Introduction

How Public Libraries Build Sustainable Communities in the 21st Century posits that public libraries are key local institutions for developing and sustaining community partnerships that bring about social change (Mehra & Srinivasan, 2007). Kania and Kramer (2011) discuss the importance of using collective impact initiatives to bring about “large-scale social change in a community” (p. 38). In their research, the authors identify five conditions of success:

Since 2011, Kania and Kramer, in partnership with other institutions, have published eight principles of practice for implementing collective impact and five strategies for centering equity within the collective impact framework. The Collective Impact Forum (2016), in partnership with the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, the Forum for Youth Investment, FSG, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Living Cities, PolicyLink, the Tamarack Institute, and United Way Worldwide, published the following eight principles of practice for collective impact: