Recommended for librarians and library administration at public, school, and academic libraries
$299 (Save with group rates!)
When someone asks your library to prove its value, “we know we matter” is not enough. This course helps you build the kind of evidence-based case that actually lands with boards, administrators, and other decision-makers.
Clearer ways to decide which data and stories actually matter
More practical tools for turning impact into messages people understand
A stronger case for funding, staffing, and long-term support
FEELING PRESSURE TO PROVE YOUR VALUE?
Your board or administration is asking harder questions.
You’re preparing for a budget request, renewal cycle, accreditation review, or district conversation where proof matters.
You know how essential your library is, but usage stats and anecdotes aren’t enough when someone asks, "Why do we need this?"
You’ll leave withthe tools to connect your work to the outcomes that secure funding, staffing, and community trust.
Need flexibility? Once materials are released, you can start any time during your 6-month access period and move through the course at your own pace.
Invoice or PO options: Orders of $600 or greater can choose invoice at checkout. For orders under $600, please do not check out online. Submit this form, and we will process your order manually.
When leadership and staff work from the same evidence and message, your library sounds more credible, your impact is easier to explain, and your case is stronger in every conversation that matters.
Multi-seat discounts are automatically calculated in the cart.
AFTER YOU COMPLETE THIS COURSE, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:
Clearly articulate why your library exists and how its work connects to what your community or institution actually cares about.
Stop collecting data “just in case” and focus on the numbers and stories that truly demonstrate impact.
Turn statistics, surveys, and anecdotes into messages that resonate with boards, administrators, voters, and partners.
Align programs, partnerships, and outreach with your strategic priorities so your work reinforces your message.
Create visuals and presentations that make your library’s value easy to understand at a glance.
Walk into funding, renewal, or advocacy conversations prepared, grounded, and ready to make your case.
You’ll leave knowing exactly how to show not just that your library is busy, but that it is essential.
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR
This course is for library professionals who are responsible for demonstrating value, shaping strategy, or communicating impact within their institution or community.
You are preparing for budget conversations, renewals, or increased scrutiny and want stronger evidence to support your case.
You collect data but are not sure how to translate it into a story that resonates with decision-makers.
You recently completed a strategic plan and need clearer ways to measure and communicate progress.
You are working to improve outreach, partnerships, or stakeholder engagement and want to align those efforts with measurable outcomes.
You want to advocate for your library with confidence in conversations about funding, impact, and long-term sustainability.
This course is especially relevant for: Library directors, department heads, district or system leaders, school library media specialists, academic librarians, communications or marketing staff, and anyone tasked with demonstrating library impact to boards, administrators, or community stakeholders.
THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 4 ON-DEMAND MODULES:
Module 1: Defining and Refining Your Library's Identity
This module focuses on understanding your library's core identity, a crucial first step in demonstrating its impact. You’ll explore your library’s mission, vision, and values to articulate its unique purpose and character, as well as identify stakeholder values and points of alignment. By the end of this module, you’ll have a clear, cohesive understanding of what makes your library distinctive, where refinement may be needed, and how to connect that identity across diverse stakeholders to showcase your library’s essential contributions to your community.
Module 2: Communicating Impact Through Data
This module teaches you how to leverage your library’s data to highlight value and impact. You’ll learn how to identify and gather relevant data—such as program attendance, resource usage, and outcome achievements—and match that data to specific messages you want to communicate. You’ll also explore visual tools and techniques for presenting data in engaging ways, including impactful social media posts and compelling infographics.
Module 3: Crafting Compelling Library Stories
This module focuses on telling your library’s story in ways that clearly demonstrate its impact. You’ll learn how to transform data into compelling narratives and tailor your message for different audiences so your story resonates with stakeholders. By the end of this module, you’ll be equipped to articulate your library’s contributions through engaging, data-backed storytelling.
Module 4: Building Collaborative Partnerships
This final module brings together everything you’ve learned to demonstrate your library’s impact through meaningful collaborations. You’ll explore how to leverage your library’s identity, data, and stories to build partnerships, and hear from expert librarians across public, school, and academic settings who share real-world examples of successful collaboration. You’ll conclude the course by applying these strategies in a practical assignment that prepares you to initiate a new partnership with a stakeholder of your choosing.
COURSE ADVISOR
Jen Park, Library Advocacy Consultant
Jen Park is an advocacy consultant who assists libraries with advocacy, legislation, and information execution. In addition to her current role at a public library system, Jen has experience working in public libraries and as a faculty librarian at an academic library. She has presented regionally and nationally on topics ranging from grassroots advocacy to effective communication with stakeholders and has published articles on marketing and collaboration. Named a 2025 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, Jen also serves as President of her public library’s Board of Trustees.
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Deborah Hakes, Senior Strategic Initiatives and Impact Lead for the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions
Deborah Hakes is a communications leader with expertise in storytelling and building brands for nonprofits and libraries. In her role at Georgia Public Library Service, she worked to broaden awareness of the value of public libraries to build engagement and support and provided counsel to libraries to build their own communications expertise. In her current role with the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions, Hakes oversees the development and rollout of new initiatives and sets strategy for how to capture, understand, and demonstrate the impact of the organization's work. She was named Library Journal's 2020 Marketer of the Year for creating a storytelling framework to help libraries during COVID-19.
James Allen, Library Media Specialist
James Allen is the Statewide School Library Lead for the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology. Previously, he served as a public K–12 teacher librarian for sixteen years. James is a Google for Education Certified Innovator, ISTE Community Leader, member of the Future Ready Schools Librarians Advisory Team, past president of the Kentucky Association of School Librarians, and a member of the American Association of School Librarians National Conference and Professional Learning Committees.
Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian, University of North Florida
Maria Atilano is the Student Engagement Librarian at the University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library. She began working in academic libraries in 2002 as a student employee at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and later held staff roles in public services and special collections at UNF. Maria earned her MLIS from Florida State University in 2012. Her research interests include social media, library marketing and outreach, and student programming.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE
This course is designed for librarians and library leaders in public, school, and academic settings who are responsible for communicating value, shaping strategy, or reporting outcomes.
This is a fully self-paced, asynchronous online course consisting of 4 modules. Each module includes video instruction, slides, readings, and reflective exercises designed to connect concepts directly to your daily work.
EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT
Each module is designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete, for a total of 16 professional development hours. You may move through the course at your own pace and on your own schedule.
ALL THE DETAILS
Demonstrating impact requires more than collecting statistics. It requires clarity about who you are, what you do, and why it matters within your specific community.
In this course, you will work through a structured process for defining and refining your library’s identity, aligning services with mission, and identifying the outcomes that genuinely reflect your impact. You will examine how to move beyond counting programs and circulation toward communicating meaningful community impact.
You will learn how to collect relevant data without overwhelming your staff, frame that data in ways stakeholders understand, and craft narratives that connect your work to strategic priorities. The course also explores collaboration and internal alignment, helping your team communicate consistently about purpose and results.
While the core framework applies across library types, you will also have access to tailored resources, assignments, and cohort discussions for public, school, and academic libraries so you can apply each concept within your own institutional context.
ON-DEMAND ACCESS
You will have access to all course materials for six months from the material unlock date.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Complete all modules to earn 16 professional development credit hours and a Library Journal certificate of completion. Certificates are emailed upon completion.
ACCESSIBILITY
All video recordings feature auto-captioning. If you require accommodations, please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration and we will make our best efforts to support your needs.
"Everything was very insightful and I am learning so much from this course."
"I love all of the real-world examples used throughout - it made it much easier to see how I can apply this to our own issues. Also, the additional resources provided are excellent, I will be using many of them from now on."
"Deborah Hakes's presentation gave easy, actionable steps to create compelling stories that can help build and maintain support of libraries. It will be helpful as we strategize for our next millage renewal."
"Because we have a millage this year, I was looking for different ways to present all the wonderful things happening at our library to the community so they would support our millage ask this summer. This course gave me many ideas (such as infographics) to catch they eye and get our numbers out there without overwhelming folks."
