July 2, 2009

Job Opportunity at ALA Conference

Posted in Civic Engagement Survey, Job Opportunities at 7:47 am by Taylor

If you are attending ALA or can get to Chicago or know a student in Chicago who wants to make a little pin money and get into the exhibitor’s booth and our MIG meeting, please forward…

How do you get started if you want to make a difference in America?

That is the question posed by NOW on PBS executive producer John Siceloff and writer Jason Maloney in their book, Your America: Democracy’s Local Heroes and answered in the inspiring biographies of grassroots activists and companion video produced by NOW on PBS. http://www.pbs.org/now/youramerica

PBS NOW is seeking a representative to work at the Palgrave Macmillan publisher’s booth at the ALA conference in Chicago July 11-14 to promote the book, Your America.

AND they are willing to pay $25 per hour for three hours per day - you make your own schedule between 9:00-5:00 July 11-13 and 9-2 on the 14th!

I’ve negotiated a couple of other perks that should be of interest …

Here’s what you will get in addition to $75 per day for 3 hours of work:

  • An exhibitor badge that will get you into the ALA exhibit halls
  • You will also get to attend the ALA Membership Initiative Group: Libraries Foster Civic Engagement on Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:30 - 12:00 pm (See Blog announcement: http://tinyurl.com/lno26q ) This is a great place to meet librarians who are involved in civic engagement and social justice issues in their communities!
  • A copy of the book America’s Heroes

Here’s what you need to do:

The publicist has two exhibitor badges so even if you cannot be available all four days, it may still be possible to share this assignment.

If you are interested, contact ASAP:
Lawana P. Dykes
Your America - Marketing
JumpStart Productions
anawald@yahoo.com
(609) 567-1155
(609) 567-2354 (FAX)

June 30, 2009

Civic Engagement MIG ROOM Change to Grant Park Room, Palmer House, 6th Floor, July 12, 10:30-noon

Posted in Conference sessions at 12:30 pm by Nancy Kranich

Please note a room change for the Libraries Foster Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group Meeting on Sunday, July 12, 2009, Chicago, IL, Grant Park Room, Palmer House, 6th Floor.

Hope to see you there.

June 29, 2009

Using Virtual Reality for Stakeholder Engagement: An Online Conference in Second Life®

Posted in Uncategorized at 1:24 pm by Taylor

Thursday, July 16, 2009
11am-5pm Eastern

Presented by PublicDecisions
Co-sponsored by
§         Learning Times
§         NY University Law School/Institute for Information Law and Policy
§         Public Agenda

§         Involve
§         National Issues Forum Institute
Why just talk with stakeholders about environmental management (or any other subject)? Let them experience it!

Conducted entirely in the virtual world Second Life, this one-day conference will provide you with the opportunity to experience and learn about the possibilities of hosting stakeholder learning events using virtual reality.

You’ll participate in presentations (including a virtual deliberation held in Second Life), discussions . . . even “field trips” that demonstrate how virtual reality is being used for stakeholder learning today.

What You’ll Learn:
► The benefits and drawbacks of working with stakeholders in Second Life, including when it’s appropriate, efficient and effective—and when it’s not
► How Second Life differs from other technologies used for stakeholder engagement
► How Second Life can be used for a range of subject areas, including—but not limited to—environmental management
► Tips for using Second Life effectively, including how to access existing “islands” or spaces within Second Life’s virtual world and how to create your own space

View the conference agenda

No Experience Needed
You don’t need prior experience with Second Life to attend, but you will need to create a Second Life account (it’s free) in order to participate.

An orientation for registrants new to Second Life (and those who want a refresher) will be provided prior to the conference.

WHERE
Online, in Second Life

FEE
Seats are Limited to the First 75 Registrants
$75 USD for Circle Club members, $85 USD for nonmembers

Registration includes the PublicDecisions post-event report, “Using Virtual Reality for Stakeholder Engagement”

Not a Circle Club member? Join now. Membership is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

QUESTIONS? Contact Paul Coelus

Second Life is a registered trademark of Linden Research, Inc.
LearningTimes and the squirrel logo are trademarks of LearningTimes, LLC.

June 24, 2009

Libraries Foster Civic Engagement MIG Meeting, ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, July 12, 2009

Posted in Conference sessions at 1:30 pm by Nancy Kranich

Libraries Foster Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group

2009 ALA Annual Conference – Chicago, IL
Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:30 - 12:00 pm
Palmer House Hotel, Grant Park Room, 6th Floor

AGENDA
Updates–Civic Engagement Activities Around the Country

Privacy: Who Do You Trust?
Report from the Test Dialogue
Join the Conversation/Experience a Deliberative Dialogue
Thursday, July 9, 2009, 1:30-4:30, ALA Headquarters, Judith Krug Room, 1st Floor
You can still register for the IFRT/LFCE-MIG Preconference on Privacy
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/ifrt/ifrtinaction/programb/2009preconference.cfm

 

Deliberative Dialogue Public Policy Institute — Training Programs
ACRL Law and Political Science Program–Civic Engagement, Saturday, July 11, 2009, 1:30 – 3:00 PM
McCormick Place South, S105a-d

 

Other–Send Suggestions to nancy.kranich@nyu.edu

 

Civic Engagement Blog-http://discuss.ala.org/civicengagement/

Join Us. Bring Your Colleagues
Subscribe to ALA’s Civic Engagement listserv:
1.     Go to: http://lists.ala.org/wws
2.     Click on “View All Lists”
3.     Scroll down to “deliberate@ala.org”
4.     Click on “Subscribe”
5.     Fill in your e-mail address in the box at the top of the screen
6.     Press “submit”

For more information, contact Nancy Kranich, nancy.kranich@nyu.edu

May 7, 2009

“PACE Releases Guide on Deliberative Democracy and Democratic Governance”

Posted in Deliberative Dialogue, Grants, Publications of Interest at 8:14 pm by Nancy Kranich

“PACE Releases Guide on Deliberative Democracy and Democratic Governance”

April 30, 2009

As the philanthropic community grapples with the question of how to support innovative and effective forms of democratic governance, PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement) has released a guide that provides a detailed description of how local civic engagement has grown and developed over the past decade.

“Funding and Fostering Local Democracy: What Philanthropy Should Know about the Emerging Field of Deliberation and Democratic Governance” is a free, downloadable publication designed to inform the field of philanthropy. The strategies described in the guide—and the stories of how communities have used them to break policy deadlock, reduce tension and galvanize volunteerism—can help funders, public officials and community activists better understand the possibilities, and limitations, of various approaches to working with the public.

“As more and more foundations are making civic engagement a part of their funding priorities, they are also being presented with a whole new set of approaches and tools for engaging citizens at the local level,” says Chris Gates, the Executive Director of PACE, ‘This guide is an attempt to demystify the emerging field of deliberative democracy and help funders make more informed decisions about their support of this growing field.”

“Perhaps the most significant—and overlooked—recent development in the health of local democracy is the shift in citizen expectations, capacities and attitudes toward government,” argues Matt Leighninger, the director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and the author of this guide. “This guide illustrates how this shift is affecting public officials, foundations and nonprofit organizations, and how it has provoked a new generation of efforts to make local politics and local governance more participatory, deliberative and productive.”

The guide provides a list of some of the main organizations working in this field, describes some of the most influential models and processes, and provides examples of particularly significant democratic governance efforts. It also outlines some of the cutting-edge questions facing the field and provides a long list of resources to consult.

An electronic version of the guide is attached and we encourage you to share and forward.

PACE is an affinity group of the Council on Foundations, founded in 2005 to bring new philanthropic focus to the issues of civic engagement and democratic renewal.

For more information contact Chris Gates, Executive Director of PACE, at cgates@pacefunders.org or the author of the guide, Matt Leighninger, at mattleighninger@earthlink.net .

May 1, 2009

Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group Meeting at 2009 ALA Annual Conference

Posted in Conference sessions, Uncategorized at 3:57 pm by Nancy Kranich

Please join us for the Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group Meeting on Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Palmer House Hotel, Montrose 1, Chicago, IL.

Herb Block Foundation Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Citizen Involvement Grant Program

Posted in Grants, Uncategorized at 3:52 pm by Nancy Kranich

Herb Block Foundation Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Citizen Involvement Grant Program

Deadline: June 1, 2009

Through its Encouraging Citizen Involvement grant program, the Herb Block Foundation seeks to engage citizens in creating a responsible, responsive democratic government.

Proposals may focus on citizen education and greater voter participation in the electoral process. All projects must be nonpartisan and may not involve lobbying for specific legislation or candidates. Grants will not be made for capital or endowment programs, or for sectarian religious purposes.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Grants will range from $5,000 to $25,000 each for one year.

Visit the Herb Block Foundation Web site for complete program information.

More application information is available here.

March 24, 2009

Citizen Engagement Position in D.C.

Posted in Civic Engagement Survey, Job Opportunities at 2:22 pm by Taylor

I just received notice of a Director of Citizen Engagement position from my friend Joe Goldman over at AmericaSpeaks. AmericaSpeaks has engaged thousands of citizens in large-scale projects on participatory budgeting, rebuilding New Orleans, the New York Listening to the City project, the arts, and health care in California just to name a few. The tools in their toolbox include keypad voting, online deliberation, research, community conversations and webcast meetings.

With an administration that is promoting transparency, participation and collaboration, this is an exciting time to be involved in citizen engagement.So send Joe a line if you are interested in working in D.C. with a dynamic organization doing important work!

(read more…)

February 11, 2009

Report Outlines Options for Financially Challenged Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Posted in Civic Engagement Survey, Publications of Interest at 12:16 pm by Taylor

[From Philanthropy News Digest, January 24, 2009 Note the emphasis on “innovative activities designed to engage library users”.  Also  note the economic return that the library provides to the community!]
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh needs to explore new ways to meet its serious funding challenges, engage patrons and other stakeholders, and evaluate the services it offers, a new report from RAND Education finds.

Funded by the Eden Hall Foundation, the report, Assessing the Future of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Pathways to Sustainability (85 pages, PDF), outlines nine opportunities for the library and its stakeholders to pursue, including expanding innovative activities designed to engage library users; rigorously assessing the number and size of services and programs it offers; evaluating ways to leverage more benefits from existing resources, including technology, volunteers, and strategic partners; and the benefits and tradeoffs of a county-wide merger with the forty-four independent libraries in Allegheny County.

A study by the Carnegie Mellon University Center for Economic Development found that the library generates more than $132 million in combined economic return and estimated value to Allegheny County, sustains more than seven hundred jobs, and provides an economic benefit of $3 for every $1 it spends. But since the state cut funding for the library in 2002, it has had to juggle days and times of operation at its nineteen locations, even as circulation, visits, and program attendance has increased.

“RAND’s study is a critical information tool for the entire community,” said Barbara K. Mistick, president and director of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. “Over the coming months, we want to create a community dialogue about the importance of libraries. We want to engage library customers, foundations, elected officials, civic leaders, and the community at large. We need them to be our partners in determining the future of library services and funding and how we can serve our community best.”

“Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Should Explore Other Funding Sources, Right-Size Programs.” Rand Corporation Press Release 1/15/09.


January 9, 2009

Join the Conversation at ALA Midwinter in Denver, Sunday, January 25, 10:30 am, CCC, Room 603 — ALA Libraries Foster Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group

Posted in Conference sessions, Uncategorized at 10:48 am by Nancy Kranich

Libraries Foster Civic Engagement Membership Initiative Group

2009 ALA Midwinter Conference — Denver, CO
Sunday, January 25, 2009, 10:30 - 12:00 pm
Room Location:
Colorado Convention Center, Room 603

AGENDA
Updates on Library Civic Engagement Activities Around the Country

Topics will include:
Privacy Dialogue
Deliberative Dialogue Public Policy Institute — Training Programs
Deliberative Dialogue Survey Results
ACRL Law and Political Science Program–Civic Engagement, Summer 2009
Other–Send Suggestions to nancy.kranich@nyu.edu

Civic Engagement Blog–See http://discuss.ala.org/civicengagement/

Join Us. Bring Your Colleagues

Subscribe to ALA’s Civic Engagement listserv:

1.     Go to: http://lists.ala.org/wws
2.     Click on “View All Lists”
3.     Scroll down to “deliberate@ala.org”
4.     Click on “Subscribe”
5.     Fill in your e-mail address in the box at the top of the screen
6.     Press “submit”

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