As community connectors, public libraries recognize the power of relationship building. We are well-versed in transforming tentative relationships into experiences rooted in trust. But when it comes to engaging with BIPOC library partners, do we lead with care? Do we ensure that all voices are heard, and create communication guidelines that enable partners from traditionally marginalized groups to contribute? Our responsibility to our library partners relies heavily on our ability to thoughtfully answer these questions. In doing so, we ensure that library partnerships aren’t viewed as harmful, or transactional, but community-building and collaborative.
Libraries with equity, diversity, and inclusion at the center, understand the importance of nurturing partnerships. These organizations also recognize the evaluative nature of the partnership process, and continually work to identify ways to build partnerships that embody the ideals of a generous worldview.
Are you ready to transform the ways in which you pursue partnerships? Try the following:
Step 1: Start with ‘why’ Q: Why is my library interested in forming or maintaining a community partnership?
Whether your organization is interested in strengthening partnerships by identifying and working with diverse community organizations, or seeking community partners for funding or grant requirements, taking the time to identify the driving force behind your library's interest in community partnership-building is an important first step.
On a deeper level, this examination may affirm the work that you’re already doing, or conversely, it may reveal the ways in which your partnership-building process could be improved to more effectively amplify community needs. An easy way to begin this process is to create a list of your current partners, and the projects on which you’re partnering. The ‘why’ is often driven by those areas of priority or concern, and you may see specific patterns emerging - partnerships with organizations serving children, refugees, or the houseless. Starting by identifying why you’re prioritizing partnership development will allow you to have a clear area of focus that can be used to inform the path forward.
Step 2: Identify your partners.
Questions to ask: Who are your current partners?
Are they reflective of your community?
Do you adequately speak to the disparate needs and voices of the patrons you see, and those you don’t?
You’ve established the importance of partnerships and are operating with a newfound intentionality, now what? Once you recognize, and understand why you’re prioritizing partnerships, you want to identify who you’re partnering with. Is your current list of partners largely homogeneous? When was the last time you evaluated your partnership processes?
As with other library programs and services, partnership development should be used to galvanize and strengthen community relationships. Writer and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s well-known TED Talk, warns of the‘ dangers of a single story,’ Building strong partnerships relies on our ability to shift our ‘single story’ thinking.’ Strong partnerships also encourage us to abandon one-sided ideas that create partnership imbalances, and they silence familiar narratives that discourage us from trying new approaches.
Step 3: Check Your Cultural Proficiency Questions to ask: What can we do to broaden our reach?’ Now that you’ve identified who your partners are, or aren’t, you can begin to develop strategies for partner engagement. This process starts with normalizing practices and behaviors that are informed by cultural proficiency. Libraries that lead with cultural proficiency understand the importance of taking an ‘inside-out’ approach to building partnerships. They encourage staff to practice self-reflection and self critique to ensure that interactions with potential partners aren’t informed by individual biases.
Cultural proficiency also relies on the libraries ability to practice active listening when seeking diverse partnerships. The very act of listening signals to potential partners the library's sincere interest in learning about the mission, vision, and values of the partnering organization. And, for organizations who have never interacted with the library, active listening highlights the libraries desire to see community organizations bloom and grow. At its core, cultural proficiency is people-centered and relies on our ability to interact and appreciate one another’s cultures or belief systems.
Step 4: The Partnership Path Forward
Questions to ask: What are the next steps for my organization?
Steps one through three are highly focused on the process of examination. But what do you do when you're ready to mobilize and take action? The real work of authentically engaging diverse partners starts when you:
Practice and believe in the importance of psychological safety, mutual respect, and trust.
Define the ways in which you share a common vision, mission, and goals.
Nurture the partnership, understanding that with most relationships they are subject to change.
Commit to a community driven, community-building focus.
Identify, value and acknowledge your partner's expertise.
Value equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Invite current/potential partners to share feedback or suggestions.
There’s no denying the collective impact of a library with strong partners. How will you leverage your understanding of these steps to transform your community?
Suggested Resources:
Read: Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships- Editor: Vicki Hines-Martin
Original Article written by Christina Fuller-Gregory and found in Public Libraries Magazine May/June 2021 Edition.

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