On March 5-7, 2019, 50 library staff and partners from 15 Indiana libraries began a nearly year-long journey by attending a Public Innovators Lab taught by certified coaches from The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. The individuals from all 15 libraries will participate over the next year in additional training and develop action plans to engage with and move their communities forward.
The participating libraries were selected via a competitive application process. Each library has two to five staff or community partners participating in the initiative. The participating libraries include:
- Bartholomew County Public Library
- Crown Point Public Library
- Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library
- Fulton County Public Library
- Hamilton East Public Library
- Indiana University Kokomo Library
- Jasper County Public Library
- Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library
- Jefferson County Public Library
- Johnson County Public Library
- Kokomo-Howard County Public Library
- Noble County Public Library
- Plymouth Public Library
- Putnam County Public Library
- Wells County Public Library
MCLS is committed to continuing to support the community engagement efforts of Indiana and Michigan libraries beyond the Public Innovators Lab and follow-up coaching as they put the Harwood tools into practice in their community. We look forward to the positive changes these libraries will make by engaging with their communities. MCLS has been using the tools from the Institute and sharing them with others since 2013. The Indiana Harwood Public Innovators Lab was sponsored by MCLS and fully funded through a grant program established by the MCLS Board of Trustees from the proceeds of the sale of the former INCOLSA building in Indiana.
