Strong collaborations allow libraries to broaden their reach and enhance their offerings. In the best cases, a partner complements the library’s strengths with new skills and resources. How do you find, assess, and build game-changing partnerships? How do you prepare your organization for successful collaboration with organizations with different operations and priorities?
This interactive session explores how to develop partnerships that lead to responsive and innovative offerings. We will work through key steps to assess partnership opportunities and establish the processes required to make the collaboration work — for the library, its community, and for the partner organization. Libraries are invited to bring a specific partnership opportunity they would like to explore and will leave the session with a personalized tool with which to evaluate partnerships, a plan for a partnership they would like to explore, questions they need to ask the potential partner (and themselves), and clear next steps.

Organizers
Brian Bannon, Chicago Public Library, USA

Katherine McConachie, Manager, Learning Initiative, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, USA

Philipp Schmidt, Director, Learning Initiative, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, USA

Date
Thursday, 13 September, 3:30 pm

Location
Campus, Room H