This article features Chelsea District Library (CDL), Michigan, which claims recognition as the 2008 Best Small Library in America, an award sponsored by "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The aggressively responsive staff of CDL has created a model for small libraries all over America. There, careful…

Provides an overview of marketing efforts of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Examples of a marketing plan that stresses fostering relationships with the community are described, including staff training in customer service, a cultural festival, and services to the business community. A sidebar offers marketing tips for…

"Community involvement," the standard cliche, does not come close to capturing the spirit and action that have structured the building, programs, collections, and services of the Haines Borough Public Library (HBPL), AK. Those achievements make HBPL the winner of the first annual award for the Best Small Library in America, cosponsored…

Description of the Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library focuses on the transition from being a public library that had status under the public schools. Highlights include public support for new taxation, expanded and improved services, staff development, partnerships and programs with other community groups and schools, and future plans. (LRW)