Library director Jenny shares takeaways from Harvard 'Libraries and Democracy' workshop

Jenny, the library director, told the North Liberty Library Board she attended a one‑day 'Libraries and Democracy' workshop in Cambridge funded by the Allen Lab. "The Allen Lab actually funded my travel for that meeting," she said, and described sessions designed to help public‑policy students learn what libraries do to support civic engagement.

Jenny said the workshop brought together public‑policy and library‑school professors and practitioners from institutions including Simmons and Howard to design a one‑semester curriculum for policy students. She described breakout groups that explored libraries' roles in economic development, community engagement and social‑service triage. "They came to the conclusion that the people coming out of the public policy school at Harvard were not coming out with any kind of understanding about what libraries do to forward democracy in our communities," she said.

Board members asked about practical outcomes. Jenny said staff training on intellectual freedom versus First Amendment questions is under development and that she expects to circulate a short slide deck and scripting for part‑time staff by the end of February. The board did not take formal action on the workshop items but discussed how new curriculum and training might inform local programming and advocacy.