The Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries has released an enhanced version of the Action Guide – Version 2.0 in response to feedback from our survey of all individuals who downloaded the Action Guide for Re-Envisioning Your Public Library.

Since its introduction in January 2016, the Action Guide has been downloaded thousands of times from individuals in 34 countries. It has been shared and reproduced widely and has become a valuable resource to library directors, library boards, state librarians, city/county managers and many more stakeholder groups interested in the library as a vital asset in advancing community goals.

Here’s what’s new

  • A focus on three primary pathways – Learning, Leading and Implementing
  • More streamlined, less resource and time intensive
  • More use case examples and resources (both in the Guide and online)
  • Access to a variety of templates that are easy to use
  • Complementary online tools and resources

“As we worked on Version 2.0 of the Action Guide, we focused on those sections that we felt were most important for community engagement and strategic planning,” explains Amy Garmer, Director, Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries. “This revised version is about streamlining the inquiry and planning processes, providing more resources and templates, and enhancing the Guide in response to the feedback that we have received from users of the original Guide. The result is a richer, well-organized, easy-to-use tool for libraries of any size or geography.”

No two libraries are the same, and the stories and blog posts that we are gathering and sharing at www.LibraryVision.org are testimony to the many ways the Action Guide has be useful in advancing libraries in communities across the country.

Submitted by Inese Christman.