This series will explore practical strategies and real-world examples for showcasing the impact of your library to key stakeholders. Five webinars will highlight creative and effective approaches for demonstrating value - no matter your budget or staffing levels.
Presenters will also share tools, resources, and success stories to help attendees of all experience levels make the case for their library’s worth in their communities.
Registration is required for each session. Recordings will be sent to registrants and published to our YouTube channel.
Questions about the series? Contact Devon Waugh at devon [at] nclive.org.
| TIME | SESSION |
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| Thursday, September 11th, 2:00 - 3:00pm | Beyond the Books: Strengthening Public Library Support through Strategic Relationships How can libraries build lasting support from government officials and community stakeholders? In this session, Juli Moore, Director of Iredell County Public Library, will share how she has cultivated strong relationships through intentional communication, meaningful partnerships, and strategic grant work. She’ll also reflect on her leadership philosophy and how it has shaped her approach to collaboration, ultimately benefiting the library, the community, and its partners. Join us to gain practical tips and inspiration for building connections that make a lasting impact. Presenters:
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| Tuesday, September 16th, 2:00 - 3:00pm | Demonstrating The Library’s Value To Campus Stakeholders At A Private University: Impactful Practices for All Budgets and Staffing As academic libraries face reduced budgets and limited staffing, demonstrating value has never been more critical. This session offers practical strategies for library administrators to engage key stakeholders, administration, faculty, and students, by aligning library services and resources with institutional priorities. Learn how to communicate impact through budgeting and usage data, strengthen faculty partnerships through collections and instructional support, and reimagine the library as a dynamic student-centered space. Presenters will share actionable no-budget, low-budget, and medium-budget ideas tailored to each group, helping libraries focus resources on high-impact practices that sustain visibility, relevance, and support across campus. Presenters:
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| Monday, September 22nd, 1:00 - 2:00pm | Your Library’s Greatest Hits: Turning Data into a Value Story Communicating your library’s value is more important than ever but where do you start? In this presentation, Sophie Hollis, Community Engagement Librarian at NC LIVE, will outline the processes that NC LIVE uses to create our end-of-year reports and how they can be adapted for individual libraries. The first part of the webinar will cover the kinds of data that libraries can use to communicate their value to stakeholders. These will include real examples from NC LIVE and our strategies for gathering the data we need. The second part will be focused on designing a one-page document that clearly communicates these data and why they are important. Participants will gain ideas for how to best arrange and highlight this critical information concisely and attractively. Presenter: Sophie Hollis, Community Engagement Librarian at NC LIVE |
| Tuesday, September 23rd, 2:00 - 3:00pm | Buzz Builders: How to Make Your Library the Talk of the Town Ready to reach new library users and showcase all that your library has to offer? Join Caroline Clucas, Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator for Orange County Public Library, as she shares creative outreach strategies designed to energize your community engagement efforts. Learn how to build internal alignment and secure staff buy-in to make your outreach initiatives a team effort that truly sticks. Caroline will provide real-world examples, including insights from National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and practical tips for using swag and incentives effectively to attract and retain patrons. The session includes an idea-sharing segment and Q&A, giving you a chance to discuss challenges and swap successful tactics with fellow library professionals. Whether you’re refreshing your approach or starting fresh, this webinar offers tools to help your library connect and grow. Presenter: Caroline Clucas, Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator at Orange County Public Library |
| Wednesday, September 24th, 2:00 - 3:00pm | Supporting Student Success Through Soft Skills: The Library’s Role in The QEP Process How can libraries actively support campus-wide initiatives to build soft skills and enhance student learning? In this session, Colleen Kehoe-Robinson, Director of Library Services at James Sprunt Community College, will share her experience contributing to the college’s QEP, “Spartan Skills,” which focused on integrating soft skills into classroom instruction and student support services. Colleen will also be joined by two faculty members: Krisha Parker, Physical Education Instructor (and QEP Co-Chair) and Amanda Jasinski, Criminal Justice Instructor. Together, they will highlight how the library became a key partner in this effort by embedding soft skill development into instructional sessions, collaborating with faculty, and curating resources that reinforce these competencies. The session will also explore lessons learned, strategies for building sustainable cross-campus partnerships, and the library’s ongoing role in advancing student learning outcomes and institutional goals. Presenters:
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