When do you recommend forming a public relations group to communicate with the community about the project?
Oftentimes, the PR group will be a subcommittee of the overall planning and design or building committee. The Planning and Design Phase LibGuide has a committee tab, which details the composition and duties of the official committee at this stage. It is a good idea to have someone with PR experience on the official committee, but the PR group can be dedicated library ambassadors who are already known, who you find through engagement in the strategic planning or library building program process, and/or who are actively involved in other communities within the community. For all projects, we suggest working on communication strategies from the time of the Letter of Intent phase through the Dedication. Our Building Literacy podcast features an Advocacy series, and our Communications department is putting together a toolkit on crisis communication in the coming months.