Building from the Ground Up: A Path Toward Co-Creation

Abstract

Through a co-creative methodology, we have worked to foster a shared sense of ownership and purpose between branch staff and leadership. We utilized a variety of familiar strategies to build a vision for New York Public Library’s (NYPL) children’s department that centered on patron and branch staff perspectives—including active listening, returning to the vision, and building a community of practice that centers on appreciation.

We spent 2022 and 2023 listening to library patrons and staff to hear what programs and services they needed most. We have myriad ways for our community, patrons, and staff to share and create with us. Our vision incorporates the nuanced lens of the neuroarts (science-backed ways that tell us how the arts impact our brains, bodies, and behaviors). Because this particular lens was new, but the concepts familiar, we leveraged consistent ways to incorporate voices other than our own.