Norfolk Public Library Schools Partnership

Building Stronger Connections Between Libraries and Classrooms

Organization: Norfolk Public Library
Project: Norfolk Public Library Schools Partnership
Role: Library Associate II, Youth Services Department
Timeline: 2018-2019 School Year
Service Area: Public and private K–12 schools across Norfolk, VA
Goal: Expand outreach into both public and private schools across the city

The Challenge

In 2018, the City of Norfolk launched a community-wide initiative to improve literacy outcomes for students across the region. As part of this effort, the Norfolk Public Library (NPL) sought to expand its role as a literacy partner—not only through traditional programs, but by creating meaningful, sustained connections inside classrooms.

However, previous outreach attempts had fallen flat. The library’s efforts to connect with schools—particularly private institutions—had not led to consistent partnerships or classroom access. The core challenge was finding a new approach that would speak to the mutual needs of educators, students, administrators, and the library itself.

NPL needed to shift from offering isolated events to building trust-based relationships with schools—ones that would integrate seamlessly into the academic environment and align with educator goals.

Our Goal was to expand outreach into both public and private schools across the city, which would then:

Increase awareness of NPL’s services among school administrators and educators
Build relationships with teachers, reading specialists, and school librarians
Promote library card sign-ups and in-class programming
Develop a cohesive, school-specific marketing strategy
Increase library program attendance and Summer Reading Program participation

Strategy & Execution

To build traction and trust with local schools, we launched a multi-pronged outreach campaign:
Initiated a phone campaign targeting school principals and media center librarians to introduce the program and schedule classroom presentations.
Created custom flyers and information packets with sign-up sheets for teachers, explaining how the library could support their classroom objectives.
Attended teacher planning meetings to gather insights on educator needs and to align library offerings with curriculum goals.
Developed a core messaging strategy that remained consistent across all grade levels, while tailoring presentation content to the age group of each classroom.
Trained a team of four Library Assistants to deliver engaging, age-appropriate presentations in K–12 classrooms throughout the school year.
For Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, introduced a puppet mascot who helped teach library concepts and read stories aloud—captivating younger students and making the visit memorable.
Offered bookmobile visits by request, expanding access and creating joyful, hands-on experiences with library resources.

Reached 90% of Public & Private Schools in the City of Norfolk

Increased Library Card Sign Ups by 3,000 across all branches

Summer Reading Program Participation Grew by 20%

The campaign helped shift the public perception of Norfolk Public Library—from a passive resource center to an active educational partner. Teachers gained tools, students gained access, and the library gained its place inside the classroom. The initiative laid a foundation for future programming that could resume post-pandemic with strong community goodwill already in place.