SALS to Participate in Aspen Institute Pilot Program
Saratoga Springs, NY, October 13, 2015 – The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is pleased to announce its participation in a pilot initiative for the Aspen Institute, an education and policy studies organization. The endeavor is meant to encourage professionals to rethink current services and reinvigorate outreach efforts; it complements the Institute’s 2014 report, Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries, available at: http://as.pn/libraries
The report identified four strategies for success:
- Aligning Library Services in Support of Community Goals
- Providing Access to Content in All Formats
- Ensuring the Long-Term Sustainability of Public Libraries
- Cultivating Leadership
The Institute has partnered with 23 libraries and systems from across the US for the 10-week project, set to conclude in mid-November. A website based on feedback from participants is planned for launch in early winter. The other New York institution participating is Red Hook Public Library in Northwestern Dutchess County (pop. 1,900).
“SALS is honored to be part of this pilot project. As a result, we hope the libraries in our region will be more engaged with their communities and become key partners in community life in the digital age,” remarks Sara Dallas, Director of the Southern Adirondack Library System.
The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is a voluntary association of 34 public libraries in New York’s Hamilton (pop. 4,700), Saratoga (pop. 224,900), Warren (pop. 65,000) and Washington (pop. 62,400) Counties. Chartered in 1959 by the New York State Board of Regents, SALS is one of 23 public library systems in New York State; its mission is to help member libraries meet community needs.
http://www.sals.edu
The Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries is a multi-stakeholder forum to explore and champion new thinking on US public libraries, with the goal of fostering concrete actions to support and transform public libraries for a more diverse, mobile and connected society. The Dialogue is managed by the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, which focuses on projects and initiatives that address the societal impact of communications and information technologies and provides a multidisciplinary venue for considered judgment on communications policy issues. http://www.aspeninstitute.org
