Libraries Transforming Communities: Examples from the Field
Case studies and blogs
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities
In 2023 and 2024, the American Library Association selected 465 libraries to receive grants through Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities. The public, academic, and school libraries represent 46 U.S. states and the Northern Mariana Islands. The initiative will continue with an additional $7 million distributed through 2025. Read all case studies and blogs.
 Staff at the Lee Public Library located in Lee, New Hampshire (pop. 4,481) have long sought to rework some of their building’s less accessible spaces. The LTC grant helped them achieve much-needed upgrades. |
 Located in Dixon, Missouri (pop. 1,226), staff at the Jessie E. McCully Memorial Library have found that regardless of where patrons are on the disability spectrum, accessibility upgrades can improve everyone’s experiences. |
 Community partnerships can be instrumental for small and rural libraries. These libraries share how they benefit from working with partners on important accessibility projects. |
 In this blog post, three disabled library users share what they've noticed and what they'd still like to see in their library's accessibility efforts. |
 Small and rural libraries provide essential services to their communities. But for the 1 in 3 adults in rural areas who live with a disability, these libraries are not always accessible. How are small and rural libraries addressing this need? |
 How can your library engage populations with disabilities? Take these tips and insights to help build accessibility into community outreach and conversation programs. |
Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small & Rural Libraries
In 2020 and 2021, the American Library Association selected 567 libraries to receive grants through Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small & Rural Libraries. Libraries volunteered to share their experiences with facilitating conversations in their communities. Read all case studies and blogs.
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Turning Outward
In 2014 and 2015, 10 public libraries from across the country took part in an extensive, 18-month training to learn the Harwood Institute's Turning Outward approach and put it to use in their communities. Read all the case studies and blogs.
Program Evaluation
In close collaboration with ALA, Knology, a nonprofit research organization that produces practical social science for a better world, works to evaluate the LTC initiative. Evaluation of LTC consists of several methods of data collection and analysis. Research involves both qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, interviews, focus groups and monitoring web use. Learn more about how LTC is evaluated.
Programming Librarian
ProgrammingLibrarian.org provides the resources, connections and opportunities libraries need to fill their role as centers of cultural and civic life. It is a place for library professionals to share, learn and be inspired to present excellent programming for their communities. Through resources, ideas and professional development opportunities, we seek to help libraries fill their role as cultural and civic hubs in their communities
