ALA announces 10 public libraries selected for Libraries Transforming Communities Public Innovators Cohort

The American Library Association announced the 10 public libraries chosen to undergo an intensive 18-month, team-based community engagement training program as part of the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) Public Innovators Cohort.

The cohort, selected through a highly competitive peer-reviewed application process, is part of ALA’s LTC initiative, a national plan to help librarians strengthen their role as core community leaders and change-agents. The selected libraries represent the range of American communities in terms of size, location, ethnic and racial diversity and socioeconomic status, and they all face challenges including illiteracy; unemployment; a “digital divide” in their community’s access to information technology; an influx of new and immigrant populations; and disparate access to services.

Through in-person training, webinars and coaching -- valued at $50,000 -- teams from each library will learn new community engagement techniques and apply them within their communities. Each library also receives an $8,000 cash grant to help cover the cost of their new community-engagement work. In partnership with The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, Libraries Transforming Communities addresses a critical need within the library field by developing and distributing new tools, resources and support for librarians to engage with their communities in new ways. The following libraries make up the LTC Public Innovators Cohort are:

• Red Hook (NY) Public Library (pop: 1,900)
• Columbus (WI) Public Library (pop: 5,000)
• Knox County (IN) Library (pop: 33,900)
• Suffolk (VA) Public Library System (pop: 85,000)
• Hartford (CT) Public Library (pop: 125,000)
• Springfield (MA) City Library (pop: 153,000)
• Tuscaloosa (AL) Public Library (pop: 195,000)
• Spokane County (WA) Library District (pop: 255,000)
• San Jose (CA) Public Library (pop: 980,000)
• Los Angeles Public Library (pop: 3.8 million)