Episode #6 | Season 2: Libraries as Democracy Drivers with Stephanie Chase

Funding Rural | Episode #6 | Season 2: Libraries as Democracy Drivers with Stephanie Chase

Stephanie Chase is the Executive Director of nonprofit Libraries of Eastern Oregon, which serves and supports 39 public libraries in rural Oregon. She also serves on the executive board of the American Library Association and has spent years learning about community programming and library systems. She recognizes the critical role a library plays in its community by curating informed citizens, providing a place to gather, and offering much more than books on the shelves.

“Libraries certainly have become politicized, which is a very difficult place to be because they are not a political place. But they offer services set on a very specific set of values that is about democracy; is about access; it is about the freedom to access the information that you want— recognizing that you or your family have the personal opportunity to decide what is right for you. ” —Stephanie Chase

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More about Stephanie Chase

Stephanie Chase is the Founding Principal of the Constructive Disruption consultancy and the Executive Director of the Libraries of Eastern Oregon, a resource sharing cooperative covering nearly 60,000 square miles in rural Oregon. Previously, Stephanie was the Director of Libraries for Hillsboro (OR) and the Director of Library Programs and Services for The Seattle Public Library. Stephanie is the founder of the Green Mountain (VT) Library Consortium, a founding member and inaugural chair of national advocacy organization LibraryReads, has served on the Public Library Association Board of Directors, and is a member of the American Library Association’s Executive Board.

“People come to the library now, having dug deep, often right into something, and the library has to try to pull them back out to, you know, where’s the information that is most trustworthy? What does it mean for information to be trustworthy? And how does having access to trustworthy information make you a more informed citizen, someone who’s better able to participate in your community? It’s a heavy load. But that’s why information is so important. ” —Stephanie Chase

Discussion Questions

• Stephanie Chase mentions that the funding needs of rural libraries are often not flashy, yet they are critical to offer library services. How does your organization make space for these fundamental support projects that may not come with “bragging rights” or tangible returns?
• What organizations in your rural focus area support the public library system? How are the libraries they serve showing up for community in more ways than providing access to credible information?

Resources

• Libraries of Eastern Oregon
• Stephanie Chase LinkedIn Profile
• Constructive Disruption: Strategy for Local Governments and Libraries
• Stephanie Chase (she/her/hers) Executive Director, Libraries of Eastern Oregon Baker City, OR 97814 Founding Principal, Construc
• Stephanie Chase | Outstanding in Their Field
• Oregon Grapevine: Libraries of Eastern Oregon

“Rural libraries are really having to do it all with very constrained resources, and often in small facilities in need of a lot of updates, and are very challenged to retain staff because the pay is low.” —Stephanie Chase

Transcript:

Episode #6 | Season 2: Libraries as Democracy Drivers with Stephanie Chase

Erin Borla  0:10  

It’s Funding Rural. I’m Erin Borla. With the Roundhouse Foundation. I’ve always loved libraries and books. And before I took this job at Roundhouse, I was the lead library staff person at our elementary and middle school libraries here in Sisters, Oregon. I recognize the value that books have, not only to transport and teach, but also the space a library offers in a community, because it’s so much more than just books. When I stepped into that role, we opened the libraries up before and after school and during lunches. So students would have a safe space to be if they needed a break from everything they were going through. Not to mention the opportunity to open students’ eyes to all the different types of books that are available, they had an opportunity to see their own experience reflected back at them, or learn about someone else’s experience through their eyes and storytelling. When I stepped into this role here, at Roundhouse, I sought out libraries to support there are so many located throughout our rural communities. And I knew how hard it was to find funding for the small projects we wanted to do in the school libraries. I thought there may be a connection for Roundhouse. I found this group called Libraries of Eastern Oregon, I knew I needed to get connected. They’re a nonprofit that serves and supports 39 public libraries in rural Oregon. They help share resources, learning opportunities, even a shared catalog. Stephanie Chase is their executive director, and it’s been great to get to know her and the incredible work that Leo has been doing over the years. Her background in rural spaces, and in supporting community gathering places that libraries are is so critical to community development. In addition to her work with Leo, she also serves on the executive board of the American Library Association. And she spent years learning about community programming, library support systems, and the importance of connection. Stephanie also grew up with a strong appreciation for the role a library plays in its community.

Stephanie Chase 1:56  

So I grew up in a very, very small town on the east coast of New Hampshire. So there were under 2000 people in the town that I grew up in. And we had a library that was volunteer run, a general store, a very small elementary school, and two churches. So actually not a lot for a town of 600, right. But when you start to think about what if you don’t fit into this, right, like, what if there is not a church that is part of your ego, part of your faith practice, or you don’t have a faith practice? So that opportunity to really connect with your friends and neighbors? Is not there? What if you don’t have a school aged child, and again, in a lot of small rural communities, the only school that will really be local will be an elementary school. So if you don’t have elementary school aged children, how are you meeting other people in your community? If you don’t have a general store, if there is not a place right to go get a gallon of milk, or pick up the paper and happen to see people? Where do you go, if you have a post office that’s not open very often, you really start whittling down these spaces, there are not a lot of free and open public spaces. For you just to see other people we would joke in the town I grew up in, a lot of people saw each other Saturdays at the transfer station right at the Swap Shop at the dump. But you don’t really want to spend a lot of time in the dump. So you’re really getting down to this one place, right, you’re gonna hear this one thing, which is typically the public library, and American public libraries are really unique in that their inception was really about being free and open to anyone, so that anyone could come through the door and access the information that they wanted to be a part of their lives. You know, certainly there’s, you know, all this history with public libraries, a lot of that comes around, you know, betterments in quotes, things like that. But that idea that anyone could walk through the door, you did not need to prove anything, you did not have to tell your name, you know, you didn’t have to do any of this, you could walk through the doors and access this information. It’s just really such a fundamental part. And when you think about where can I do that? And how can I meet other people who want to do that? And what are the people in my community interested in? You’re really at this one place, right, which is the public library, that off of that also is, typically is trying to have that space. So you can sit down and read the paper, have a cup of coffee or chat with your friends and your neighbors? There’s not a lot of spaces left for us to do that. 

Erin Borla  4:26  

And what are rural libraries are facing sort of a different space. Now, where are they? There are some challenges and then there’s, it’s I mean, how are you? How are you seeing that in

the work that you’re doing with Leo?

Stephanie Chase 4:38  

So I think we’re lucky in Oregon to I think the the communities that the Leo member libraries are in are by far and away, really not only accepting but very acknowledged, like they really acknowledge the important part that the library can play in the community. And I think what I put on my national hat right you see this kind of dichotomy exists where most people have this really intense love for their local library. They cannot imagine their community without a local library. But that as you kind of go more broadly, right, it’s kind of more philosophical. But sometimes that becomes harder to access. Right. So libraries, I think, certainly have become politicized, which is a very difficult place to be because they are not a political place. But they offer service set on a very specific set of values that is about democracy is about access, it is about the freedom to access the information that you want, recognizing that you, right or your family, right, you have the personal opportunity to decide what is right for you. The people who are at the library are not making those decisions for you, they’re doing their best to offer a really wide array of information, so that you can decide what’s important to you what you want to learn more about, if this is the right resource for you. But that idea around kind of like free and open access, again, people, that’s harder sometimes when it gets into this where you have libraries that are needing to really stand up and say, that also means for the things that you don’t like, no matter what side you are on the political spectrum, you know, we joke, if the library doesn’t have something in it to offend you, it’s not doing its job, because there really should be something for everyone. So it’s hard to be at that place. Right. So when you go to your local public library, and you love your library staff there, right, you love the space you enjoyed going to storytime. But in a lot of communities. Again, I think we’re really fortunate to see this not playing out in Oregon in the same way as in other states that that would that really calms that communal. And that community wide access that really butts up against or, you know, comes into conflict with somebody’s real personal beliefs. You know, there are libraries across the country communities across the country that are really having to wrestle with that, and very difficult.

Erin Borla  7:04  

Yeah, yeah. Well, and I think so as a Leo, you mentioned represents the several counties on the eastern part of the state. And how many libraries is that? 39 libraries 39. And so there, that’s a spectrum of library size wise, right? Talk a little bit about what staffing looks like because if we’re offering all these services, this suite of services, and the library is like run by three volunteers. What does that mean? What does that look like?

Stephanie Chase 7:30  

You know, so about a third of the libraries in the service area, right? Forget, you think about, you know, everything east of the Cascades except for Deschutes. County, a third of those libraries are run by a single staff person, they may or may not right, have some level of continuous volunteer help, but you’re looking at a single paid staff person who is more likely than not, to not be full time. So the same things that you read about right, the things that the New York Public Library is doing, or Los Angeles Public Library, doing, all those things are happening, right at scale, in a rural public library to job applications, choosing books, running storytime, right, all of those things. And in a small and rural library, again, more often than not, it’s one person who’s really in charge of making that happen. And even when you look across, then, you know, the larger parts in the cab, so Baker County, which has a county system with multiple locations, or somebody like Pendleton, or Hood River, you know, you’re looking at libraries that are serving, you know, 25-30,000 people right in the service area, with still relatively small staff, you know, 7 to 10 people, maybe right kind of covering seven day a week service, and having to wear every single one of those hats, and doing it in a way again, where they have to be very visible in their community. So there’s that extra kind of piece, right, of knowing what’s happening in your community and, and being a representative of the library in your community all the time. And then even more so right. Most most libraries in the east are really doing that on relatively small budgets. Yeah, I don’t think there’s any library anywhere who has the budget, they need to meet their demand. But rural libraries are really having to do it all with very constrained resources, and often in small facilities in need of a lot of updates, and are very challenged to retain staff because the pay is low. And I think again, we’re often really looking to how can we help take something off that person’s plate right, because in these in the smaller rural libraries, the more that can happen, right because of collaborative collaboration because of shared resources, shared programming, having a network where you can pass information from one library to another, that just frees up the time for that staff person, that library person should really be engaging with their community, which is the most meaningful thing that we can really help support? 

Erin Borla  10:14  

What are some of the coolest programs that you’ve seen that the your some of the libraries you’ve worked with? Or even in different places? I know you’ve had, you’ve been in libraries for a long time. I mean, you started stuff, and then we’re here in the metro area. So I mean, you’ve seen it all, what’s what’s been some of the coolest stuff? 

Stephanie Chase 10:31  

You know, for me, I am a huge fan of the Library of things. Because I think, again, the same principles that really exist around I need access to something to help right to get me from point A to point B, may not need that resource. Once I’m at point B, right, there’s something else I need. And the idea that I could go to the library and like, check out a dehydrator right, or, you know, check out at a cider press or a metal detector or something like that, that I might only need once, and that that will help me do the one thing I need to do, or help build my confidence to be like, you don’t want like, Oh, I could invest in this, you know, and now I know what to look for, you know, why wouldn’t we do that with physical items the same way that we do with electronic, you know, resources or books. So I love the library of things. And again, that’s a you see that across the country, and people have the coolest stuff. And remember, the American Library Association, President was doing a tour and she went to a library where you could check out carpet cleaners. Like a rug shampooer, right? I mean, why not go to the library instead of the grocery store. And then for me, I really love seeing how libraries interpret what their communities need. And so the real switch, I think that or the real focus that you’ve seen in public libraries, of really trying to meet patrons and community members, where they are. So as opposed to be like, how do we get people into the library? How do we get people into the library? You think, where do people in my community have an information need? And how can I help meet that need, and then it does not have to include coming into the physical library. I love just seeing how people interpret that. So you know, sometimes you have like really cool pop up libraries, or you have libraries taking really active roles in, you know, community events. I’m working with a library that’s based in Arkansas, that has a really strong relationship with their local organic farming community to really help support their after school feeding program. So that the majority of their libraries, they have a very robust after school food program, recognizing the majority of the kids in their service area, once they leave school don’t have access to food at home. It’s the sum of those branches that feed a couple 100 kids at every afternoon, right. And they’re doing this in partnership, right with the school district, but also with these local farmers, like what a cool way to meet this really significant need in a community. And right to do it in a space where it’s very low stakes, right? Again, these kids libraries are viewed as a safe place to come a place where kids can gather. So I think that that’s what’s really exciting. And so when you think about not the stuff that kind of like everybody’s doing the same kind of across, but when you have something that comes up in a community, and the library says, Oh, I can, we can help with that. And we went to visit the library in Blue River, Oregon, which is rebuilding after the fires. And they the library chair talked about, you know, the woman who originally funded that library, that library is all run by volunteers. You know, she started running the library, like on her front porch, and then it was like in her living room. And then they like built a shed, you know, kind of kept going down that path. And she said, You know, it’s like every town needs a post office library and a tavern. And the recognition that the library those group of volunteers had of if we want our town to be reborn, right, everything has burned down. What’s the first most visible thing that should come back up that should physically exist to help our town feel like a town again, it’s a library, they worked really hard to raise funds to build a beautiful new library. They’re almost done with it. And I think like that’s an amazing response right to a very specific community need to say, we need to show people it’s worth investing in this town again. And one of the most visible ways we can do it is by having like a beautiful community funded community run open public space. That’s a that’s a public library. If so, I think in every library in everything they do try and write to kind of have those multiple layers, you know, in saying how not to just provide, right, like access to a food dehydrator, but help people, you know, learn more about the extension, you know, the extension, or save money, or have this be the first breadcrumb, right in a trail, that might lead to a level of self sufficiency that they’re looking for, you know, always trying to put all of those layers into the things that we do, again, so that the person who’s coming in that recognition that the person that’s coming in with a real individual and can kind of pull the thread that’s the most meaningful for you.

Erin Borla  15:42  

Well, and I think that stems into, you know, Library’s bigger purpose of creating the importance or providing the space for literate and informed citizenry. Right, and, and why that that institution is so critical to that space. But and now we’re seeing so much adaptation with technology and other things where oftentimes, we’re not thinking as journalistically. Maybe as we were before, maybe that’s not the right term, or nothing is critically, or, you know, because the information is so readily available to us. Yeah, yeah. And so to be able to have a space where let’s have a dialogue about that, let’s talk about why there might be somebody that thinks differently. And what does that look like? Are you seeing other ways that that, that the libraries that you work with have stepped into that role?

Stephanie Chase  16:27  

Well, I think libraries have long really been at play. So it’s really about civic connection, right? So about that responsibility, that civic responsibility we have to the community that we belong. And some of that is a big space in terms of like, Are you registered to vote? Right? Do you know who your representatives are? How can you engage with the people who are representing you in government? So there’s always a recognition that libraries have that space to play? And then I think, again, rates going over to that personal level of how do we help remind people think this piece about misinformation and disinformation, right. So I mean, it’s really challenging for libraries. I started 25 years ago, people just really didn’t use the internet, right? Like it existed. But everything that I did, in my first library job was really used books, right, you know, and, and had, I had access to resources that people do not have access to in their homes. This is a very easy call to come to the library. But people come to the library now, having dug deep, often right into something, and the library has to try to pull them back out to, you know, where’s the information that is most trustworthy? What does it mean for information to be trustworthy? And how does having access to trustworthy information make you write a more informed citizen, someone who’s better able to participate in your community, that’s sick, that’s a heavy load. Right? It’s a heavy load. But that’s why information is so important. And why you do see why having access to unfettered access right to information, and someone to help you, wade through it. 

Erin Borla  18:15  

Because now it’s just at our fingertips, right, the snap of a finger and you get 5000 results. Oftentimes, we talk about when we’re talking about journalism or other things, it’s like, how do we, how do we know which source is correct, and who’s buying. And so having those trusted, trusted community members that are in a library or places similar, that can help us filter in a way I think is really, really critical? And then providing the programming that goes alongside that with Hey, did you want to know more about this, right, here’s an activity,

Stephanie Chase 18:47  

One of the real losses that I think we’ll continue to feel as the society, in our communities, as school library support really gets peeled away. Because a lot of that information literacy that media literacy work is was happening in school libraries. I spent time as a school librarian. And I remember, you know, in an elementary school, and it was at that time, you know, when you get like, a lot of those popups will pop up. And remember a kid in the class Oh, Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Chase, I just want a billion dollars. Right? And you know, and then this other right level of secondary and it’s like, Oh, Mrs. Chase, I just want a million dollars to write. And because we were in a space where you could have a conversation about it. We could talk about that nobody want a million dollars, what were they what could they want from you? Like, what do you think they want when you click on that button? And how do we be careful about our information and what we’re giving away and how could you tell if this was legitimate? A lot of students are having to find those things out on their own. So you know, that media and digital read literacy piece is just so crucial in an environment where you have all sorts of things coming at him.

Erin Borla  19:59  

What are other ways that philanthropy and other funders could step in and support events and activities or other things of the library’s?

Stephanie Chase 20:07  

I mean, I see money is so important, right? I think a lot of times, and it’s like with the library of things, you don’t need a lot of money, you need $1,000 each, 2500 bucks to try to get something up to start, and then often rent, like the visibility. And if it was really meaningful for your community, then the community will start to come together to really support it. So I think I think it’s so important that innovation money for anybody who’s listening, right, who was on the budgeting side with a government, there’s not a lot of flexibility and a local government budget, that money is all working as hard as they can going where it needs to go. So even if, even if it might not seem like it, so that you know, a small rural public library does not have play money, right? Like there’s not fun money, you can see this, this need pop up in your community, and you will not have the money allocated to you through your government funds to be able to meet that need. So that’s why like this 500, 1000,  2500 dollar  kind of small gifts are great, and just being able to be like, oh, gosh, I can buy this, I can try this. And then I think too, and because the structure around rural public library service is so financially challenged, libraries really need access to funds that are about improving their physical facilities. Most libraries have long deferred maintenance, and they’re being asked to be warming and cooling centers, you know, without the appropriate tools. So there’s that piece, and there’s just the operating piece, right. And I think it’s fine. I think we’ve seen this a little bit more right ever move in philanthropy to really support operating. But that’s not flashy, if you have someone who is working three quarters time, and you can get them to full time and have benefits. That’s not an inexpensive investment. But it will change that person’s life, and give them that time to give back to their community. That operating support is just so crucial. And I think you know, you’ve talked about it, and they talked about it on podcasts, too, that so philanthropy building a relationship with the groups that it’s funding and really working on that trust, so that you trust that the organization is going to use the funds in the most meaningful and impactful way. And that they trust that you’re going to support them and those decisions really means that money is going where it needs to go best. Maybe it’s benefits. Maybe it’s a window air conditioner, maybe it’s food to give to every kid who comes to summer reading program all summer. A lot of the things that libraries need are not really, they’re not flashy. And so they become very, very hard to fundraise for, or obtain funding for. And there’s just no wiggle room in most libraries budget. 

Erin Borla  23:03  

Well, thanks for spending time today. I know I just I so enjoy chatting with you all the time. It’s always my favorite.

Stephanie Chase  23:09  

Oh my gosh, likewise, you cannot ask for a better library champion. So thank you so much.

Erin Borla 23:23  

To be called a library champion. I think that’s something I’ve always dreamed about this really expecting? How can I show up for folks in a way that is just makes them feel like we’re a champion? That’s awesome. We didn’t spend a ton of time diving into the work that libraries do outside of those traditional services, you know, broadband for job applications, supporting communities, and community members who can’t fill out health care applications, different learning models, you know, I talked to a librarian at one point, she said the majority of my job is helping people fill out forms, because people are coming to those spaces to use that access and have someone walk them through a form or a program that they’re trying to apply for. There’s opportunities with so socialization of young children with storytime. For moms and caregivers to connect with other families. There are so many roles for a library to take. And I love that we touched on how philanthropy can really think about small innovation style grants, just attempting a project that are outside of a traditional budget. It’s $1,000 is $2,500. And yeah, that can be a real stinker, when you have to fill out the same amount of paperwork in a philanthropic organization for a small grant. But man, those can be really helpful and they can really leverage opportunities and experiences for folks that want to just try something on the ground. You know, there’s this misconception to that I’ve encountered in the philanthropic communities about where library funding comes from. So many people think that all of their funding comes from government, special districts, City County, our tax dollars, right. And that’s wrong. The median revenue for rural fringe libraries the last time this was studied, which was in 2011, was $175,000 ish. For rural remote libraries. The median revenue was $53,000. That’s a blind spot, and a huge opportunity for philanthropist to try and support new things communities in need. Trying to meet community needs to see people where they’re at to attempt new projects for real innovation. Thanks again for listening to Funding Rural. You’ll see all sorts of show notes transcripts from the episode and everything and FundingRural.com

Transcribed by AI. Please excuse errors.