How do I partner with another organization to provide programming and other services?
Many, if not most, libraries partner with other organizations to provide programs and other services. Some common partners are Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and Community Adult Learning Programs (CALP).
Some common questions:
- How do I ensure this partner program is accessible to all the patrons we serve, not just the people the partner organization serves?
- How do I talk to my partner organization to keep them from leaving my program room a mess when they leave?
- Nobody came to my program, and now my partner organization is complaining about it - what do I do?
Answer
The short answer to all of these questions is: Create a Partner Program Agreement!
For programs or other activities where you’re working with another organization, we recommend using a Partner Program Agreement to cut down on misunderstandings and give everyone some written information to refer back to.
These agreements don’t have to be rules-bound, but it’s best to make them fairly detailed, especially with things like tasks and timing – that way, if someone’s filling in temporarily or there’s a staff change, everyone knows what the basics are. The real key here is simply to make sure you're having a detailed conversation about expectations with someone at the partner organization who can make decisions... and then make sure everyone has a written copy of that conversation. The actual Agreement is just a structure to lead you through the conversation and write down the results. It's not set in stone, so feel free to change it to suit your own library's needs!
In the links below is a sample Partner Program Agreement, filled out with a fictional partner program so you can see the level of detail that's most helpful.
Links & Files
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