My concern is libraries
A local, national and global view
Welcome!
Jan Richards Consulting offers practical, tailored solutions to assist libraries in realising their potential. I believe in conversations and I recognise that every library and every project is different. I will work with you to get the best outcome for your community.
With an in-depth knowledge across the sector and strong professional networks, I specialise in being honest, realistic and getting the job done.
Yes, everybody loves libraries! But if we are to remain relevant, we need to be agile, adaptive, accountable and collaborative.
Jan Richards
Engage
Let’s engage with your internal and external stakeholders to undertake library reviews, develop strategic and marketing plans, evaluate organisational structures and staffing, develop policy and procedures, contemplate new initiatives and conduct community consultations and surveys.
Enhance
Together we can enhance your service offer: explore opportunities for partnerships and collaboration; creation of communication and advocacy strategies including branding and collateral; tweaking what you’re already doing to maximise the impact. Sometimes you have the skills but you just don’t have the time – researching an issue, writing a report, developing a policy. Here and happy to assist.
Enable
Increasing the capacity and capability of your team through their involvement in any project is key to the JRC philosophy. Building skills and confidence enables them to undertake similar projects in the future – doing myself out of a job I know! Follow up is included in all consultancies and mentoring and coaching is an option.
Remembrances of NSW Library Conferences past
My NSW public library conference was in May 1994 in Deniliquin and I had not long been appointed to the position of Manager Central West Libraries. The minute I arrived I knew I had found my ‘tribe’ and 27 years later I still feel the same. Of course in 1994 the conference I was attendingContinue reading “Remembrances of NSW Library Conferences past”
Switch 2021
Only a week to go and your SWITCH 2021 packets should be arriving via mail including this card alerting you to an exciting SWITCH Trivia competition that I’ll be running. Now I know that some of you have already popped on by to see if anything is here already (where’s that Playschool Magic Mirror? IContinue reading “Switch 2021”
Global Goals Week
Global Goals Week ( 17-26 September) is a time for us all to come together to mobilise communities, demand urgency, and supercharge solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whether it be digitally or physically. Our shared future and the achievement of the Global Goals will be determined by us working together, locally, nationallyContinue reading “Global Goals Week”
Testimonials
‘Just wanted to let you know that this was the most important, useful and practical PD! Will definitely be going back to school on Monday to start those conversations.’‘Thank you Jan, your depth of experience and expertise was great to see’. Teams: the hard conversations Presented for ALIA Schools as an online workshop in MarchContinue reading “ALIA Schools PD participant”
‘The content reminded me of the importance of considering the implications of healthy membership statistics and the strategies to achieve them’. ‘Jan’s way of looking at membership campaigns. It was inspiring’ Members: engaging, retaining and growingA workshop series for the NSW Public Libraries Association presented during April and May 2021 with 150 participants from 57Continue reading “NSW Public Libraries Association – Membership Campaign”
‘Brilliant! Quick, complete and accurate! You are a perfect professional librarian’. I love working with my friends in Iran. I had the thrill of being able to visit them in 2019 but I’ve also done a number of video presentations for their conferences. The Iranian Library and Information Science Association (ILISA) together with the NationalContinue reading “Iranian Library and Information Science Association (ILISA) and the National Library (NLAI)”
I acknowledge the Nuenonne people of Bruny Island, and all the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which I work. I acknowledge all elders past and present and extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Jan Richards Consulting 