Building Community Support for Your Library

Building Community Support for Your Library” is about getting back to basics: knowing your people, solving real problems, and showing the value of your library in ways that stick. It’s not about flashy campaigns or jargon-filled mission statements—it’s about making real connections and giving your community reasons to care. We’ll talk about how to figure out what your community really needs, build relationships that matter, and create programs that speak for themselves.

Learning Objectives:
• Pinpoint what your community actually needs—not what you assume they need
• Build trust with local leaders and partners by being real and reliable
• Create programs that people talk about because they’re practical and useful
• Show the impact of your library in ways that make people want to stand behind you

Recommended Reading:
• The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Presenter: Sam Passey serves as the Associate Dean of Library Services at Colorado Mountain College, a dual-mission institution with 11 campuses that oers both associate and bachelor’s degrees. Previously, he spent 17 years as the director of Uintah County Library in Northeast Utah, where he oversaw the design and construction of a new library facility and mentored numerous sta members who have since become leaders in the library field. Sam has also taught at Emporia State University’s School of Library and Information Management. He holds a Master’s degree in Library Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education. A recognized speaker, presenter, and writer, Sam specializes in library and museum management and leadership.

The recording and handouts will be available on Niche Academy after the live event as well as our library of over 700 recorded sessions. To access Niche, go to: https://my.nicheacademy.com/floridalibrarywebinars

Register here via Zoom for the live event or through the link below.