Both public and school libraries are community centers at heart, with the same goal: to provide a safe, welcoming environment for all patrons and access to information in a variety of formats. When public and school librarians and library workers engage in collaboration, community members reap the benefits.

One tool to help build those partnerships is the Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit, free to download or view online. It includes sections on:

• Getting Started: How to Initiate the Collaborative Process
• Why School-Public Library Partnerships Matter: Research to Support Your Collaborative Efforts
• Successful School-Public Library Partnerships: Concrete Examples of Collaboration that Works
• Continuing the Partnership: How to Keep the Collaboration Going
• Templates & Additional Resources: Tools to Help Facilitate Collaboration

The Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit was created by the Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation, a collaborative project of ALA’s youth-centered units: the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), and the Young Adult Library Association (YALSA).