Tell us about your library’s community engagement work

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office is looking for stories from libraries who have done, or are doing, community engagement work.  We are interested in learning what that experience has looked like in your library and what the results have been for your institution/community.

Examples of community engagement work might include: hosting a conversation with residents to discuss a divisive topic; an information campaign to educate residents about a topic before an election or referendum; or learning what services or programs a certain segment of the community needs and revising library offerings/activities based on what you heard. 

Your submission may be used as an example in a forthcoming book, "Empowering Communities: The Library and Community Engagement" (working title), edited by Mary Davis Fournier and Sarah Ostman, to be published by ALA Editions; or featured on ALA's Programming Librarian or Libraries Transforming Communities websites. If your library's story is selected, you will receive acknowledgement credit in the book or on the relevant website. 

Please reply by Friday, May 17.

Questions? Please contact ALA’s Public Programs office at publicprograms@ala.org.

Thank you!

 

Question Title

* 1. Contact Information

Question Title

* 2. Please describe your library's community engagement activities to date:

Question Title

* 3. What would you say has been your library's greatest achievement in community engagement?

Question Title

* 4. Think of your most successful community engagement effort to date. What was its goal? 

Question Title

* 5. What steps did the effort entail?

Question Title

* 6. What groups or partners did you work with?

Question Title

* 7. What feedback did you receive and from whom?

Question Title

* 8. What lasting impacts resulted, if any?

Question Title

* 9. May we follow up to get more information about your community engagement work?

Question Title

* 10. I understand that my story may be shared  in "Empowering Communities: The Library and Community Engagement" (working title), a forthcoming book from ALA Editions, or on ALA’s Programming Librarian and/or Libraries Transforming Communities websites. I understand that if my submission is used, I will be acknowledged.

T