Community Chords Creates Lively & Cultural Spaces

Public LibraryMusic
Written By Pa Ja Yang
 

“Families from all walks of life were able to gather around the piano and enjoy shared music. To me, it’s apparent that libraries have become more than our books and quiet spaces. We are a thriving community hub where literacy, music, the arts, and more can come alive!”  - Pa Ja Yang

Meet Pa Ja Yang, co-founder of Libraries in Bloom and the Hmong Family Outreach Specialist with the Appleton Public Library in Wisconsin. In this podcast episode, Pa Ja shares an exciting community project she led in celebration of Hmong American Day and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month in May 2021. The project, Community Chords: Engagement through Music and Art, inspired by the Arlington Public Library, was designed to raise awareness of the Hmong American experience and diversify the library’s online presence. Pa Ja’s marketing strategy incorporated storytelling elements and a unified hashtag. By encouraging all partners involved to share the project’s promotional content with their social network, the library’s Facebook page saw the following: 

  • Increase in reach by 56.2%

  • Increase in engagement by 78.7%

  • Increase in video views by 384% 

The project’s intentions brought the community together through a shared love of music, art, and literacy. Five artists were selected to add their Hmong-inspired designs onto five donated pianos. The reinvented pianos were then placed at host locations in the community for public engagement throughout the month of May. Folks were encouraged to share their piano experience on social media using the hashtag. Additionally, Pa Ja curated a lineup of Hmong programming to occur in conjunction with the pianos. Hmong authors, musicians, and artists were invited to share their narratives and talents with the Fox Cities.

Come listen to this podcast episode with Pa Ja to learn more about the marketing strategy and all the community partners involved in this innovative project. Pa Ja provides insight on some unforeseen challenges and the benefits of having lively spaces within libraries. If you have any follow up questions or would like guidance on how to replicate something similar in your community, you may contact Pa Ja at pajayang80@gmail.com. 

Thank you to the Friends of the Appleton Public Library and Wisconsin Library Service (WiLS) Ideas to Action Fund for supporting Community Chords. Friends’ contribution went toward Hmong programming lineup and WiLS’s contribution of $5,000 supported artists’ stipends and transportation of pianos.

 
Pa Ja Yang
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