Learn how to raise money through community partnerships in new ALA Editions eCourse

CHICAGO - ALA Editions announces a new facilitated eCourse, Community Partnership: How to Raise Money and Build Relationships. Paul Signorelli, former director of staff training and volunteer services for the San Francisco Public Library system, will lead this four-week course, which begins on Oct. 3, 2011.

Drawing on the influential Urban Libraries Council report, Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development, this eCourse will help you identify and act on opportunities that match your library’s mission and goals with those of businesses and other organizations in your community.  Building partnerships in the community is an excellent way for libraries to address the increased demand for library services that is coinciding with current funding cuts. Successful partnerships can not only help to fund your programs, but also win you new allies in the community by showcasing your library’s value.  

In this interactive facilitated eCourse, Signorelli will show how to build productive community partnerships that will help your library engage in meaningful projects while enhancing its standing in the community.

Learning Outcomes:

• Further developing the ability to identify and contact appropriate business partners within the library’s community, even during challenging times
• Ability to develop an effective proposal for library-business collaborations
• Ability to work with business partners to bring projects to successful completion to the benefit of the community being served
• Ability to evaluate results of partnerships and modify those partnerships in ways that provide long-term improvements and sustainability of the collaborative relationships

Paul Signorelli has more than 20 years of experience as a learning leader for libraries and other organizations and businesses. As director of staff training and volunteer services for the San Francisco Public Library system, he created, implemented and managed numerous training plans. He continues to serve as a writer, trainer, onsite and online presenter and consultant for a variety of organizations, and remains active in the American Library Association Learning Round Table and with the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), where he has held leadership positions at the local and national level. He is currently a member of ASTD's National Advisors for Chapters.

Registration for this ALA Editions facilitated eCourse, which begins on Oct. 3, 2011, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an Internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files) and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionscoursehelp@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.