Session 1: California State Library Webinar Series

This webinar series has been developed in collaboration with the Pacific Library Partnership and the California State Library. Trustworthy information from diverse yet reliable sources is crucial for making strategic decisions. California’s Public Libraries are essential institutions for fostering community progress and well-being. The webinar series aims to share the many ways PolicyMap can elevate the offerings of public libraries in California for the betterment of their communities.

PolicyMap for Libraries: Mapping, Data, and Community Impact

In this session, you will learn how to use PolicyMap to develop a better understanding of the community within your library district. Some unique features that will be covered include generating a community profile report for library jurisdictions or branches, customizing data layers to better visualize key differences between neighborhoods, and saving and sharing your maps. We will also dive into the newly updated demographic data from the Census’ American Community Survey.

Library professionals will learn to integrate aspects like digital equity using FCC Broadband data for better access to digital resources and library-school partnerships by accessing education data. Also, attendees will learn how to better understand community needs like food insecurity and assess public transportation access, which is crucial for suburban and rural areas. We will look at the Social Vulnerability Index to identify areas needing more library resources and safe spaces during natural disasters. 

Session 1 – PolicyMap for Libraries:
Mapping, Data, and Community Impact

PolicyMap’s Aaron Klein hosts the first webinar session developed in partnership with the California Library Association.

Presenters & Partners

PolicyMap for California State Libraries

PolicyMap is now available to all California public library staff as part of a statewide initiative by the California State Library and the Pacific Library Partnership to support libraries in making equity-based, data-driven decisions for community impact. Guidance for use is available on the platform, and we will announce training especially for California in the coming weeks. Request your account today!