Valuing Your Library   

Article - Helping Your Library Demonstrate Impact - by Joanne Roukens, MLS, Executive Director of the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative in Denville, NJ. The HRLC, in partnership with the New Jersey State Library, has created a toolkit to help you calculate your library's return on investment and demonstrate its value in the language that our funders understand.

Podcast - Valuing Your Library to Government Entities and to the Public - Patrick Heath talks about helping government entities and the public become more aware of the value of the library in ways not limited to quantitative data.  Patrick Heath, the 2009 - 2010 President of TLA and Mayor of Boerne, TX 1987 - 2007, will be keynote speaker at the Library Supporters Conference in Fort Worth on January 31.

And don't forget last month's podcast from AALS on Return on Investment.  We also have a return on investment spreadsheet posted with the FY 2008 NTRLS Consultant Reports.

Executive Director's Column - This month's column by NTRLS Executive Director Adam Wright focuses on the importance of libraries in today's society and how we can make sure they get the support they need to survive. Adam's column also has details about what NTRLS's activities last month and our plans for the coming month.   All of Adam's past columns are available at the Executive Director's Page on NTRLS.org.

Are you trying to build support for your library?  Attend the North Texas Conference for Library Supporters on January 31, 2009 in Fort Worth!  Registration is now open.

Also this month - NTRLS System Assembly Meeting - January 22 at the Colleyville Public Library.  The meeting will be followed by the workshop Managing Across Generations presented by Eddy Smith.