Lauren Hagan:
The team and the work that we do. It really is something where we are empowering our customers and the people that we serve to enhance and change their lives.

Speaker 2:
That was Lauren Hagan, the new CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. On this episode of the conversation, Rachel and John sit down with Lauren and Donna Zuiderweg, the library's Chief Community Engagement Officer. Together they discuss the library's upcoming goals, explore some of their current programming, and highlight the vital role partnerships play in its continued success. Let's dive in.

John Hambrick:
Well, hello there and welcome back to The Conversation, Ohio voices in education igniting ideas and inspiring change. We have a dynamite conversation lined up for you today. Along with me today, my esteemed co-host Rachel Daniels. Rachel, thanks for being here today.

Rachel Daniels:
Thanks, John. You know I'm especially excited about this episode. This is dream come true for me.

John Hambrick:
This is going to be a good one. Yes, yes, yes. We are so grateful to be talking with our very own Columbus Metropolitan Library folks. We have with us today, Lauren Hagan, the newest CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Lauren, welcome to The Conversation.

Lauren Hagan:
Thanks, John. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Rachel.

John Hambrick:
Heck yeah. And with us today also Donna Zuiderweg, our Chief Community Engagement Officer with the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Donna, welcome to the Conversation.

Donna Zuiderweg:
Thanks for having us.

John Hambrick:
Heck yeah. Man, this is, I mean, the library just recently celebrated 150 years. What a great anniversary celebration that went through our community recently. Lauren, in your experiences and in your role with the library, can you share about our library system and the evolution that we've seen here in central Ohio with our library?

Lauren Hagan:
Oh, of course. I'd be happy to. The 150th anniversary was a really great opportunity for us to celebrate with the community and really celebrate the community support of Columbus Metropolitan Library and public libraries have a long history of evolving to meet the changing needs of our community, so we've come a long way from card catalogs and we're adopting advancing technologies. There's lots of new programs and services that we provide to the community.

And during our 150th anniversary celebrations, one of the newest things that we added was the Columbus Book Festival. We intended for that to be potentially just a one-time event in celebration of our 150th anniversary, but it was so well-supported by the community and everyone was so happy to experience and engage with the Columbus Book Festival that we will now do our third book festival in July of this year on the 12th and the 13th and Donna's team leads that effort and it's been a tremendous success. So what would you add, Donna?

Donna Zuiderweg:
I think that it was a testimony not only to the love of libraries that we've seen over the 150 years that continues to grow and the support that we have, but also what I love about the book festival in particular is that it just demonstrates what a literary community we have and that there is such a wonderful coming together around books and reading and education, and it's one of the best weekends for me every year. So I'm glad that we've been able to spearhead that and that it's taken on the legs that it has and will continue to exist.

Lauren Hagan:
The other thing that we've really evolved as a system is the spaces that we offer the community. So our library buildings have undergone a tremendous improvement in rebuilding and renovations for the last 10 plus years. We are working on our 20th location right now. We have four building projects currently under construction. Several of those are large-scale renovations. Two are new buildings that will replace what we have, a couple of express branches and those locations will now see standalone locations. So we're really excited about what's ahead in 2025 with those projects and what we can continue to bring to the community in terms of the spaces that we make available to folks. And we see a lot of use by our customers for things like study rooms and meeting rooms and different ways that community members can interact with the library beyond books. Books will continue to always be central focus for us, but this space has really provide a lot of opportunity for ways in which we interact with our customers.

Rachel Daniels:
That's a great segueway into my question. Lauren, as a lifetime library fan and a huge proponent of all things Columbus Metro Library System, I often wonder if people know the full scope and range of what the library system has to offer. We start at the checking out of books, but you step one foot into one of those beautiful new spaces and you see that there are so many other things that are available. And one element that's on my radar now is partnerships and the way that folks partnership that partner, the way that schools can partner with different organizations in our community. So I'd love to hear you talk a little bit about how schools and other interest holders in our community can partner with the Columbus Metro Library System.

Lauren Hagan:
Oh, there are so many ways that schools and teachers can partner with us. Through school visits is one great opportunity with different local branches. We welcome those. In fact, the school that my kids attend right now is working with the Hilliard branch on an after hours visit for the whole school to come to the branch and experience the branch outside of ours, so that's one opportunity. We also do a lot with teacher collections and teacher cards. There's just so many ways that we want to interact with students and teachers and have them coming and using our spaces. So there's a lot of opportunities and certainly I think Donna can build upon that more. Her team leads a lot of our outreach efforts and the ways in which we partner with different school districts and organizations.

Donna Zuiderweg:
As a Franklin County Library, we actually serve 10 school districts, Columbus City schools being the largest of the school districts. And so there's opportunity in so many different realms. And I think a lot of what we do is try to encourage the schools to be in touch with their local branch because there's nothing like that connection between one of our branches and a school that's close by. And we have wonderful staff who are always really looking for that connection and to figure out how they can specifically serve that particular school or those students. But we do school delivery and in some of our schools and some locations where we felt we really could support, the best way that we could support that particular school. And the challenge around third grade reading in particular, we thought we could really deliver some high interest materials to make sure that the students had what they needed to be encouraged to read, so that's one way.

We do, as Lauren mentioned, school visits. We have a bookmobile that occasionally goes out to schools, and so we actually have what's very fun, a new, we just received a new bookmobile. Her name is Hoppy, I think is what they've now named her. And she's going to be focused on a lot of community events in the summer. But I think there's just a whole host of ways that we try to support students and schools and parents and caregivers that are trying to really develop the love of reading in our youth.

Lauren Hagan:
Let me also add that for the out-of-school time, some of the programs that we offer. So of course every summer, the summer reading challenge is a big component of our summer programming. And then we've done a lot over the last couple of years to really enhance the programming there and really incorporate a lot of fun activities. And each branch is able to kind of select from a catalog of different programs and fun activities that they can offer to their customers. And so that has, I think, really helped to make each location have a little bit of a different experience with Summer Reading Challenge. And we also have updated our prizes and to really engage kids in different ways and made some adjustments to different elements of the challenge so that particularly younger kids can have access to prizes earlier on in the process to keep them engaged in the challenge. And what's also cool adults can sign up for the summer reading challenge as well.

And then we've made some changes to the Winter Reading Challenge and last year we tested out a different approach. And so this is the second year of that approach where we're having classrooms and homeschool groups sign up directly with us for that program. And then we're doing prizes in connection with the local branches for those classrooms that participate, things like pizza parties and ice cream parties and things that really, I think get particularly elementary kids excited. And then there's some more grade level specific as we get into higher grades, things that are prizes that are attractive to middle school students or high school students when those classrooms engage as well.

John Hambrick:
I really appreciate talking the community approach. Our hearts are in education and the partnerships you have with schools. If you could talk about two of those paths a little more. Libraries are great homework centers, right? You're providing resources. If you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit more of that. And then also for the adults in the community that are using the library, you've really been a strong workforce development enhancement in our community in providing that readiness, both per the individual, but then also you're hosting great events throughout the year to help better connect the community members. Could you share a little more about that?

Lauren Hagan:
Yeah, sure. If you can believe it, our first homework help Center launched 20 years ago at the Linden Branch, and that's one of our buildings that's currently under construction and being renovated and expanded. And since then, those centers have really evolved, so we've actually changed the name of those to school help centers to reflect that our teams are ready and able and are volunteers. Those are heavily supported by volunteers, are ready and able to help students with really any type of schoolwork. It doesn't necessarily have to be homework. I mean, I think you probably have all heard this, we are seeing less and less homework assigned, particularly in kind of the elementary grades. And so maybe there's a subject area that a student needs assistance with or a project that they're working on. And so we welcome them into the school help centers to work with our staff, but also with our volunteers.

We have a lot of dedicated volunteers who help us keep those school help centers running. And it's a great place for kids to be after school. And now we have those across all 23 locations. And in addition to that, we just want the out of school time, after school time for people to, kids in particular use our spaces, a safe space for them to be from anything from working on some schoolwork to maybe playing games or doing puzzles with their friends, new friends, old friends in a way to connect in the space. So we've been adding new features in our children's areas, our tween spaces and our teen spaces that really engage all of the young minds who are coming into our buildings to interact with the space and with our staff.

Donna Zuiderweg:
And I think on the partnership side, we have always been really based in partnership. Certainly one of the things that we have really prioritized and understood as we have developed these new buildings that Lauren was talking about, that we have these wonderful community spaces. Not only do we want individuals to come in, but we want them to be places where people can gather. And we also appreciate that that civic space has customers who have needs that the library cannot necessarily fulfill. And so we have more and more partnered with various other organizations in the community to have them be a partner in our locations and maybe they're tabling in our locations, providing a service that our adults might need. And as John as you mentioned, workforce development is certainly one. I mean, we have some staff who can support that, but we also partner a lot with Goodwill, Columbus and Jewish Family Services and other organizations.

So you see that, but it's also very heavily in the social service realm, legal aid partners. We're doing more with the city of Columbus and hosting things like driver's license, reinstatement clinics and things along that line, just recognizing that we have something unique in the space that we have in each of these communities. And we also have a customer base in many cases who really need some of these resources that are out in the community and don't know where to seek them.

And so we've taken, not only do we try to identify those resources because that's what we might do as public library staff, but then to take that added step and say, if we can say, "Here's the resource that you need, and oh by the way, they're going to be here on Saturday, so if you can come in, make it in on Saturday, they can perhaps directly help you with that challenge that you're having."

Rachel Daniels:
So going into this podcast, if I could, it's the beginning of the year. Everybody thinks of the word for the year. So when I think about the library system, there's a word I think of. And Donna, what you've just encapsulate drives home for me. This notion that the library to me is synonymous with hope. It's a hopeful place. And you've just given these great examples of outside of books, sort of where hope can reside and it's really exciting to hear that there is a literal place for interest holders that come and gather at the library.

So to wrap up our conversation, as we think about hope and we think about the future, I'd love to hear about how the library is preparing to adapt to new technologies and continued shifts that we're seeing around technology, around the way that the library is being used. If you think about how and where and in what ways information is needed and is supplied. So share what's on the horizon with us.

Lauren Hagan:
Oh, absolutely. This is always top of mind for us at the library. I think technology, as you've pointed out, is rapidly changing and artificial intelligence is being incorporated into all of the tools and technology that we all interact with. And so this is something that for the last couple years now, our teams have really been thinking about the ways in which artificial intelligence and technology is changing and can impact the work of the library team, but also what role the public library has in supporting our customers as they're navigating the challenges and opportunities that exist with these tools.

We think about the library really is a very trusted institution in our community. And when we think about the benefits of the way that technology is changing, there's also a lot of challenges that come along with it and for people to understand and be able to navigate what's true and how was it generated and what maybe isn't true and what role can we play in supporting our customers and understanding how to navigate those tools and how to be able to spot things that may be coming their way.

As an example, something we've talking about in some programs that our teams have been delivering is sort of different introductory programs into understanding what artificial intelligence is, what it means. And then even with our younger customers here at Main Library, during a school visit, the team in Main Library Children's put together a program for those students about how to spot websites and different information on the internet that was true or that was fake and was intended to deceive.

So there's just opportunity for us to think about how artificial intelligence, how technology is evolving. I mean, libraries have done that and its history. You think about when the internet first came about, and even when you think about the ways in which people are reading is really drastically changing. We've seen such an increase in the downloads of e-books and e-audiobooks, so that's informing the way that we're buying content for our customers. And so we have a lot to think about, and it's always top of mind for us. And we're really excited about the future and how we can continue to evolve and innovate and really provide resources that our customers and our community need.

Donna Zuiderweg:
And I think maybe to bring it full circle for us, 150 years, actually 150 years plus now of an organization and over the front of Main Library, it says, "Open to all," which we really think a lot about. And it's probably one of the few, maybe it is the only place in Columbus and across the country where you can go in and it's free and you can find what you need.

But I think the full spectrum of who we have come into our libraries every day is large. And so, we have people on the one end who are really seeking to understand technology and to really to download books and to have a reading experience. And we have others who are coming in who are struggling to pay the rent and are worried about being evicted, and they need that help. And so the opportunity for us as far as the service and what we can deliver is really significant. And we really pride ourselves on thinking about all the different resources that we can have available to the full breadth of the customers that we serve. And schools are just one of them, but a very important one for us.

Lauren Hagan:
And just to, I think build off of what Donna was saying there is at our core, I think as public libraries and really at Columbus Metropolitan Library, the team and the work that we do, it really is something where we are empowering our customers and the people that we serve to enhance and change their lives. And it's through the resources and services that we're offering and the people that are interacting with our customers that really make that difference. And through those partnerships, they're really important to the work that the library does and really a cornerstone of the central Ohio community and a really terrific resource that we are really proud to be for the community.

Rachel Daniels:
Well, that feels like a great place to land. We are so thankful to have this opportunity to talk about the many boons of the library system. And Lauren, you mentioned something and I feel like this is a good place to assert my 20 plus years as a literacy expert to say, audiobooks count as reading. I hear people debate this all of the time. So I love hearing about how you're upping sort of the revenue use toward that because as a commuter and a Libby app user, I love an audiobook. It helps me get through my list, so thanks for that.

Donna Zuiderweg:
You won't hear any argument from us, that's for sure.

Lauren Hagan:
It counts as reading.

Rachel Daniels:
It counts. It counts. Quote me, quote me on that. I love it. Well, again, we are so thankful to have you here. Though we probably won't be airing this podcast 150 years from now, we're quite sure that somebody else will take the reign to mark the 300th anniversary because the library system is here to stay. So much to offer, so helpful to the community and Lauren, we certainly wish you the best in your new leadership role [inaudible 00:22:33] leading the helm of this incredible work. So for John, this is Rachel. Stay curious. Maybe visit your local library branch and keep up the conversation.