Partnerships & collaboration
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
Call to Action: Public Libraries and the Opioid Crisis
Publish Date: Webinar / 31 March 2020
This webinar will present a newly published call to action, offering strategies for public libraries to consider as they determine a local response to the nationwide opioid crisis.
Library as a Social Assistance Office
Publish Date: News / 20 February 2020
With a determined stride and a big smile, Ida Abolins walks over to the writing desk at the window of the library in San Francisco and asks a young man bending over a pile of paper, "How are you doing?"
Overlooking the lavish City ...
A Race to Save the Planet: Public Libraries Lead Climate Change Effort
Publish Date: News / 13 February 2020
How is your library supporting the community in addressing questions about climate change? Do you think there is more you could do? The staff at the Mill Valley Public Library in California knew that they could do more and set out to engage the commu...
Minnesota State Law Library Partners with Saint Paul Public Library to Promote Access to Justice
Publish Date: News / 16 January 2020
Law libraries can provide people with information, forms, and legal aid references to help them with their legal questions. Too often, however, people either don’t know that law libraries exist or may be intimidated to visit them, a...
Public Libraries Partner to Respond to the Opioid Crisis
Publish Date: Webinar / 30 October 2019
This webinar will present examples from new case studies of libraries who are serving as active partners in addressing the opioid crisis in their communities.
New Publications Detail Public Library Responses to the Opioid Crisis
Publish Date: News / 29 October 2019
OCLC and the Public Library Association (PLA) are pleased to announce two new publications which demonstrate how public libraries are responding to the opioid crisis with their communities. The research has resulted in eight case studies and a summar...
Cyber Legal Clinics Create Access to Employment at Wicomico Public Libraries
Publish Date: News / 24 October 2019
Free legal representation can be hard to access in rural communities and filing legal documents without representation can be costly and confusing. To improve access to civil legal justice for low-income community members, Wicomico Public Libraries p...
Always Be Listening: How Public Libraries are Approaching Community Engagement as a Mindset
Publish Date: News / 27 June 2019
ALA Annual is always overflowing with sessions to help library staff take a step back and think about their libraries, services, and approach to their communities. This year was no exception, and there were many stand-out sessions dedicated to rethin...
Getting to the Heart of the Community Through Discovery
Publish Date: Webinar / 11 June 2019
This webinar presents tools, methodologies and strategies that can be used to gather input and uncover the heart and aspirations of your community.
Community engagement
Where do you go for inspiration? Invigorate your community engagement efforts with advice from library leaders.