Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation

The Free Library Foundation will create a practical, comprehensive curriculum guide and webinar series for public libraries to build their community engagement capacity. The curriculum will be organized around three modules (Outreach, Program Development, and Leadership) and provide training on nine interconnected skills that are essential for library staff to foster and sustain impactful programming in partnership with the communities they serve. Partners include the American Library Association, OCLC WebJunction, and an advisory board of library professionals from American Library Association, Cleveland Public Library, Columbus Public Library, Halifax Public Libraries, Hartford Public Library, Multnomah County Library, San Francisco Public Library, Shippensburg Public Library, and University of South Carolina. The Free Library of Philadelphia and its partners will shape, test, and refine the curriculum with an initial group of 250-300 library staff in two library systems before sharing with the broader library field.