What Lessons Do Public Libraries and Their Partners Take from the Experiences of Working Together?

This study reports on the results of a nation-wide, qualitative US study of how public libraries and their partners collaborate. Analysis focuses on the lessons libraries and partners take from these experiences. Results show that to be successful in partner engagement, public library workers need to ask for what they need, be open to what others ask for, not think they must do it all, recognize what exists in the community, embrace unique opportunities, and ensure that the library is seen as a community partner. These findings are contextualized in relation to recent literature on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]