To "choose civility" means to celebrate diversity and choose respect, compassion, empathy, and inclusiveness when interacting with others. Civility is the healing power we need to counteract the divisive, fragmented forces that seem to be undermining our social fabric. Since 2006, Howard County Library System (MD) has been leading the way toward community connectedness with their Choose Civility initiative. They, along with library systems across the country, invite you to join the movement to nurture civility in your own community. Learn how kindness creates communities, how to challenge stereotypes effectively, and cultivate random acts of civility. Find opportunities to implement Choose Civility to enhance internal and external customer service, develop partnerships and community support, and create a more connected community of people who will #choose2Bkind. Let’s see civility go viral in 2017.

Presented by: Valerie Gross, President & CEO and Christie Lassen, Director of Public Relations, Howard County Library System (MD); and Sonya Durney, Adult Services Director, Portland Public Library (ME)

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Related Resources and Links

• Choose Civility: Howard County official website
  
  • Toolkit with resources
  • OneHoward
  • HCLS Strategic Plan, Vision 2020: Education for All
• Choosing civility : the twenty-five rules of considerate conduct by P.M. Forni
• Libraries = Education: Your Key to Success, 2/23/17 Demco webinar with Valerie Gross
• Choose Civility: Public Libraries Take Center Stage, Public Libraries, PLA/ALA, Vol. 50, No.4, July/August 2011, p. 30-37.
• Civility Goes Viral: Creating a Culture, Leading the Way, by Valerie J. Gross
• Transforming Our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage, by Valerie J. Gross
  
• See resources on Human Library programs
• About the Longest Table Project
• Maine State Library: Trusted Professionals Survey (2016)
• Pew Report: Libraries at the Crossroads (2015)
• Harwood Institute: http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org
• Libraries Transform / ALA: http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transforming-communities/resources-for-library-professionals
• World Café Tooklit: http://www.theworldcafe.com/tools-store/
• National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, Resource Center
• New Hampshire Listens: http://carsey.unh.edu/nhlistens
• Standing in the fire: leading high-heat meetings with calm, clarity, and courage by Larry Dressler
• Other Choose Civility initiatives:
  • Choose Civility, The Power of Words - Freeborn County, MN
  • 815 Choose Civility
• Mentioned during webinar as a resource for connecting with diverse communities, to encourage more participation in library events and programs, the Community Leader Interview Guide, from WebJunction's Spanish Language Outreach Project.