Innovator In Residence at Memphis Public Libraries

Memphis is the nation’s largest majority Black city. Over 63% of residents are Black, & 23% live in poverty. Median minority household income is only 58% of white income, and the unemployment rate is 5% (state rate is 3%). The high school graduation rate is 81.5%, compared to a state rate of 90.6%. To combat these vast disparities, MPL provides access to resources, opportunity, & hope, like Innovator In Residence (IIR). IIR is hosted in 2 under-resourced neighborhood libraries, Cossitt and Raleigh. Cossitt Library serves Downtown, where 52% of residents are Black & 14% live in poverty. The area faces vast economic disparities, with wealthy neighborhoods near some of the poorest in the nation. Raleigh Library patrons are 76% Black, & 26% live in poverty. Each of these branches has unique building features that are ideal for IIR. Cossitt has photo/video & recording studios, a large performance space, & a full-service restaurant. Raleigh has a teaching kitchen & large community room. Both are flexible, with moveable furniture & shelving to accommodate a variety of activities. The IIR programs connect residents with marketable job skills to improve career prospects and create pathways out of poverty. 

The Memphis Public Libraries (MPL) Innovator-In-Residence program (IIR), recognized as an honorable mention library innovation of 2024 by the Urban Library Council, connects working creative professionals in a myriad of fields with library patrons to teach marketable skills, build business savvy, create strategic support networks, & channel passion into a new profession. From public programs to personalized mentorship, IIR gives people from all walks of life access to tools that build their confidence as emerging entrepreneurs & sets them on a better career path. Keys to entrepreneurial success include inspiration, specialized skills, funding, business acumen, & a professional network or mentor. Through IIR, MPL creates access to these essential workforce development resources for all library patrons. In addition, Innovators partner with MPL to acquire relevant equipment & technology, & to train library staff. The technology chosen depends on the Innovator's focus area like podcasting, culinary arts, or photography. These assets remain available for use long after the Innovator’s residency ends. IIR expands library capacity without burdening tight staffing budgets. Through IIR, MPL offers a breadth of resources & fosters deep, transformative learning experiences that lead to career success.

IIR is designed to connect those looking to improve their career prospects with skill-building programs and mentorship. Unlike most library residency programs, MPL Innovators embed their business operations in the library for at least a year, gaining access to free workspace, equipment, supplies, & a stipend. In exchange, they share expertise with patrons, assist in designing & equipping specialized spaces, & provide staff training so that programs in their discipline can continue beyond their residency. Innovators also promote the library via their networks & social media, attracting patrons who might not have otherwise discovered its resources. All programming integrates essential digital skills, regardless of the Innovator's field. IIR is an alternative library staffing model that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between the Innovator, the library, & its patrons. We have already seen results of individual career growth through the advent of new podcasts, career advice sharing programs, and growth in library following to pursue career development. From public programs to personalized mentorship, IIR gives people from all walks of life access to tools that build their confidence as emerging entrepreneurs & sets them on a better career path. 

MPL is intentionally diverse in our staff and leadership composition, and we are committed to this same diversity in our Innovators. MPL has developed a unique process for identifying, vetting, engaging, and collaborating with Innovators to meet distinct community needs as demonstrated by neighborhood-specific data and customer feedback. Diversity and inclusion efforts are built into the screening process for Innovators, and we want Innovators to be representative of the community to be served. By reaching out to the communities surrounding the branch libraries, we pull Innovators from the area who understand what the community wants and needs in order to encourage and support career change and entrepreneurial spirit. Through consultation with MPL staffers, Innovators build programming for the branch libraries that address what Memphians need to fulfill their desires to experiment with and grow their skills in different areas of career development. MPL has a rich history of offering programs geared towards job-seekers; in fact, the employment and workforce development resources available at MPL are some of our most utilized programs. These offerings include business classes, resume building, technology classes for job readiness, our award-winning JobLINC mobile career services bus, financial literacy, and career fairs. Other workforce development initiatives include Continuing Education programs like intro computer courses, resume building, utilizing Microsoft Office suite, writing workshops, Meet The Employer opportunities, Techie Seniors for older adults, and HiSET/ESL classes. Workforce development at MPL also extends to our youth in our Teen Innovation Centers as an incubator for young entrepreneurs in a wide range of technologies and artistic mediums. Innovators can link up their offerings with these already-established and successful programs to reach a wider and more diverse audience. Conversely, as customers engage with IIR programs, staff is able to connect them with other appropriate library resources. 

MPL’s pilot Innovator In Residence, podcaster & radio personality Eno Esco, has been so successful that we were able to secure funding for 7 additional Innovators to deliver unique skill building opportunities at Cossitt and Raleigh Libraries. Ena worked hand-in-hand with staff to design a user-friendly and professional quality podcasting studio at Cossitt in Spring 2023. She has since based her Verbally Effective podcast there, hosted popular programs on podcasting from concept to monetization, and mentored over 40 emerging podcasters. At least 20 new podcasts have launched from Cossitt’s studio, with podcasters using the space weekly for free. Ena also launched the annual PODBOX Memphis Podcast Festival in 2023, attracting over 100 participants & many sponsors. This year’s festival grew significantly more attention with professional podcaster & actress Amanda Seales as keynote speaker. MPL leveraged Ena’s success to secure $300,510 in grant funding from the State of Tennessee to expand IIR, placing five Innovators at Cossitt and two at Raleigh through 2026. IIR will expand library impact without expanding staff numbers, provide clear pathways to entrepreneurial success, and raise awareness of diverse library resources for years to come. Planned focus areas are podcasting, photography, and culinary arts. 

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The Innovator-in-Residence program nods to artist residencies but turns the program back to the community: MPL chooses Innovators and targeted disciplines based on customer/partner feedback to address requests for education, skill-building, and experience. This customer-driven model ensures buy-in on the front end and that IIR is serving demonstrated needs.  Innovators can also further develop their own skills and careers with access to state-of-the-art technology and resources available in our libraries. Each of our 18 Libraries serves a unique population and creates programs to reflect the wants and needs of customers. IIR builds upon this foundation to give customers access to experts in fields that they have a demonstrated interest in exploring. IIR also pairs these workshops with other ongoing library programs like basic computer classes, Introduction to Microsoft Office Suite, Designing with Canva, resume building, navigating email and social media, cyber security, using online Library resources, and education resources with Gale Udemy. Program participants will also be educated on our continuum of resources including LINC/211 social service referrals, youth STEAM and literacy resources, applicable collections, and public technology for independent use between classes. MPL uses IIR to creatively teach a variety of digital skills, regardless of a participant’s future aspirations: For example, while the Chef Innovator at Raleigh will include some skill building not technology-centered, it is a unique way to attract customers and then connect them with the tech skills needed to successfully look for jobs, create documents needed in food service, market themselves online, and how to photograph food to appeal to customers. Digital skills are now needed to successfully navigate almost any career field, and this project will educate participants on this link and how to leverage these new skills for future career and educational endeavors.   

MPL measures program success in terms of the number of programs offered, the number of program participants, and feedback from program participants, community partners, and instructors. The IIR number served includes repeat participants since customers return to continue building their skills in the selected discipline.

Short term success will be measured in recruiting Innovators, recruiting program participants, delivering regular class sessions, the number of program participants, and feedback from Innovators and customers. Our primary short-term goal is to connect historically excluded populations with skills training that can overcome access barriers while teaching marketable skills. Our secondary goal is to connect participants with other valuable MPL programming for their entire household like job readiness and resume building; LINC/211 social service referrals; literacy resources for children living in their household like free summer camps, CLOUD901, Teen Innovation Centers, and DiscoverREAD centers; collections; job fairs; Citizenship Centers; and Welcome Home housing centers. In addition, MPL staff will assist and train with the Innovators to be able to offer programs with the purchased equipment once the residency is over.  

Long-term success will be evaluated in terms of participants increasing their skills to increase career and educational prospects. These classes are designed to build skills that create pathways out of poverty. While this will not happen overnight, learning marketable skills can serve as a springboard to better opportunities that break the cycle of poverty for local families.

As equipment ages or needs replacing, sustainability funds will be built into the annual operating budget for Memphis Public Libraries or Memphis Library Foundation to ensure the programming and equipment are up-to-date and relevant in a world of ever-evolving technology. Because staff positions responsible for project management are fully funded by the City of Memphis, the project will always have appropriate staffing for ongoing sustainability.

Currently, the team is comprised of 12 full-time staff members and 6 part-time staff members, 1 contract IIR at Cossitt Library. This team includes MPL's Raleigh and Cossitt Branch Managers and their staff members, Library Grants Coordinator, Asst. Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Adult Services Coordinator, as well as MLF's Executive Director.  

Thanks to grant funding from the State of Tennessee, within the next year, the team will expand to include 7 contract IIRs at Cossitt and Raleigh Libraries. 

The Innovator-In-Residence (IIR) program was piloted in 2023 and is entering its second full year of programming. Based on the impressive results of the pilot program, the State of Tennessee has committed funding for 7 IIRs over the next two years. Truist/MIT support would further grow the IIR program at other high need Libraries in low-income communities like Orange Mound, North Memphis, South Memphis, and Frayser. 

MLF and MPL’s leadership recognizes that to deliver high-quality programming, an organization must attract and retain high-performing staff members. In the past, private sector employers were able to lure away our brightest talent, and MPL’s Director knew action had to be taken to prevent this from continuing. She worked with the Mayor to implement a staff equity survey in 2018-2019 to evaluate and adjust employee pay scales across the board. This has resulted in increased staff satisfaction and significantly higher retention rates. A more satisfied staff translates to better customer service and a higher level of public programs and resources, and this effort has been transformative for our organization. Leadership has also been intentional with strategic hiring to ensure our staff composition is diverse in terms of both socioeconomic status and skill sets.  Our staff is 69.5% Black and 71.4% minority (the City is 63% Black and 76% minority), and 53.2% of MPL’s managers and directors are Black (59.6% minority). We have hired more bilingual staff members plan to add more in the coming months. The IIR program furthers our diversity and inclusion efforts by allowing customers to access free specialized skill-building not available anywhere else in our community or most of the country. Minority business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in particular need these supports: 4% of businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs are still in business after 3.5 years, compared with the national average of 55.5%. Many entrepreneurs simply do not understand all the facets of transitioning from a worker to a business owner, and there is a critical need to build mentorship networks and increase resource access by way of facilitating referrals, building new and expanding existing partnerships, and strategic marketing to increase awareness of offerings. IIR overcomes these barriers and gives minority entrepreneurs the tools needed to succeed. 

IIR connects working creative professionals with library patrons to teach marketable skills, build business savvy, create strategic support networks, & channel passion into a new profession. From public programs to personalized mentorship, IIR gives people from all walks of life access to tools that build their confidence as emerging entrepreneurs & sets them on a better career path. In addition, Innovators partner with MPL to acquire relevant equipment & technology, & to train library staff. These assets remain available for use long after the Innovator’s residency ends. IIR expands library capacity without burdening tight staffing budgets.

Our primary short-term goal is to connect historically excluded populations with training to overcome access barriers while teaching marketable skills. Our secondary goal is to connect participants with other valuable MPL programming for their entire household. Long-term success will be evaluated in terms of participants increasing their skills to increase career and educational prospects.

IIR funding is structured per Innovator with a $10,000 annual stipend and between $15,000-$25,000 for equipment and supplies, depending on existing Library resources and the Innovators’ field of work. Any organization focused on developing resources for job skills, digital literacy, and poverty reduction would be an ideal supporter of IIR. Current revenue sources include MLF endowment funds and the State of Tennessee. With additional funding, IIR can be scaled across our 18 Libraries.

This model benefits the Libraries by increasing onsite resources, Innovators by providing workspace and access to our customer base and equipment/facilities, and the community by providing targeted skill building for career and educational success. Key stakeholders include local entrepreneurs, City of Memphis, Library staff, external community partners, residents, and local employers.   

IIR programs are marketed through press releases, social media, digital and print newsletters, online event calendar, and Innovators leverage their networks to recruit participants.  

IIR is currently funded through MLF endowment funds, a $300,000+ donation from the State of Tennessee, and additional podcast and content creator equipment was purchased for Cossitt Library with $11,000+ in grant funds from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The H.W. Durham Foundation has also committed funds to grow Raleigh Library’s upcoming culinary arts Innovator programming with cooking supplies for older adults. All IIR equipment and supplies will remain with the Library after the Innovator’s tenure for ongoing success. Innovators also train Library staff to host programs using the purchased equipment so staff can continue offering skill building in a variety of fields long beyond the initial Innovators’ term. Future funding strategies include soliciting additional grant funds, corporate sponsorships, targeted individual giving drives, special events hosted in partnership with Innovators to raise program funds, and MLF endowment earnings. As we embed IIR in our Libraries, operating funds can also be built into the City of Memphis’ annual budget for Memphis Public Libraries. The FRIENDS of the Library are another potential funding source as we expand IIR to other high-need locations. Currently, we are not open to charging fees to participants. MLF seeks to create equitable access for our community’s most vulnerable, and any participant fees are prohibitive in a community facing high poverty rates, especially as they disproportionately affect minorities in Memphis. 

MPL has 18 locations and has only implemented IIR in 2 of our Libraries. These programs have received an overwhelmingly positive community response, and our staff wants to expand IIR to as many of our locations as possible. This is only possible with the funding to purchase equipment and supplies for Innovators to utilize in class sessions, as well as funds for Innovator stipends. Because Innovators are chosen based on community requests, the job-skills focus will be different for each location for maximum impact. This community-driven model ensures that each IIR is reflective of the unique wants and needs of the community. Support from the Truist Foundation will be used to scale IIR to other high-need neighborhoods with high poverty rates like Orange Mound Library, South Library, North Library, and Whitehaven Library. Each Innovator receives a $10,000 annual stipend and $10,000-$15,000 (depending on the set up requirements of the discipline) to work with staff to select equipment and supplies needed to teach their discipline to customers. The Innovators train Library staff on the equipment and how to teach the skills so that staff has the capacity to offer workshops beyond the grant term. At the end of the Innovator’s term, the equipment and supplies remain at the Library for ongoing program success. Truist-funded IIR offerings will expand library impact without expanding staff numbers, provide clear pathways to entrepreneurial success, and raise awareness of diverse library resources for years to come.