co/lab capacity
community centered consulting for social good
You need a community.
frYou know how important community is, because you work hard for the one you serve. But the power of community isn't just for our users - it's for us, too! Being in community with other practitioners feeds our souls, inspires our creativity, and keeps us energized. You can't pour from an empty cup, and you can't sustain your work building community for others if you don't nurture it for yourself first.
That's why we're building the Co/lab Community - as a space for people passionate about community engagement to connect with each other. Even if you're the only one at your library handling outreach or thinking about these ideas, you can find like-minded people. Celebrate your successes, get support for your challenges, ask questions, and share ideas with people who understand where you're coming from.
When you join the community, you get:
✅ 24/7 access to a community of supportive peers and experts
✅ Threads to ask questions, get feedback, and lift each other up
✅ Matchups and DMs to build individual relationships and your network
✅ Resource sharing opportunities
✅ Easy mobile access through the Heartbeat app
✅ Discounts on current and future Co/lab Community Courses, including expert instruction, live meetups, and coaching
There is a small fee to help offset the costs of running the community. If that's a barrier, please contact me for support. We've got each other's backs.
That's why we're building the Co/lab Community - as a space for people passionate about community engagement to connect with each other. Even if you're the only one at your library handling outreach or thinking about these ideas, you can find like-minded people. Celebrate your successes, get support for your challenges, ask questions, and share ideas with people who understand where you're coming from.
When you join the community, you get:
✅ 24/7 access to a community of supportive peers and experts
✅ Threads to ask questions, get feedback, and lift each other up
✅ Matchups and DMs to build individual relationships and your network
✅ Resource sharing opportunities
✅ Easy mobile access through the Heartbeat app
✅ Discounts on current and future Co/lab Community Courses, including expert instruction, live meetups, and coaching
There is a small fee to help offset the costs of running the community. If that's a barrier, please contact me for support. We've got each other's backs.
We learn better together.
Take your community-connected learning deeper with our first course, Getting Started With Community-Centered Planning. The course is embedded in the community, so you get all the benefits of learning and discussing in a real-world environment long after the classroom learning ends.
What will I learn?
Build a strong foundation for putting community at the heart of your library. Plan programs, services, spaces, collections, and strategies that your community will use, love - and even promote.
✅ Three weeks of lessons, activities, and discussions to help you put community at the center of your work
✅ Go at your own pace - maintain access for a year
✅ One 30-minute coaching session with founder Dr. Audrey Barbakoff
✅ Full access to the Co/lab Community - 24/7 access to a community of supportive peers and experts through message boards, matchups, resource sharing, and more.
Who is it for?
What will I learn?
Build a strong foundation for putting community at the heart of your library. Plan programs, services, spaces, collections, and strategies that your community will use, love - and even promote.
- Differentiate between levels and types of community engagement.
- Connect community-centered library work to professional core values
- Understand how community listening can flow through to priorities and actions.
- Reflect on real-world applications & your own goals
✅ Three weeks of lessons, activities, and discussions to help you put community at the center of your work
✅ Go at your own pace - maintain access for a year
✅ One 30-minute coaching session with founder Dr. Audrey Barbakoff
✅ Full access to the Co/lab Community - 24/7 access to a community of supportive peers and experts through message boards, matchups, resource sharing, and more.
Who is it for?
- Public librarians who develop community partnerships or programs
- Outreach or community engagement specialists
- Managers who want to develop systems that support staff in community-centered programs, services, or outreach
- Library directors, especially of small and rural libraries, who want to create a culture that centers relationships and community-building
- Consortia, state libraries, employers, and others who want a transformative experience for staff or members. (Contact us for group rates.)