Meeting Your Community's Needs (38:22)

With libraries struggling for limited resources in many communities around the world, growing politically motivated protests, and some people questioning libraries’ relevance, it is more important than ever to ensure a library’s services and programs meet the needs of the local community. Small and rural libraries, in particular, struggle to survive if not well supported by their community members. In this episode, Beth and Jane interview Dianne Connery, previous Director and current Development Director of Pottsboro Area Public Library in Texas (US). On the verge of closing its doors, Dianne led a group of dedicated stakeholders who transformed this small, rural library into the vibrant community-gathering place it is today. She shares her experiences and strategies that worked for her to engage her local community and ensure the library met their needs. She also shares her opinions about how this process may look different for rural versus larger or more urban libraries.