WebJunction

What is the Diversity Cookbook?

The Diversity Cookbook is an online database developed by a team of librarians at the Ocean County Library (OCL). It was developed to assist in planning diversity programs, and to share the information with others. We started using it within our system, but as the idea grew we realized that the more input we got from libraries throughout the state and even the country, the more useful it would be as a tool for developing diversity programs.

What is the history of the Diversity Cookbook?

The cookbook grew out of brainstorming sessions held as OCL prepared for a presentation at ALA in 2006. The more we worked with it, the more we realized that the cookbook theme lent itself especially well to library programs. Breaking the program up into pieces/ingredients made it more manageable and also made it much easier to customize – most people are comfortable making substitutions to their favorite recipes, so we hoped that the same would be true of the program ‘recipes’.

Our initial vision was of a physical cookbook, one that could be thumbed through, dog-eared and bookmarked. The finished product looked great! It had a beautifully designed cover, lots of great pictures; and of course the valuable information contained within made it fun to use. The paper copy was wonderful, but very static. Adding new recipes required considerable time, effort and money – exactly what the cookbook was meant to prevent! Repeated brainstorming sessions led to the decision that the only logical choice was to put it online.

Posting the cookbook on the web solved all of these problems! Once the initial legwork was done, maintaining the cookbook was relatively easy. It became available to anyone, anytime, to browse or to add their own recipes.

What exactly does the Diversity Cookbook do?

The cookbook has three main functions: browse, search and add your own recipes.  You can browse, or view all recipes to get a broad idea of what other libraries are doing. You can also search for specific recipes based on one or any combination of the following: Focus Group, Age Group, Difficulty, or Prep Time.

Focus Communities include African American/Black, American Indian, Asian American/Asian/Pacific Islander, Differently Abled, Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered, Hispanic/Latino, Multiracial/Interracial, Other, Religious Diversity, Staff, or Women. These communities represent Ocean County Library’s major focus groups. Searchable Age Groups include children, teen, adult, family, senior and academic. Difficulty closely mirrors the cookbook/food theme. Sometimes, when you go out for dinner, you just want to grab a quick bite. Other times, you want casual dining, or even four star service, and our programs are broken down in the same way. Fast Food programs are the ones that can be done with the least amount of leg work – they are easy to get off the ground with little lead time, like a McDonald’s or Wendy’s dinner. Casual Dining programs are still not too involved, but they do require a bit more lead time and more preparation—think Chili’s or Applebee’s. Gourmet programs are the big splashy events that take considerable planning and lots of hard work, and are a little harder on the pocketbook. Prep Time also mirrors the cookbook theme. Most recipes give an estimate for how long they will actually take to get on the table, and our programs are no different: possible prep times are 1 – 3 Weeks, 1 – 3 Months, 4 – 6 Months, 6 – 12 Months, or 12 + Months.

Each of these limiters can be used on its own or in conjunction with any of the other limiters. For instance, you may want to view a list of all children’s programs regardless of target community, difficulty and prep time. Or, you may be pressed for time and need a children’s program about African American history that can be completed in the least amount of time.

Librarians can also add their own recipes, and entries can include all types of programs – from the simplest program that can be put together in a matter of weeks to elaborate events that require months of preparation.

How do I add my own recipes?

To add your own recipes, select “Add a Recipe” from the pull-down menu on the top right of the page, or go directly to http://www.oceancounty.lib.nj.us/cookbook/add_recipe.asp. The entry form is very easy to navigate, and multiple pull-down menus make extra typing unnecessary. There is a link to a sample entry that you can view if you are unsure what to enter. Entries can include as much or as little information as you would prefer; however, the more information provided about a program, the more useful it will be to others.

Who manages the Diversity Cookbook?

The Diversity Cookbook is currently managed by a team of librarians. It is checked weekly for additional content and edited for quality control purposes.

How has the Diversity Cookbook been used in the past?

The cookbook is a relatively new tool, but we have already put it to great use within our system. There are certain diversity themed months that we celebrate each year: Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Diversity Month, etc.  It can be challenging coming up with ideas for new programs each year, but the cookbook has allowed librarians within the Ocean County Library System to share their ideas with each other. The cookbook allows us to get ideas not only from the librarian in the desk next to us, but from coworkers that we may never see or have an opportunity to speak with. 

What are the benefits to the library from this resource?

The Diversity Cookbook is very beneficial to all libraries, but it should be especially useful to anyone who has the word “programming” in their job description. If you are tired of doing the same old thing and need some fresh ideas, need some inspiration on how to tweak those programs to make them even better, or have a successful program of your own to share, the cookbook can help.

Librarians are generally very busy – most of us wear many hats on any given workday. Whether it is assisting the public, planning/publicizing programs, attending to off-desk duties, or the ever popular “other duties as assigned”, we may not have much down time. Unfortunately, the cookbook cannot answer reference questions, but it can ease at least one portion of your workload. We all want to offer fresh and exciting diversity programs, but even the most creative librarian may be struck with “programmer’s block” from time to time. Why try to reinvent the wheel when you can build on the knowledge and expertise of your coworkers? Our goal when we developed the cookbook was to build a community of practice: to spark ideas, foster a sense of teamwork, and make our collective lives easier. The cookbook is meant to be a starting point. It is a place to gather ideas and build on them, and to tailor programs that work for you! The recipes are like guidelines – follow them to the letter OR pick and choose the parts that work for your library’s community/budget/staff.

How would you like the Diversity Cookbook to be used in the future?

When we rolled out the cookbook, it was used primarily within the OCL System. However, our goal is that it be used throughout the country by libraries of all size, budget, and type. The value of the Diversity Cookbook increases the more entries there are, and we hope that as word of this tool spreads that more libraries will begin to utilize the cookbook.

How can others get involved?

Getting involved in the Diversity Cookbook is easy! It is available online at http://oceancountylibrary.lib.nj.us/cookbook/index.asp, where you can browse or enter your own recipes. Feedback? We would love to hear from you! Contact us at:

Ocean County Library
101 Washington St.
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-349-6200

Valerie Bell, Chief Librarian  
vbell@oceancountylibrary.org
Susan Quinn, Principal Librarian   
squinn@oceancountylibrary.org
Sabrina LaSpata, Senior Librarian 
slaspata@oceancountylibrary.org

The Ocean County Library Diversity grant is supported by the New Jersey State Library and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency whose mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.