Anatomy of one (short) solutions story
The library is joining a growing number of libraries around the country that are eliminating fines for overdue materials. Following the change they are seeing mostly neutral or positive results, findings the local system relied on as it weighed the change. “It’s a nationwide trend; it’s where libraries are going,” interim Library Director Deb Adams told the board in March when the idea was introduced. “There are a number of other libraries in the state of Wyoming that have already gone this route with much success and really not much of a problem.”Hallberg: My parents were both librarians, so I grew up around this world and have kind of always had an eye out for how libraries work and evolve. I read about this idea a few years before becoming a journalist, but specifically as it relates to Teton County Library, the library board brought the idea up in its monthly meeting. In reading the agenda before the meeting, I noticed it was one of the action items, so I had some time to start thinking about how we wanted to cover it.Hallberg: Partly I was just trying to practice turning smaller pieces of government action into solutions stories, and I’d set a goal of writing one sojo story a month. It was kind of arbitrary, but that goal made me continue to seek out sojo stories. Much of what I was trained on in solutions work was someone writing about another community to spur action or hold government officials accountable in their own towns, but solutions work on the local level can be a great way to shift the tone of the news to something more positive (and that people enjoy reading). I wanted to celebrate or highlight the fact the library officials were actively thinking about how to improve the experience of lower-income patrons. Making it a solutions story and focusing on including all four pillars, particularly the evidence from other communities, also seemed like a strong way to show our readers the importance of the move.
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