Libraries Transforming Communities: Turning Outward

Communities have challenges. Libraries can help. Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) seeks to strengthen librares' roles as comunity leaders and change agents using the Harwood Institute's Turning Outward approach to community engagement. Libraries Turning Outward. The Turning Outward approach involves asking the right questions to find out what your community really wants, and bringing together the right teams to help make those dreams a reality. Libraries around the country are using the approach to better understand their communities and to bring about positive change. Expore their stories below.

Case Study: Columbus (Wis.) Public Library: Innovative Solutions to Bridging Community Divisions
Blog: Suffolk (Va.) Public Library: Turning Outward to Chuckatuck
Case Study: Hartford (Conn) Public Library: Building on a Foundation of Success...and Going Deep to Go Broad
Case Study: Spokane County (Wash) Library District: Building an Organizational Culture that Puts Community First
Case Study: Red Hook (NY) Public Library: One Small Win Creates Huge Ripples of Change
Blog: San Jose (Calif) Public Library: Navigating a Community Conversation with Language Barriers
Blog: Evanston (Ill.) Public Library: An Interview with Jill Skwerski
Case Study: Los Angeles (Calif.) Public Library: Two Paths, One Destination: Culture Change in a Major Library System
Blog: Blue Valley (Kan.) High School: Transforming School Libraries
Explore free LTC resources
View a 60-minute webinar
Attend a training
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Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) was an ALA initiative with the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. The two-year initiative, offered in 2014-15 and made possibly by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, offered training and resources to libraries based on the Harwood Institute's "Turning Outward" approach.

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Get started with the free e-course, "Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries."

LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities will offer more than $7 million in grants to better serve people with disabilities.

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Learn basic facilitation skills with ALA's free guide, "Leading Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries."