This book is for those moving their library beyond places to find information. Written by practicing public librarians and an academic librarian with an interest in public libraries, the book focuses on how public libraries can become more community centered and, by doing so, how they can transform both themselves and their communities. The authors argue that focusing on building community through innovative and responsive services and programs will be the best way for the public library to reposition itself in the years to come.

Are libraries extinct? In these times of economic downturn and digital availability, what could provide libraries with a reason for being? In order to provide a vital presence on Facebook and Google+, you must provide a true sense of connection with the library's friends.

Foreword by Tracie D. Hall 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. This important resource from ALA’s Public Programs Office (PPO) provides targeted guidance on how libraries can effectively engage with the public to address a range of issues for the betterment of their community, whether it is a city, neighborhood, campus, or something else. Featuring contributions by leaders active in library-led community engagement, it’s designed to be equally useful as a teaching text for LIS students and a go-to handbook for current programming, adult services, and outreach library staff. Balancing practical tools with case studies and stories from field, this collection explores such key topics as why libraries belong in the community engagement realm; getting the support of board and staff; how to understand your community; the ethics and challenges of engaging often unreached segments of the community; identifying and building engaged partnerships; collections and community engagement; engaged programming; and outcome measurement.

Using Social Media to Build Library Communities: A LITA Guide is a community-building action manual for practitioners across the profession. By bringing together an array of perspectives to explore community building through social media, this book serves as the go-to resource for professionals who want to take social media beyond marketing and promotion to build an inclusive and engaged community of library users. Each chapter contains clear explanations of important topics for building communities through social media, and readers will come away with cohesive approaches for their own libraries. Using Social Media to Build Library Communities demonstrates that an energetic and committed community exists to help and guide fellow community builders.

Creating a New Library: Recipes for Transformation offers ways to make your library group space into one conducive to transformational learning. The book is structured as a cookbook with an introduction to the idea, then directions on its execution. Next, the book gives tips on how to adapt each ‘recipe’ to fit other specific needs, including other kinds of libraries. The layout follows three strands: space, community, and outreach. Each section includes five elements critical to transforming spaces:, fun, stimulation, safety, freedom, and personal. From providing coffee in the morning, to a full Personal Librarian program, this book presents useful and engaging ideas for transformational learning. Enables and encourage transformational learning in academic and research libraries Presents practical ideas in the style of a cookbook, recipes that can be readily applied to a variety of sites and situations Gives useful insight and ideas relevant to different kinds of libraries, including academic and research libraries Suggests fun, quirky, and practical ideas for your library

In this book, collection management staff at academic libraries will find fertile ideas for transforming print collections to become more engaging and widely used by the diverse communities they serve.