Partnerships & collaboration

Photo of people working around a tabletop whiteboard.

When the library builds partnerships, it strengthens the ties to its community, shares resources, and builds positive relationships with diverse stakeholders. Reaching out to initiate community partnerships begins with identifying both traditional and non-traditional partners and exploring new ways to work together. Effective collaborations are sustained through a shared commitment to serving the ever-changing needs of the community.

Photo: jenlen, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Most Recently Added

Growing library garden programs

Publish Date: News / 1 May 2024

Library gardens offer a great way for community members to come together to learn, grow, and contribute towards a healthy, balanced environment. And creating a vibrant community green space or gardening program doesn’t have to be complicated. Across ...

Singing the unsung heroes that make libraries successful

Publish Date: News / 24 April 2024

Community partnerships play an important role in creating successful libraries, and Berks County Public Library is no exception. Each year, the library honors individuals and groups in the community who demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation,...

Co-creating library services through human-centered design

Publish Date: News / 10 April 2024

Much of the work of co-creation happens before you start to plan a concrete service or program. It’s worth spending the time up front to establish authentic, asset-based relationships and craft a scope that aligns with both community aspirations and ...

Hopkinton Public Library unites community in library planning

Publish Date: News / 12 March 2024

At Hopkinton Public Library in Iowa, community engagement is thriving. And the secret to this success is including community members in in the planning, from beginning to end. From an annual haunted house to community bake-offs, the library incorpora...

Align library services with community aspirations

Publish Date: News / 27 February 2024

The most successful library services are often those that help the community meet its aspirations while also honoring the unique purpose of the library. But balancing the community’s goals and the library’s scope is not always an easy task.

Together we heal

Publish Date: News / 20 February 2024

Like many small-town libraries, Jarrell Community Library is an important place for connection. And through a recent Libraries for Heath grant, the library is offering new kinds of connections—to peer mental health specialists and an array of resourc...