When Stephanie Rawlins first stepped into her role as Director of the Pike County Public Library in 2016, she was new to the community—but she wasn’t new to libraries. She knew that Indiana’s requirement for libraries to update their strategic plans every three to five years could be either a check-the-box exercise or a real opportunity for change. She chose the latter. 

Change can be challenging for any library, especially when it involves leadership transitions, a shifting community demographic, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Cromaine District Library in Hartland, Michigan, the past few years have been a period of transition.  The Library’s new strategic plan has energized both staff and community members alike.

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.