Joint-Use Libraries

Harmony Library in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a joint-use library built and operated by Front Range Community College and the City of Fort Collins. In planning this library, the partners carefully crafted a common vision and then examined their own libraries and expectations, identifying the areas in which they needed to maintain control and those in which they could operate less independently. Using examples from over four years of experience at Harmony Library, the author shows how balancing the need for control with the opportunities for cooperation is an ongoing, delicate process enhanced by constant communication and coordination.