Thank you for your interest in the Building Equity Based Summers (BEBS) professional development initiative. This project is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Those libraries selected to participate in BEBS will take part in a series of 8 meetings, including four 2-hour learning sessions and four 1-hour reflection sessions. The sessions will run weekly on Tuesday mornings from October 2024 – January 2025 and will cover topics such as:
● Why equity is important to summer library services and communities
● How to assess current summer services with an equity mindset
● How to begin to build equity-based summer services
● Ways to bring community voices into the design and decision making of equity-based summer services
● How to have conversations with community partners, stakeholders, and members about equity and equity-based summer services.

There will be a 1-hour introductory session before the BEBS learning series begins. Additionally, four optional drop-in discussion sessions will be scheduled in-between the required sessions.

Following the training, participants will be able to begin the design of equity-based summer services. They will also be able to articulate the impact these services have on the community, specifically community members who are a part of systematically marginalized populations.

Each staff member from your library who wishes to participate in BEBS should complete this form individually.

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* 1. Person completing the application:

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* 2. How would you describe your role in summer library programs and services? Select all that apply:

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* 3. Tell us about your role in summer programs and services. Describe how you have supported this work in the past. (limit 200 words)

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* 4. Have you worked with other library staff and/or community members and organizations in support of equity-based services?

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* 5. If yes, describe how you have collaborated with others in support of equity-based services. (limit 200 words)

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* 6. Tell us about the community your library serves. Include demographic / socioeconomic data, and a narrative description based on your personal knowledge of the community. (limit 250 words)

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* 7. How does this information about your community help inform you about building equity-based summer services? (limit 200 words)

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* 8. Why are you excited about participating in this initiative? (limit 250 words)

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* 9. Do you have the support of your supervisor / library director / board / other authority as applicable to participate in this initiative and fulfill the participant requirements?

Be sure to click/tap Done to submit your application. If you want a copy of your application responses, contact khite@library.ohio.gov.

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