the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries and served in the same capacity at University of Arizona Libraries. Author of Collaborative Grant-Seeking: A Practical Guide for Librarians, she has provided grantsmanship instruction throughout the past 28 years and has led efforts to secure millions in grant funding for nonprofits and academic libraries. Her research interest is asset-based collaboration development. As president of ASK Associates and a certified professional facilitator through the International Association of Facilitators, she created the CoLAB Planning Series, group processes serving thousands of individuals and their organizations to find new collaborative partnerships.
April Hines is the journalism and mass communications librarian for the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. Her research areas include inquiry-based information literacy instruction, face-to-face facilitative processes, library marketing and outreach, and social media engagement. She has presented and published on such topics as academic librarians and personal branding, using ethnic newspapers to reach underserved communities, and developing a library student ambassador program. She has participated on several grant projects and leads the Collaborating with Strangers In and Outside Mass Communications project sponsored by Procter & Gamble.
Barbara J. Hood is the director of communications for the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. She promotes the libraries for academic, library, and general public communities at local, state, national, and international levels. She has coordinated and photographed many hundreds of library events for donors, the campus, and the local community. She has participated on several grant-awarded project teams, most notably the Institute for Museum and Library Services' National Leadership Grants project "The Panama Canal-Preserving a Legacy, Celebrating a Centennial, Leveraging an Extraordinary Human Achievement."
April Hines is the journalism and mass communications librarian for the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. Her research areas include inquiry-based information literacy instruction, face-to-face facilitative processes, library marketing and outreach, and social media engagement. She has presented and published on such topics as academic librarians and personal branding, using ethnic newspapers to reach underserved communities, and developing a library student ambassador program. She has participated on several grant projects and leads the Collaborating with Strangers In and Outside Mass Communications project sponsored by Procter & Gamble.
Barbara J. Hood is the director of communications for the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. She promotes the libraries for academic, library, and general public communities at local, state, national, and international levels. She has coordinated and photographed many hundreds of library events for donors, the campus, and the local community. She has participated on several grant-awarded project teams, most notably the Institute for Museum and Library Services' National Leadership Grants project "The Panama Canal-Preserving a Legacy, Celebrating a Centennial, Leveraging an Extraordinary Human Achievement."
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 The Importance of Strangers and Face-to-Face Conversations
Deliberately Connecting with Strangers
The Coffeehouse Effect
Notes
Chapter 2 Introduction to CoLAB Workshops
What Is a CoLAB Workshop?
What Happens during CoLAB Workshops?
Origin and History of CoLAB Workshops
Strategies for Designing Effective Profile-Signs
Basic Principles and Conditions That Yield the Best Results
Why Libraries and Library Employees Are Ideal Conveners and Facilitators
Notes
Chapter 3 CoLAB Workshop Assessments, Results, and Participant Stories
Preworkshop Surveys
Profile-Signs
Observations during a Workshop
Idea Boards
Idea Tables
Postworkshop Surveys
Follow-Up Interviews
Anecdotal Stories
Notes
Chapter 4 Step-by-Step Instructions for Conducting CoLAB Workshops
Scenario 1: On-Campus Space (Not in a Library) CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 2: On-Campus Library CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 3: Classroom CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 4: Community CoLAB Workshop in a Public Library
Chapter 5 Variations on CoLAB Workshop Activities
Icebreakers
Conference Sessions
Classroom Settings
Nonprofit Organization Representatives Working in a Common Geographical Area
Topic-Based Sessions
Grant Proposal Development Incentives
Match-Making for Dissimilar Disciplinary Groups or Participants with Different Types of Expertise
Chapter 6 Seeking Sponsors for CoLAB Workshops
Step 1: Determine What Type of Support Is Needed
Step 2: Search for a Sponsor
Step 3: Prepare a Grant or Sponsorship Proposal
Step 4: Add CoLAB Workshops to Enhance Other Proposed Grant Projects
Notes
Chapter 7 Promotional Strategies for CoLAB Workshops
Designing Promotional Materials
Pushing Out the Promotional Materials
Designing a Dedicated CoLAB Workshop Website
Postworkshop Online Follow-Up
Chapter 8 Tips and Lessons Learned for Presenting Successful CoLAB Workshops
Recommendations and Best Practices
Envisioning the Future
About the Authors
Index
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 The Importance of Strangers and Face-to-Face Conversations
Deliberately Connecting with Strangers
The Coffeehouse Effect
Notes
Chapter 2 Introduction to CoLAB Workshops
What Is a CoLAB Workshop?
What Happens during CoLAB Workshops?
Origin and History of CoLAB Workshops
Strategies for Designing Effective Profile-Signs
Basic Principles and Conditions That Yield the Best Results
Why Libraries and Library Employees Are Ideal Conveners and Facilitators
Notes
Chapter 3 CoLAB Workshop Assessments, Results, and Participant Stories
Preworkshop Surveys
Profile-Signs
Observations during a Workshop
Idea Boards
Idea Tables
Postworkshop Surveys
Follow-Up Interviews
Anecdotal Stories
Notes
Chapter 4 Step-by-Step Instructions for Conducting CoLAB Workshops
Scenario 1: On-Campus Space (Not in a Library) CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 2: On-Campus Library CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 3: Classroom CoLAB Workshop
Scenario 4: Community CoLAB Workshop in a Public Library
Chapter 5 Variations on CoLAB Workshop Activities
Icebreakers
Conference Sessions
Classroom Settings
Nonprofit Organization Representatives Working in a Common Geographical Area
Topic-Based Sessions
Grant Proposal Development Incentives
Match-Making for Dissimilar Disciplinary Groups or Participants with Different Types of Expertise
Chapter 6 Seeking Sponsors for CoLAB Workshops
Step 1: Determine What Type of Support Is Needed
Step 2: Search for a Sponsor
Step 3: Prepare a Grant or Sponsorship Proposal
Step 4: Add CoLAB Workshops to Enhance Other Proposed Grant Projects
Notes
Chapter 7 Promotional Strategies for CoLAB Workshops
Designing Promotional Materials
Pushing Out the Promotional Materials
Designing a Dedicated CoLAB Workshop Website
Postworkshop Online Follow-Up
Chapter 8 Tips and Lessons Learned for Presenting Successful CoLAB Workshops
Recommendations and Best Practices
Envisioning the Future
About the Authors
Index