School Partnership Menu
Kent District Library
Innovation Synopsis
KDL transformed school outreach from a collection of branch-specific practices into a coordinated, systemwide partnership framework. In a post-pandemic environment where teachers and schools are stretched thin, even well-intentioned partnerships can feel like one more demand on limited time. The School Partnership Menu was designed to change that. It provides educators with a clear, visual, age-specific guide to library services while equipping staff with shared tools, training, and expectations for outreach. The result is a more equitable, sustainable, and relationship-centered approach that helps schools see KDL as a trusted asset and extension of student success, while ensuring consistent service delivery across the library system.
Challenge/Opportunity
Before this initiative, KDL's school outreach practices varied widely by branch and staff member, creating uneven experiences for educators, students and staff. Without a shared framework, staff could spend different amounts of time preparing for similar visits, schools did not have one clear place to understand partnership opportunities, and existing outreach activities were difficult to track and evaluate consistently.
KDL identified several challenges
-School outreach lacked a structured framework and shared expectations
-Staff spend varying amounts of time preparing for and executing school visits
-Schools had not centralized way to understand partnership opportunities available through KDL
-Existing outreach activities were difficult to track and evaluate consistently
-Schools did not have an educator-facing pathway to connect with or discover library resources
KDL saw an opportunity to create a scalable, systemwide outreach model that would provide consistent experiences
Key Elements of Innovation
-Created a systemwide school outreach framework with shared expectations and local flexibility.
-Gave educators a clear, age-specific menu of KDL partnership options.
-Aligned offerings with early childhood and ELA standards to support classroom goals.
-Added staff time guidelines, training and shared tools to make outreach sustainable.
-Improved equity by helping schools across KDL’s service area access more consistent library partnerships.
-Built a public educator webpage and staff resources to make outreach easier to discover, request and deliver.
-Created a foundation for stronger tracking, evaluation and continuous improvement.
Achieved Outcomes
The School Partnership Menu is supported by staff training, a public educator webpage and shared guidance that helps branches communicate offerings consistently. Organized for preschool, elementary and secondary educators, the menu outlines options such as reading visits, resource presentations, reading/writing challenges and school events, making KDL’s services easier to understand and request.
Training included menu guidance and staff time estimates for outreach activities, supporting more sustainable planning. The menu also connects visits to Early Childhood and ELA standards, using language familiar to educators. After implementation, branch outreach activity increased 8% from the previous year - staff rated their knowledge of the menu and standards at 4.35 out of 5. Staff described it as a “comprehensive resource” and “one-stop shop,” noting stronger school connections, renewed access to schools not visited in years and increased student library use after outreach visits.
