WebJunction’s member receptions are a time for everyone involved with WebJunction to come together. The Member Reception at PLA had people who read the site, people that write on it, people who take courses, trainers, Community Partners, WebJunction staff, and even those who’ve just heard about us and are curious to learn more. We had some great food and even better conversations. It got me thinking about my pre-conference experience at the Sustaining Libraries Symposium, and in particular, our session on Building Relationships. At the beginning of the session, we were asked to think about this question: Who are your community supporters? As I looked around the room of about 200 people I thought, “They’re right here!” And they’re reading this post, and they’re having conversations in our discussion boards, and they’re attending webinars, and they’re taking online courses, and they’re always finding new ways to do the important work that they do better.

Your own community supporters will expand far beyond our group. They probably include foundations, government agencies, schools, churches, hospitals, businesses and dedicated volunteers. I’m also betting that your relationships with each of these institutions vary depending on your resources, community, and vision for your library. But no matter where you and your partner are, there are some key concepts that can help foster your community relationships. Here’s what I learned from our session:

1. Identify each others goals for the partnerships: this will allow you to identify shared values and make sure each partner is getting their needs met.
2. Communicate often: provide regular updates to keep everyone on the same page and recognize successes.
3. Show appreciation: spread your enthusiasm for the work and your partners’ valuable contributions.

The best synopsis of this material came from a fellow participant: Partnerships are between PEOPLE—not institutions.

I hope our Member Reception provided another opportunity to build relationships with one another. The relationships we build with each other makes us stronger and better able to articulate our value as we move outside the library to seek new partnerships.