As part of our research in this phase of the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA), we developed and administered a survey designed to give library workers an opportunity to talk about their experiences in partnering with community organizations.
At its heart, the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA) explores the impact of public programs on the people served by libraries.
Libraries of all types are taking on new roles and responsibilities. Through robust programming agendas, they’re at the center of community-building efforts all across the US. As they do this important work, libraries are increasingly forging partnerships with different groups and institutions within the communities they serve. Working with schools, churches, healthcare providers, and a variety of other organizations, they’re creating joint programming to directly address people’s needs.
Library workers see the impact of public programming every day, but what characterizes a good public program? ALA and Knology, a social science research nonprofit, are working to answer this and other questions through the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment (NILPPA).
Jackie Mills is a partnerships pro; she established library partnerships way before it was a trending topic. “Partnerships and collaboration are the future of libraries,” she says. “If the pandemic has taught librarians anything, it’s that libraries don’t exist within four walls anymore.”
