"This book shows how partnerships can be cultivated through projects, programming, funding, and extending the library's presence through unique avenues, offering librarians a better understanding of what might be possible for their situational requirements and limitations"--Provided by publisher.

"This book shows how partnerships can be cultivated through projects, programming, funding, and extending the library's presence through unique avenues, offering librarians a better understanding of what might be possible for their situational requirements and limitations"--Provided by publisher.

Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships illustrates the value of libraries and their resources through an array of alliances to improve health and enhance people's lives. It is unique in its illustration of key principles of collaboration, partner engagement, shared leadership, project development and outcomes measurement, as well as the challenges inherent in collaborations among diverse partners. The book includes collaboration exemplars focused on education, health, information literacy and capacity building for populations that experience access and resource disparities. It highlights the innovative use of existing assets, environments and diverse professions to broaden access to resources and information to those in need. The strategies, challenges, outcomes and lessons learned that are described in the volume have application for a variety of settings and populations. Highlighting the key role that libraries play in guiding successful interprofessional collaborations with communities, Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships should be of interest to academics, students and professionals engaged in library and information science, education, health care, social services and community organizations.

This valuable book shows how to get your community behind your library by making it an essential part of community life and demonstrating its benefit to all members of the community. Evolving technologies and the changing social landscape have put pressure on public libraries to shift their service values and methods in order to maintain funding opportunities. The challenge is substantial: library managers today must adopt a new mindset in order to perform a broad spectrum of activities and attract new users who are not traditional library patrons. Small Libraries, Big Impact: How to Better Serve Your Community in the Digital Age helps readers to meet the challenge of serving diverse users via a community-centered library. Based on an intensive review of literature on serving library users in smaller libraries as well as the author's own research findings gained from interviewing 55 library directors, this book provides conceptual and practical tools for serving 21st-century users, gaining wider community support, programming dynamic events, and planning rewarding technology learning. Beyond supplying actionable advice, the book will also review relevant concepts and theoretical frameworks, such as community outreach and partnership, social justice and social inclusion, technology and social transition, cultural diversity and the digital divide, entrepreneurship, outreach, best practices for marketing libraries, and library space design.

"This book investigates the relationship between local libraries and community development, from the historical roots of rural libraries to their influence on the literacy, economy, and culture of the surrounding region"--Provided by publisher.

Public libraries, through their mission, vision, and position in the community, play a significant part in building community sustainability and are already positioned to serve as a “backbone support organization” for collective impact initiatives.

Faced with increased budget cuts, libraries must continue to advance their services through new technologies and practices in order to keep pace with the rapid changes society is currently facing. The once traditional in-person services offered can no longer be the only option, and to keep themselves afloat, libraries must offer more in terms of digital services. The convenience of offering mobile and digital services brings a new wave of accessibility to libraries and a new question on just how much libraries will need to change to meet the newfound needs of its patrons. Beyond offering these digital services, libraries are incorporating other types of technology in multifaceted ways such as utilizing artificial intelligence practices, social media, and big data management. Moreover, libraries are increasingly looking for ways to partner and collaborate with the community, faculty, students, and other libraries in order to keep abreast of the best practices and needs of their users. The Research Anthology on Collaboration, Digital Services, and Resource Management for the Sustainability of Libraries explores emerging strategies and technologies that are redefining the role of the library within communities and academia. This reference book covers extensive ground on all the ways libraries have shifted to manage their resources, digitalize their services, and market themselves within the new technological revolution. These continued shifts for libraries come with benefits, challenges, and future projections that are critical for discussion as libraries continue to strive to remain updated and relevant in times of change. This book is ideal for librarians, archivists, collection managers, IT specialists, electronic resource librarians, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in the current state of libraries and how they are transforming to fit modern needs.

This study explores perceptions of interorganizational collaboration through an investigation of the opinions and actions of a public library and three community-based organizations. Interorganizational collaboration is often viewed as an effective strategy for accomplishing objectives that would not otherwise be possible with a single organization. Particularly for complex societal issues such as adult literacy, researchers and practitioners believe collaboration between organizations is necessary in order to achieve desired outcomes. Public libraries are engaging in collaborations also to extend their reach, establish the library's relevance, increase community involvement, and advocate for their position as a community asset. This thesis is a case study of one such library and its community partners. In 2005, Oregon's Multnomah County Library (MCL) developed a strategic plan that included helping adults reach their personal literacy goals. Recommendations for the implementation of adult literacy services included advice against the library becoming a direct service provider and advocated instead for the use of community relationships in order to pool resources, generate new ideas, and improve access to services. This thesis explores how MCL and three employment agencies envision and enact collaboration, and how they perceive and engage with each other as partners or collaborators. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews with central players at MCL and staff from three employment agencies formed the basis of this research. These thirteen participants represented multiple perspectives on adult literacy and collaboration in the library and its community. Participants' responses were coded and organized according to themes found in the literature, and additional themes emerged from significant topics in the interviews. Analysis consisted of comparing and contrasting the themes with existing theory and across participants, determining patterns and relationships, and developing a framework for understanding the perceptions of collaboration held by the library and its community. Although the collaboration literature distinguishes between partnership and collaboration, the participants in this study used both terms interchangeably. However, they typically referenced and had experience with relationships between individuals (partnership) as opposed to relationships between organizations (collaboration). Participants indicated that the role of the individual, characterized by the importance of a personal connection and the effort required to engage in partnership or collaboration, was the most important factor in building working relationships. Considering that participants typically described relationships between individuals as representative of collaborations or partnership, a logical consequence is that an individual contributes significantly to the process. Other findings of this study focused on the differences between how MCL perceived its role as a partner and how the employment agency staff perceived the library as a partner. Although the community participants believed in the benefits of collaboration, they did not often pursue collaboration, and they did not see the library as a partner. Conversely, engaging with the community was part of the library's mission, and each library participant confirmed that the goal of the library was to reach out to those who did not already know about the library. Three factors that shaped the process of partnering with the library were used as a framework for exploring the different perspectives held by the library and the community participants. Through an exploration of the library's goals for community engagement, the library as a resource, and the library meeting community needs, this study found that the community participants perceived barriers to using the library as a resource and didn't realize that the library wanted to help them meet their needs. Implications of these findings for libraries and communities include the need for clarification of goals for collaboration and type of collaboration. Through a concrete awareness of the objectives for each collaborative endeavor, the library and community agencies can better understand the initial effort and resources required. Because the employment agencies did not see the library as a partner, the library may have to lead the process of engaging with the community, helping the community identify its needs, and explicitly linking library resources to specific community needs. Suggestions for future research include investigation into individuals who seek partnership or collaboration, specific information about initial interactions between individuals that eventually leads to collaboration, and the importance of linking the collaboration research to the public library setting.

Designed for librarians who work with all age levels from youngsters to seniors at all educational, reading and language backgrounds, who must fulfill responsibilities that run the gamut from instructing patrons on information literacy skills to using electronic tools to marketing the library to locating funding, Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides librarians with the following: Section I: Infographics 101 contains definitions, history, importance in today’s society, types and examples, advantages and disadvantages, general uses, uses in libraries, tools for creation and design tips. Section II: Practical applications show how to use infographics in academic, public, special and school libraries. Included are visual examples and step-by-step instructions to create two infographics Included in each section are exercises, tables with URLs to more ideas and materials and references. This practical guide will help every type and size of library use infographics as a powerful part in their 21st century game plan. Whether it's marketing the public library, improving students information literacy skills in a school library or showcasing the accomplishments of the academic library, infographics can be a vital part of the library's playbook. The book describes ways to use infographics to: raise funds for a public library teach critical thinking and 21st century skills in the school library illustrate why libraries matter by relaying value of academic libraries market the library improve information literacy in academic settings advocate for resources and services.

Creating a Person-Centered Library provides a comprehensive overview of various services, programs, and collaborations to help libraries serve high-needs patrons as well as strategies for supporting staff working with these individuals. While public libraries are struggling to address growing numbers of high-needs patrons experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, mental health problems, substance abuse, and poverty-related needs, this book will help librarians build or contribute to library services that will best address patrons' psychosocial needs. The authors, experienced in both library and social work, begin by providing an overview of patrons' psychosocial needs, structural and societal reasons for the shift in these needs, and how these changes impact libraries and library staff. Chapters focus on best practices for libraries providing person-centered services and share lessons learned, including information about special considerations for certain patron populations that might be served by individual libraries. The book concludes with information about how library organizations can support public library staff. Librarians and library students who are concerned about both patrons and library staff will find the practical advice in this book invaluable.