20 Mar Board Retreat
On Monday March 3, the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, City Library Board, Library Staff, and Friends of the Library assembled in the Central Library for a board retreat, Led by Patricia Schwarz and Lindsay Solemoni. A group of deeply passionate, civically engaged people all gathered in the space they are most passionate about, made for a memorable team building event. The group reviewed Community Centric Fundraising and how it could apply at the Library then went into a training on the importance of storytelling and creating a strategic narrative for the library. The library has something for everyone, so narrowing down the specific story is important to create a personal connection.
As the retreat progressed, the members were randomly put into groups to share their personal stories with each other. Although talking about yourself is difficult, the group was supported by one another, encouraging that this was not a time to be humble. The room was flooded with stories of overcoming hardships, rising to leadership, discovering passion, and bettering the community. Before the retreat, the group knew each other within work settings and brief interactions, but these conversations guided the group into being vulnerable and personal.
By the end of the board retreat, the group realized that everything they had been looking for was already right in front of them. The library doesn’t need to search far and wide for the power to make change – it already exists within its team and community. A passionate, empathetic, and visionary group of individuals is fully committed to strengthening the future of the library. By recognizing their collective strengths and personal stories, they are ready to turn that passion into action and create a lasting impact within the Santa Barbara community.
Through interactive training, the group discussed issues such as how to share stories about the library to different groups of people, how to list donors on informational documents, and how to get more involved within the library community. Attendees were inspired to sign up for upcoming activities, such as giving library tours, presenting to outreach groups, and national library week events, to increase storytelling efforts within the library.
Interested in learning more? Join a tour of the library and Check it Out! Email- [email protected]
Posted by SBPLF Intern Briana Ibarra-
Briana is a fourth-year student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, majoring in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing on the Civic Engagement track. She hopes to apply her communication and writing skills to a career in marketing or public relations after graduation.
