Voices on Government
Baltimore County Public Library, Md.
Innovation Synopsis
Throughout summer and fall of 2016, a series of eight programs called Voices on Government were held at the Towson Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. Focused on the 2016 presidential election, they provided opportunities for both information sharing with experts in their fields and discussions among community members.
Challenge/Opportunity
The Library is an instrument of democracy, providing opportunities for our community to explore and connect over difficult topics in a community space. Finding a safe, neutral space for conversations about politics and government is difficult. By hosting these events at the library, we opened ourselves up to potential criticism and controversy, but felt that it was important to provide a way for our customers to get information regarding these important topics directly.
Key Elements of Innovation
Collaboration with our partners, University of Maryland Baltimore County School of Public Policy and the League of Women Voters of Baltimore County, was key to the success of these programs that brought the highly-charged 2016 election into the library. Together we determined the topics and scope of the series, how to best serve as facilitators and arranged for experts with diverse perspectives on the topics to attend.
Achieved Outcomes
The success of this series laid the groundwork for our future efforts, including continued streaming of select events. We hosted eight in this series with attendance for each between 40 and 65 engaged adults. Since hosting the Voices on Government series, we have used what we learned to create a similar series focused on Religion, another highly-charged topic.