We were excited to participate in the Indiana Library Federation conference in person this week. It marked the first time since the onset of the pandemic we have been able to attend a library conference in-person and the first time Rob and I have been able to present together in-person. We had a full room and fantastic audience participation.

Hiring an experienced library consultant can be perceived as an added expense, but often it can be the best investment that you make when pursuing any type of library project. As libraries are often being challenged to do more with less, it’s more important than ever to focus on community needs and consider new alternatives. Sometimes it’s hard to do that when you aren’t sure what else is out there or where to start. Here are just a few reason you should consider looking to a consultant for assistance.

Libraries have the opportunity to learn from others. Especially in these uncertain times organizations are showing their creativity in how they continue to best serve their communities. Over time, Monona Bank realized that their customers had changed their habits and were no longer needing as many onsite banking services as they once did. Instead of letting the space in the lobby at their Schenk’s Corners location go unused, they chose to rethink how they offered services to their community. The solution, in addition to continuing to offer banking services, was to create a venue that also offered a café and co-working space.

When was the last time you heard, “I didn’t know the library did that”? I’m guessing it’s a routine occurrence and maddening at that. We have been listening to librarians and library staff for over 20 years and more recently have been seeking the voice of community members as well. In the past six years alone, we have worked with nearly 100 public library clients, facilitated over 600 community discussion sessions with over 8,500 attendees, and conducted 75 online surveys with over 20,000 total responses. We can honestly say that this sentiment is one of the most universal responses we hear time and time again in our community discussion sessions, regardless of the library size, budget, or level of usage.

Over the past 10-15 years libraries and the communities they serve have undergone constant change due to rapidly evolving technology, changing patron preferences, social issues, and constant budget pressures. The events of the past several months have done much to intensify change and have also provided the opportunity to re-examine even the most basic operations and try new approaches. Most libraries understand that change brings opportunity and adapting to these changes can make institutions stronger, more relevant, and more responsive to the needs of their communities.