I’m excited to share that my new book, Positioning Your Library for the 21st Century: Strategies for Engagement, Relevance, and Sustainability, is now officially available for pre-order through Elsevier.
This project has been years in the making, and reflects many of the themes I’ve explored through consulting, speaking, training, and day-to-day library work over the past two decades. The book brings together practical strategies related to marketing, communications, accessibility, community engagement, customer experience, advocacy, crisis preparedness, and strategic planning — all through the lens of helping libraries remain relevant, trusted, and sustainable in a rapidly changing world.
Libraries today are navigating enormous shifts in technology, public expectations, politics, staffing, and community needs. At the same time, many organizations are still operating with systems, assumptions, and workflows that were built for a very different era. One of the core ideas behind this book is that libraries cannot simply “market” their way out of those challenges. Instead, they need to look more holistically at the barriers, friction points, and communication gaps that may unintentionally undermine engagement and trust.
The book explores topics such as:
- Removing barriers that frustrate or discourage users
- Strengthening customer experience and accessibility
- Building stronger communications infrastructure
- Balancing advocacy and neutrality in divisive times
- Preparing for and responding to crises
- Moving beyond scarcity thinking and “survival mode”
- Ethically navigating emerging technologies like AI
- Aligning strategy, storytelling, and community expectations
While the book is grounded in practical tools and real-world examples, it also reflects some broader questions I think many library leaders are wrestling with right now: How do libraries remain essential and trusted? How do we communicate value more effectively? How do we adapt without losing sight of our mission? And how do we create organizations that are sustainable not just financially, but operationally and culturally as well?
The book draws heavily from my experience working in libraries for more than 20 years, including a decade as Director of Marketing & Communications at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, along with lessons learned from consulting and speaking with libraries and library organizations across the United States.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has encouraged, challenged, inspired, and supported this work along the way. I’m looking forward to sharing more updates, previews, and behind-the-scenes reflections as publication gets closer.
You can learn more and pre-order the book here:
