May 17, 2023
Chesterfield County Public Library
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA -- The Urban Libraries Council announced Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) as one of eight Honorable Mentions during the 2023 Innovations Celebration held virtually on April 27. ULC’s annual Innovations awards recognize transformative programs from ULC’s member library systems across the U.S. and Canada that enhance the library field to further advocacy, anti-racism and digital equity, democracy, education, health and wellness, and workforce development.
CCPL’s “Visual Storytelling Through GIS- Who Do We Serve?” was selected by expert judges from nearly 150 submissions in eight categories that showcase creative thinking and out-of-the-box application of library resources. CCPL was honored in the category of Data and Performance Management with honorees being recognized for their level of inventiveness, the outcomes achieved and the ability for other libraries to adapt and implement their work.
“It is clear from this year’s selected 2023 Innovations that ULC member libraries are at the forefront of industry creativity, leading far-reaching efforts, and developing original programming,” said ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater. “These winners illustrate the exceptional leadership, dedication and perseverance demonstrated by our libraries amidst ongoing change and pressure. We applaud Chesterfield County Public Library for their visionary program, which will revolutionize their library and community and serve as a template for public libraries across North America.”
Using GIS analytics, CCPL created a tool to tailor outreach activities and services in areas with relatively low cardholders per population. Using demographics at a parcel level, this community-focused approach allows for micro-targeting, with quarterly updates providing a powerful tool for measuring and optimizing library card sign-ups and outreach impact.
“The data generated from this system has led to new initiatives with how we connect with our community,” said CCPL’s Director of Library Services Dr. Michael R. Mabe. “Staff are making decisions in real time, which has led to a more engaged outreach effort. We’re excited to see what additional improvements we can make using these post-pandemic metrics.”
The mission of Chesterfield County Public Library is to enhance the lives of our citizens by providing tools for a lifetime of learning. CCPL has been recognized with four ULC Honorable mentions, multiple National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards and Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Achievement, and was recognized as the 2021 Virginia Library Association Library of the Year.
All 2023 ULC Innovations entries can be viewed at urbanlibraries.org.
About Urban Libraries Council
The Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and impact tank of North America’s leading public library systems. ULC drives cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st century. Nearly 170 urban member libraries in the U.S. and Canada rely on ULC to identify significant challenges facing today’s communities and provide new tools and techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in education, digital equity, workforce and economic development, and race and social equity.