Making Plans Together

“Communicate often and very far ahead of time.”

— Librarian at a western urban library

Questions to ask

Before putting together plans with a partner

You should adapt this list for each partner, but here are some questions to start with to help you understand your partner’s needs and situations.

• How many people do you work with in a typical day (or week, or month)? How many teens?
• What variation do you see in reading abilities and technical skills among the people and teens you work with?
• Do you work with many people with learning disabilities?
• What is your most pressing need in terms of materials, books, technology, or other resources?
• What kind of budget do you have to work with? What kind of staffing?
• When does your work occur (or what hours are you open)?
• Are there things you would like to do, but are unable to because of time, money, space, or other issues?

(Adapted from Squires, T. (2009). Library partnerships: Making connections between school and public libraries. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., page 16).

Before deciding to launch a joint project

• Do we have a shared or complementary goal?
• Will we achieve this goal more easily or more effectively together?
• What can the library do that the partner cannot do (or cannot do as well)?
• What can the partner do that the library cannot do (or cannot do as well)?
• Does this partnership align with the library’s strategic plan?
• What resources are needed to achieve this goal? Who will provide them?

Before embarking on a bigger project with a partner

• How many projects have you worked on with the partner? Did they go well? Do you have a good working relationship with everyone who was involved?
• Have any of these projects involved a monetary commitment? Did it cause any issues?
• How many people in your library and at the partnering institution are interested in being involved? Just the two of you, or are more people engaged and excited about the partnership?
• Has management from both sides supported past projects? Do they support another collaboration?
• Do you both know how much time you have to invest in the new project?

(Adapted from Squires, Tasha. Library Partnerships: Making Connections between School and Public Libraries. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2009, 80.)

Put it in writing

Depending on the size and formality of your project, a written agreement, contract, or memorandum of understanding may be useful or even required. Contracts are legally binding and are particularly important in situations that involve money, intellectual property, or other resources of value; a memorandum of understanding is not legally binding, but is useful for clarifying and recording agreements.

What goes into a MOU?

Each memorandum of understanding, or MOU, may be a little different, depending on the organizations involved and the nature of the project, but here are some questions that they should usually answer:

• Why is the MOU being created?
• What variation do you see in reading abilities and technical skills among the people and teens you work with?
• What organizations are involved in the project? What are their roles? Be as specific as possible, and include administrative tasks like scheduling meetings and following-up with people about deadlines.
• What activities are involved in the project? What is the timeline for these activities and the partnership as a whole?
• How will you communicate during the partnership?
• What is the project, and why are your organizations involved?
• Who will train staff, if needed?
• Who will be responsible for maintaining the project or program and any related materials?
• If changes are needed mid-way through the collaboration, who will decide what changes to make, and when?
• How will you evaluate the program’s success? What will you measure, and who will collect that information? Who will receive a copy of the final evaluation report?

MOU Resources

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