[R2R-OR] Q & A: Is this project outreach, a partnership, or both?

[Katie Anderson]

Q: We visit one free lunch site weekly throughout the summer.  We bring a craft project each week, sign up any kids who aren't already signed up for Summer Reading, and distribute prizes and books to the kids who have completed the program. The free lunch staff are providing us with space and helping us get kids signed up for summer reading on site. I'm pretty sure this is outreach, but is it also a partnership?

A: Yes, it is definitely outreach! Whether or not it's also partnership is more subjective in this particular case. Here are two questions to help you determine this:

Does free lunch staff helping you do sign-ups feel just like a friendly, helpful gesture or does it feel like they are really invested in encouraging and supporting kids participate in your SRP? It is only outreach if it feels more like a friendly, helpful gesture. If it feels like free lunch staff are really invested in kids participating in SRP (perhaps they're also reminding kids to read on days the library isn't there), then it is probably outreach and a partnership.

If the free lunch staff stopped helping with sign-ups, would it negatively impact the program or could you pretty easily adapt to maintain the program? If it would negatively impact the program, it's outreach and a partnership. If you could pretty easily adapt to maintain the program, then it's probably only outreach.


Background only if you're interested:
Outreach is one of the three library youth services best practices and the Legislature wants to know if libraries are using state funds (i.e. the Ready to Read Grant) on best practices. This question about outreach has been on the Ready to Read application and report form since 2007 or 2008. During this most recent Legislative session, the Legislature asked if state funds are being used on partnership projects so this question has been added to the Ready to Read application and report form.

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
Katie

[Slogan Text][Cooper_laughing]
Summer Reading 2015 at Oregon libraries<http://libdir.osl.state.or.us/>!
Find a summer food site<http://www.summerfoodoregon.org/>.

Katie Anderson, Youth Services Consultant
Library Support and Development Services<http://www.oregon.gov/osl/LD/pages/index.aspx>
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
katie.anderson at state.or.us<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us>, 503-378-2528

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