San Jose State University
IN-1: Innovation 1

The vision of San José State University and the City of San José to partner successfully and establish a unique jointly-operated library, the largest of its kind in the world, clearly demonstrates the University’s commitment and dedication to implementing innovative strategies to better serve our students, staff, faculty and the greater community of San José. Ever since its doors opened, the library has been a stellar example of enhancing the town-gown relationship. Open since 2003, this merged library continues to draw over 72,000 visitors in an average week. As of 2007, it was the largest library building in the western United States built in a single construction project with over 475,000 square feet (44,000 m²) of space on eight floors and approximately 1.6 million volumes. (See attachment Introduction to King Library)
As a result of this partnership, the library provides the following services for any of its patrons who hold a San José Public Library card. Cards are available to all residents in the state of California and to all students, staff and faculty of San José State University.
• Access for all San José residents to the academic collection of materials from the SJSU Library.
• Access for SJSU students to the books, movies, and music in the public library's collection in all 19 locations.
• Delivery of any book from the academic or public collection at King to any library user at their local branch library.
• Access to academic databases for visitors to the King Library, including business databases, streaming video and music.
• Access for SJSU students to downloadable eBooks, eAudioBooks, and music.
• Access to joint events and exhibits for the City and University.
• Access to specialized collections to everyone at the King Library, including: SJSU Special Collections and Archives, the Beethoven Center, the Steinbeck Center, California History Room, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Collection, the Portuguese Heritage Collection Endowment (established in partnership with the Portuguese-American community) and the Cultural Heritage Center.
Also of note is the University Library’s Digital Library Initiative which supports a strong commitment to increasing access, creation and use of digital collections, including unique special collections. This effort makes it possible for anyone across the globe with internet access, regardless of whether they are affiliated with King Library to have access to the King Library Digital Collections. This collection represents rare and unique materials held by San José State University Special Collections and the San José Public Library's California Room. The collections document the history of the Santa Clara Valley from its agricultural beginnings to the high-tech boom and formation of the Silicon Valley. The range of subjects covered include local politics, social and cultural traditions, education, local business and industry, and historical events. This digital library will stimulate discovery of the rich and diverse resources of the library and will promote new scholarship from our community.

COLLABORATIVE BENEFITS
Unlike other libraries, the entire community benefits on an ongoing basis from enhanced services and opportunities from unique grants (see attachment Major and Minor Grants). Building upon the collaboration, the SJSU School of Library & Information Science and the National Hispanic University joined forces with the King Library and was awarded an Institute of Museum & Library Services grant for over $943,000 to recruit and educate fifteen students of color to become librarians by offering them full scholarships and living stipends. These graduate students have been mentored throughout the program, entitled “Preparing a New Generation of Librarians to Serve Our Communities” and have since graduated and entered the library profession, serving the needs of diverse communities and prepared to serve as leaders throughout their careers (see attachments IMLS students and IMLS Grant Grads).

PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The collaboration has created a unique opportunity for relationships to develop and grow between members of the University (students, faculty and staff) and city and university library personnel. This partnership has incubated and implemented innovative programs which otherwise would not have necessarily transpired and which support the three E’s of sustainability: economy, ecology, and equity. Below is a selected sample of the programming and classes provided by King Library in 2010/2011.

Economy
• Bankruptcy Clinic
• Computer Lab for your Job Search
• Tax Help with VITA
• Small Business Tax Assistance
• Finding Hidden Jobs
• SSA Benefits Workshop

The Library also has several major ongoing programs in place offering assistance to the public including Social Workers in the Library (free advice and referrals available on a monthly basis) (See http://www.sjpl.org/blog/social-workers-library), Lawyers in the Library (free legal consultation available weekly), (See http://www.sjpl.org/event/lawyers-library), and Partners in Reading, a literacy program (see attachment Partners in Reading). What is unique about the literacy program is the unexpected extent of its outreach into the SJSU community. A cohort of University custodians is enrolled in the program, taking full advantage of the opportunity to advance their literacy skills and enhance personal development. Additionally, individual SJSU faculty and students have become engaged and regularly volunteer as literacy tutors for the San José community.

Ecology
• Smeltertown (environmental impact of living near an iron smelter)
• Plant Life (slides & lecture on the San Jose Water Pollution Control Plant)
• Mr. Swan’s Big Idea: A Transportation, Environment, and Energy Solution (part of the University Scholar Series)
• Get Green book talk (communicating environmental concepts to youth) (part of the University Scholar Series)
• Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite out of Global Warming (part of the University Scholar Series)

Equity
• Staff Training for serving the Homeless (this was a staff only program)
• Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America
• San Jose Japantown: A History Book Project

Programs addressing equity are a major focus for the King Library. One example, the annual Silicon Valley FACES Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Contest, is designed to keep the memory of Dr. King’s lessons of social equality and non-violence alive for new generations of youth. Utilizing Dr. King's own words, the contest focuses the students' creativity on social justice issues which align with Silicon Valley FACES mission of building an inclusive and caring community free of bias and bigotry. This year, the students interpreted his words, "…I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits." These entries were displayed at the Cultural Heritage Center, 5th floor, a space in the King Library dedicated to celebrating the diverse cultural history and achievements of the community. Also in the past year, the University Library hosted the Opera San José company in a series of previews of their season performances made freely available to the entire San Jose community, bringing culture and enrichment to all and providing an opportunity for economically-challenged community members and their families to experience the arts.

In addition to innovative programs, the King Library boasts four exhibit spaces, two of which are booked through 2013 and 2014, respectively. The merged library is a magnet for artists and community leaders interested in educating the public with historical and socially important exhibits (see attachment King Library Exhibits 2008-present).

In the past few years alone, exhibits included:
• Pride & Passion: The African American Baseball Experience
• Peregrine Falcons
• Passion for Life: Day of the Dead in Mexico
• From Our Land (the Nikkei people of Japanese ancestry: agricultural success and anti-Japanese sentiment)
• Legacy of Quran
• Earth Work: Mining Burkina Faso David Pace Exhibit
• Soul Sanctuary: Antioch Baptist Church 1893-2010

Lastly, in regards to the ecology of sustainability, the King Library building itself was designed and built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards as a “green” building (see attachment Going green at the library). Green efforts are ongoing, as library employees have formed a “green team” to ensure that staff members are educated through email, workshops, and a blog on ways they can contribute to the sustainability effort, both in the workplace and in the home.