Episode 3: Kevin King
Peer Navigators and Library Leadership
Kevin King is Director of the East Lansing Public Library and the President-Elect for ALA’s Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. In today’s episode, Kevin shares how he co-developed the Peer Navigators program at Kalamazoo Public Library (KPL) to help ensure patrons have what they need to succeed in life. He is also a consultant to libraries across the US on organizational health, customer service, library programming, and more. He has also trained library security personnel to work alongside peers and staff in trauma-informed approaches.
During this conversation, we discuss KPL’s partnership with a community organization to bring peers into the library; ensuring security and peers are embedded into library culture; the lack of resistance Kevin faced to establishing the peer program; and how library leaders can identify and amplify existing strengths of their staff.
Join us for an encouraging and fun conversation about the power of quality partnerships between libraries and peer navigators.
Topics
00:00 Announcements
02:48 Introducing Kevin King
8:46 Kalamazoo Public Library’s Peer Navigator Program
Buy-in
19:33 Opting to partner with peers instead of social workers
Other peer programs, titles, state-specific certifications
Intentional inclusion of peers
Success factors
28:40 Library Security
37:39 Insights on leadership
47:45 Advice to librarians in non-leadership positions
53:00 How to connect with Kevin
54:08 Kevin is funny
57:02 Outro
Links
10 minute video about Denver Public Library’s peer navigator program: Great Big Story. (2018, August 18). Inside the library fighting homelessness. YouTube [9:44 video]:
Additional US libraries with peer programs. Message me if you know of more: Baltimore, Brooklyn, Denver, San Francisco, Washington DC Public Library; Libraries 4 Health in Texas
Berdine, A., & NewsChannel 3. (2019, October 6). Kalamazoo Public Library’s peer navigator program offers resources to those in need. WWMT [1:30 min video]. http://wwmt.com/news/local/kalamazoo-public-librarys-peer-navigator-program-offers-resources-to-those-in-need
Kalamazoo Public Library. (2024). Peer navigators & Western Michigan University social work interns at KPL. https://www.kpl.gov/about/dei/peer-navigators-western-michigan-university-social-work-interns-at-kpl/
The Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) 2024 conference
To contact Kevin King, email him at kking@elpl.org
For a list of additional resources, check out the Bibliography page