Discover the best way your library can work with community leaders, allies, and collaborators to create lasting and purposeful partnerships.

People are often burnt out in libraries right now. This feeling emanates in part from the feeling that we're the last public institution standing, and therefore have to pick up whatever is falling through the cracks of a failing social net. This book focuses on the proactive strategies that can change this reality. If public libraries are feeling alone, public libraries need to find partners, allies, and collaborators.

This book walks librarians through the various types of partnerships and includes information on models for developing, sustaining, and discontinuing partnerships; tools and tips for partnering with purpose; pointers on finances and record keeping; and more. This book prepares the reader to develop transformative solutions to systemic problems no institution or sector could address on its own.

Noah Lenstra, PhD, is a Professor of Library & Information Science in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Education, USA.

Jenny Bossaller, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Information Science & Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri–Columbia, USA.

Lynn Silipigni Connaway, PhD, is a researcher, educator, librarian, and former Executive Director, Research, OCLC.