Colorado Library Consortium

The Colorado Library Consortium will expand the work of the Research Institute for Public Libraries begun in 2015 to train 102 librarians in a variety of public library evaluation topics including community needs assessment, outcome-based evaluation, and data use for planning, management, and demonstrating impact. Developed in partnership with Colorado State Library, this project will create and deliver three formats of the training: 1) a full-scale national institute; 2) a regional, two-day training; and 3) a day-long training suitable for pre-conferences. During the grant, Colorado Library Consortium will offer one National Institute in Atlanta, Georgia; four Regional Institutes in California, Maine, Texas, and New York; and two pre-conferences at the annual conferences of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries and through the Public Library Association. The funds will also support evaluation and refinement of the curriculum, the creation of an online community of practice, and scholarships to support the training of staff from small and rural library systems.