Randallstown Library Community Forums
Baltimore County Public Library, Md.
Innovation Synopsis
Each year, the Randallstown Branch presents a community forum addressing issues like mass incarceration, enacting change through civic action and improving police-community relations. Forums include an outside moderator; panels of guest speakers from the judicial system, community activists and scholars; music, art and films; and dialogue.
Challenge/Opportunity
The Randallstown community has been impacted by national news coverage of incidents of police brutality and local tragedies such as the choking death of a Randallstown High School student by police in 2012. This troubling event, has heightened the concerns of parents, educators, community members and librarians at the Randallstown branch who serve teens every day. Fear and distrust between police and community members signaled the need for dialogue to discuss issues and examine possible solutions.
Key Elements of Innovation
Because of the library’s trusted reputation, it was the ideal location for the open exchange of ideas we hoped to encourage. Having these events annually over a three year period, established the Randallstown library as an instrument of democracy where difficult and controversial issues are explored and different perspectives heard. Forums give our branch the opportunity to act as a catalyst for change by bringing members together in our gracious space to share insight.
Achieved Outcomes
The first goal is getting people together talking. For many attendees, the opportunity to speak about their experience and be heard is a valuable first step to healing. By convening community members and group leaders, the library can encourage additional action. The library, a trusted resource in the community, is an ideal space for these discussions to take place. A secondary goal included examining the role we all play in bringing about peace and justice.