Community Engagement Consultant
METRO
Job posted to this site on February 14th at 8:33am
Application Deadline: March 22nd 2024
Freelance
Job Description
METRO is seeking an individual or a firm that will develop community engagement or participatory design exercises and then facilitate a series of three community meetings in different locations and settings in Westchester County. Additionally, they will work with METRO staff to coordinate online forums and other means of gathering input, inspiration, and ideas. The in-person meetings will be held outdoors at a variety of locations in Westchester County; the locations will be identified by METRO staff. These engagement events, in order to be inclusive and generative, will need to reflect the unique nature of our project -- so a strong proposal will offer a detailed description of tactics and processes for working with participants. We also wish to document these events, through photography, video, and other media; more information about this is available in the Scope of Services, below.
In the wake of the COVID pandemic, our environmental crisis, and the anticipated changing needs of communities in the near and far future, the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) is planning a new outdoor initiative called the Library Field. Conceptually situated somewhere between the service model of a library and a park, the Library Field will offer local libraries and other organizations access to an outdoor space that can be used for their existing programming needs as well as future collaborations and new programming opportunities. The name “Library Field” is (as might be obvious) a pun; for a profession focused on collecting, sharing, and preserving knowledge in addition to serving as a vital social infrastructure, it's not always clear where our library “field” (or discipline) begins and ends. Differing perspectives on how communities share their knowledge and tell their stories have the potential to bring diverse and positive influences to the library field, which will make for a more dynamic and engaging Library Field. At this stage, METRO is exploring what features and attributes might be desirable in an outdoor location where we would consider positive, inclusive futures for libraries, what we think of as library work, and who participates in library work. Our initial intention is to create little to no architectural structure on the site: the Library Field is a place to reconsider our institutions’ relationship to the natural world. With time, experience, and emergent needs, this might change over the years.
Because METRO is an industry-focused network and service provider for libraries, the community we wish to engage in this process includes individuals with a variety of roles in public and academic libraries, archives, social justice organizations, art and design organizations, environmental organizations, nature centers, and more. While we draw inspiration and connection from the whole world, this process will be focused on our local environment: Westchester County and New York City. We enter this process knowing that libraries, their partners, and their communities already have many outdoor, nature-focused programs including things like seed libraries, community gardening, wellness programs, story walks, and more. As a convener, METRO intends to amplify this work, welcome new voices and partners, and develop a dedicated space as a field for experimentation and a vital connection to the entire planet.
Background
The Library Field is METRO’s most recent strategic initiative meant to serve our membership and the field at large. We are looking for a consultant who will take the time to understand our unique relationship to both our current and potential membership, the values and principles that unite and drive all of our work, and the culture we seek to create both internally and throughout our community. With that understanding, we dream of working with a consultant who will help us design and lead fun (but serious), innovative (but practical), flexible (but consistent) workshops and other instruments to collect feedback that will inform our site selection for the Library Field.
METRO is a dynamic assemblage of people, programs, and projects. Our community includes the staff and leadership at leading academic libraries, some of our nation’s largest public libraries, hospital and medical libraries, museums and archives both large and small, and more. Our services are always changing based on institutional needs. Current services include a highly valued continuing education program, grantmaking for equity-centered initiatives and digitization projects, institutional sponsorship for an international open source software project as well as a variety of related software services, and a growing research center that is currently focused on digital equity work. They also include a subsidized book delivery service for participating member institutions, regional access to a state funded coordinated collection development program, and regional access to support for hospital and medical library services. Future areas of growth for METRO include connecting knowledge institutions, ecology, art, and design through the Library Field and other programs.
METRO is one of nine regional library councils in New York State. METRO’s immediate service region is New York City and Westchester County, but many of our services are utilized by institutions elsewhere. First chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in the 1960s as the New York Research and Reference Library Agency, METRO has been through many iterations and adaptations as the library and cultural heritage fields have changed. METRO is funded through state aid, membership dues, grants, and other earned revenue. Our board of directors includes leaders from libraries and other cultural institutions as well as other academic and philanthropic leaders.
Mission
METRO works to create a sustainable culture of creativity, collaboration, and open exchange for libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions in the Metropolitan New York region and around the world.
We accomplish our mission through leadership, grantmaking, resource sharing, professional learning, research, technology services, creative practice, and more.
Vision
We strive toward a world where communities’ aspirations are uplifted in the libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions they build.
Scope of Services
- Task 1: Conduct introduction meetings with METRO leadership and local partners to develop a community engagement program. These meetings will include the METRO Executive Director, METRO Board members, and other key partners in conceptual development. METRO staff will assist with event planning and other logistics. The chosen consultant’s final program proposal should include:
- A final list of activities
- A final list of subcontractors or partners
- A detailed schedule outlining the dates, times, locations, and outreach activities. Local partners will assist in identifying both locations and participants.
- The production of any surveys, materials, tools, or other components required for proposed engagement activities.
- A documentation plan listing any media or artifacts that might come from the events, including a schedule for editing or post-production time.
- Task 2: Community Outreach and Engagement Process. The consultant will lead three outdoor, in-person meetings, workshops, or events designed to cultivate imaginative responses and to inspire thoughtful interventions that are uniquely suited to the Library Field concept. Additionally, the consultant will conduct one virtual meeting in order to accommodate stakeholders who may not be able to attend in-person events. Our expectation is that these meetings will include participatory design exercises, hands-on activities for experiential discovery and inspiration, and moments of listening. All of these activities should model respect for the site or location, its history of inhabitance, its current use, and the group that is gathering to consider the future.
- Task 3: Prepare Final Internal Report and Publicly Available Media. A final internal report will include an Executive Summary, Analysis, Key Recommendations. The report should present information in an organized manner that is aesthetically consistent with other existing Library Field design assets. Additionally, we are seeking documentary video, photography, and any non-traditional media that record the events and create assets for future use; proposals may include this as a subcontract with another person or agency or they may do this in-house, in which case including a portfolio of subcontractors past work is required.
Timeline
Friday, February 16 : RFP announced
Friday, March 22 : Deadline for submissions
Friday, March 22 - Monday, April 1 : Submission review
Monday, April 1 - Friday April 12 : Interviews
Monday, April 15 : Choice notified
Monday, April 22 : Project begins
May, June, July : Meetings & Events
July 31 : Anticipated project completion
How to Apply
Please apply by sending a proposal and examples of any prior experience or related design work to info@metro.org. Please list any subcontractors and show examples of their work as well.
METRO values diversity among our staff and across our community, and we work to build teams and partners that represent our commitment to this. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented communities, especially as we begin a project that provokes thought about our differing relationships with land, with other living things, and with the environment at large.
Compensation
The total budget for these deliverables is $18,000. Payments will be issued at the start of the project and upon completion of each deliverable. If the responder is not local to the area, please include a separate additional estimate for your anticipated travel expenses.
Location
Westchester CountyCompensation
$18,000 one time stipend
Application URL or Email
Submit specified application materials to info@metro.org.