Introducing Library Strategies’ New Director
It is bittersweet that we announce Sue Hall will be retiring as Director of Library Strategies at the end of the month. We are excited for Sue and the new journeys that lie ahead, but will miss her great sense of humor, leadership, and dedication to improving libraries across the country. We are pleased to have Stu Wilson, a Principal Consultant with Library Strategies, assume the Director position starting in January.
A little bit about Sue Hall:
Sue started out as a strategic planning consultant for The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library in 1999. In 2005 she began coordinating Opus & Olives, The Friends annual fundraising gala, which Sue ran until 2015.
One of Sue’s biggest accomplishments in her storied career may be the creation of Library Strategies over a decade ago along with the help of Peter Pearson, former President of The Friends. The idea for the consulting group came from the many requests that The Friends received from libraries and library organizations who were interested in becoming as successful as The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Library Strategies started with three clients in 2006 and has grown to serve 62 clients in 2017 alone.
Our clients range from small libraries in rural communities in Michigan to the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over the last eleven years, Library Strategies has written a very successful book on library fundraising (Beyond Book Sales: Raising Real Money for Your Library), created tool kits and websites for the American Library Association, and developed a new model for strategic planning (Rapid Results Planning) that has been implemented in dozens of libraries across the country.
When thinking back upon her time with Library Strategies and The Friends, Sue said, “How lucky can any one person be to have their last job be their absolute best job. Working with libraries and the folks who work so hard to provide great service to their communities has been an incredible ride. I have met some of the most wonderful people on the planet, and I’m absolutely convinced that the future for libraries has never looked better!”
A little bit about Stu Wilson:
Stu Wilson started in 1997 with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library working in various capacities for twelve years, including a role as the VP. Stu then went on to serve as the executive director of The Friends of the Hennepin County Library for four years, before returning to the Saint Paul Friends and consulting with Library Strategies.
Stu hopes to build on the solid foundation created by Sue Hall and Peter Pearson to further develop as a full-service library consulting organization. Stu firmly believes in the organization’s ability to make a difference for our clients and wants to build on our strengths to help libraries nationwide do more and serve their communities more fully.
Stu looks forward to further expanding the services offered by Library Strategies in such areas as facilities and staffing planning, project management, digital analytics, and an ability to serve more academic and special libraries. Additionally, Library Strategies will be looking to develop new major projects along the lines of the highly successful capacity building institutes conducted with the help of the Otto Bremer Trust.
Stu finished with saying, “I’m excited about taking on the reins of Library Strategies leadership from Sue Hall. Having been a part of the development of Library Strategies, I appreciate how much it has grown to help more and more libraries, and I look to a future where Library Strategies furthers its mission of helping communities one library at a time. We are uniquely positioned to advance the library cause, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to lead the organization.”