ALA Editions/Neal-Schuman

CHICAGO — Community engagement isn’t simply an important component of a successful library—it’s the foundation upon which every service, offering, and initiative rests. Working collaboratively with community members—be they library customers, residents, faculty, students or partner organizations—ensures that the library works, period.

CHICAGO — In the face of rapid change and an ever-widening constellation of challenges, it’s crucial for library leaders to pull back to the question of “why?” Plotting a sustainable way forward depends upon recommitting ourselves to our underlying values, such as customer service and community-building, while fostering the improvements that change makes possible.

CHICAGO — If your online instruction program sometimes feels like a constant scramble to keep pace with requests and deadlines, modular design is the answer. Approaching projects, whether large and small, with an eye towards future uses will put you on the path to accomplishing broader, organizational goals. And by intentionally building documentation and structure into your process, you will create content that can be easily scaled modified, adapted, and transformed to meet different learner needs.

CHICAGO — Effectively marketing libraries by persuasively communicating their relevance is key to ensuring their future.