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Libraries Become Theaters for Change

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Posted on November 25, 2002

Show a Film, Make a Difference: a quick guide for librarians

A media librarian controls an often overlooked collection of carefully produced programming on a wide variety of issues. The films in your stacks are powerful tools at your disposal. Take the films off the shelves and use them to enhance your library's reputation, educate your community and inspire dialogue on important issues.

Newark Public Library

Filmmakers struggle long and hard to make entertaining films that inform, educate, and inspire. These films may be broadcast on televison, they may screen in theatres, and they may even make it into a vast array of educational institutions. Social issue documentary filmmakers utilize the talents they have to create positive changes in the world. As a media librarian, you can tap into this desire. Involve the filmmaker, utilize the resources already available to you, and create a series of public screenings that will bring together disparate parts of your community in an atmosphere of open dialogue.

"The library's ability to produce programming should be as broad as its shelves," states Herb Williams, Programs and Events Coordinator at the Newark Public Library http://www.npl.org/ in New Jersey. He further adds, "the Newark Public Library strives to provide timely access to information, to satisfy the different intellectual pursuits of the library public." When planning his calendar of screenings, Mr. Williams looks carefully at his collection, and at the needs of his community; he then tries to find ways that he can match films with the particular needs of the public. Newark is a multi-cultural community, and thus much of his programming revolves around racial identity and political empowerment. "We try to reach across cultures and create a learning atmosphere."

A current screening he is developing is of the film "Strange Fruit." "Strange Fruit" is a feature-length documentary about the song of that title, first recorded by Billie Holiday in the 1940's. A poetic ballad about lynching in the South, the song had a powerful effect in bringing issues of racial justice to the forefront. For this screening, Mr. Williams is creating a program that includes an introduction by the filmmaker, a performance of the song, and a panel of speakers. His goal is to create an open dialogue with the audience about the racial terror inherent in the song and the ways that the song is relevant in this day and age.

Planning a successful public screening is not difficult, but does require focused effort. The advantages of creating successful screenings are manifold for both the community and the library itself. Your library will enjoy increased visibility in the community and will position itself as a powerful center for community dialogue. The community will find it has a new forum to exchange current ideas and a new way of using the library to satisfy their intellectual curiosity.

If you are interested in hosting a screening, there are basic steps you need to take.

Step One: Selection and Permission

What are the issues of the day? Is your community in turmoil over anything in particular? Are there racial issues, environmental issues, gender issues, healthcare issues? Tap into your community -- attend community meetings and events. Look over your collection. Is there a film that matches? Do you think you could create a program around it that would be "sexy" enough to draw an audience, appeal to the local press?

Once you have selected a film, you need to get permission to exhibit it. Herb Williams says this is usually easily done with a documentary, and often it is not a problem with narrative features either. It usually entails contacting the distribution company and putting your request in writing. But you should make sure and leave time for this process.

Step Two: Building Your Program

You should always try and get the film's director or producer to attend the screening. If any of the subjects in the film are available, that is always a powerful plus. If there are any big names attached to the film, these will help to draw in a younger audience. For example -- Herb Williams recently screened the documentary "Nuyorican Dream." He knew that John Leguizamo, a well-known comedian and actor, helped produce the film. Although John Leguizamo was not available to attend on the day of the screening, often people are happy to show up for such events. It never hurts to ask.

Be creative -- what is the film about? Can you program a performance, or an activity that would resonate with the film? A dance, a musical performance, a poetry reading, or even stand-up comedy are great ways to help draw in an audience and add another dimension to the program.

Get speakers who will generate dialogue. For example, if you are exhibiting a film about police brutality, try to find a representative from the police department as well as someone who is an activist in that area. All sides of an issue should be present.

Donnell Library

When programming an ethnically oriented event, David Callahan of the Donnell Media Center in New York City likes to enlist the support of guest curators who have knowledge of that particular ethnic group. He works together with the curator to create a program and select the speakers. This way he can be sure that he is meeting the needs of the community and creating a program that effectively covers all points of view.

Step Three -- Outreach

Outreach should be ongoing. Herb Williams regularly attends community meetings and gatherings. This has a two-fold effect -- it helps him to know what is on the minds of his community and thus how to program effectively to meet their needs. Additionally it introduces him to the community leaders. Through these leaders he can get the word out about upcoming events by providing them with flyers, programs and schedules to distribute.

Herb Williams has also developed relationships with the editors at all the local papers. He knows the deadlines for the big calendars that papers usually put out twice a year, and makes sure the publicity materials make the deadlines. He tries to include a well-written blurb and a photo. If your piece is well written, it saves the paper the time of having to write something, and therefore is more likely to be included. Newspapers are image driven, so if you have a great photograph, they are likely to use it.

"Publicity, publicity, publicity," David Callahan says that is the key to a successful screening. He publicizes his events through the library's own publicity apparatus -- calendar, website, press lists. In addition, he reaches out to community and youth organizations, distributes flyers to all neighborhood branches of the library, and will literally drop piles of flyers in university community centers, coffee shops, or any place in the area where people gather.

It is always a good idea to form partnerships with local organizations, such as youth groups, family groups, senior citizen centers, or activist organizations that deal with the issues raised in the films you are screening. These organizations will help you tap directly into parts of the community that may be interested in attending your screening. These partnerships work best when you have an ongoing dialogue with them and encourage them to get involved at the programming stage. Before forming these partnerships though, it is essential that you know the organization and its goals very well, and that is has a solid and respected reputation in the community.

Step Four -- Materials

In order to further the reach and effectiveness of your events, it is important to create materials that viewers can take away with them. This could be as simple as an informational flyer or brochure, a list of contacts for local politicians they can follow up with, or information about upcoming events that are related to the issue.

Herb Williams likes to create activity kits for kids that include projects, coloring books, book lists for further reading, suggested activities, and questions and topics that parents and teachers can talk about with kids at a later time.

It is also helpful to create two simple questionnaires -- one to be given before the program, and one at the conclusion. This provides an excellent gauge of how successful the program has been in affecting the ways that people think about the issue at hand.

Step Six -- Prologue

No matter how successful your promotion and publicity has been; there are many people who will miss the program. One way of knowing how successful your program has been is by the amount of people calling to inquire about it afterwards. Be prepared with materials and with extra copies of the film to loan out to those interested. Now that you have their attention, do not lose it.

Public screenings and discussions are a great way to expand the role of the library in the community. They can be a powerful force in airing out divisive issues, and creating solutions to local conflicts and problems. Well-publicized and attended screenings bring more people into the libraries, and thus help to establish the library as a vital community center.

If you are interested in knowing more about how to program public screenings, Herb Williams of the Newark Public Library is happy to offer any advice he can. You may contact him via email at hawilliams@npl.org.