Getting Creative with Partnerships – Public Libraries and Community Arts Organizations

“What are some of the benefits to working with these community arts organizations?

Adds variety to the types of library programs available to patrons. Regular patrons will be pleased that you’re providing them with more options, and you may even attract new library patrons with new, different programming.
Builds relationships with other organizations. While in the short-term you’ll be able to provide a new program for your patrons, in the long-term you could develop a relationship with an organization that continues to benefit both institutions for years to come. Maybe you’ll collaborate on larger events or apply for grant funding together in the future.
Costs little or nothing for the library. Many organizations will provide this type of programming for free because they are seeking opportunities to grow their audience and reach out to the community. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, approach organizations that include educational outreach as one of their missions (this will usually be stated somewhere on their website).
Requires minimal library staff time. At the start library staff will have to contact the organization and schedule the program. Then there will be some time devoted to promotion of the event and possibly set up of the library space. However, all of this time should still be much less than creating a new program from scratch.”