[Library Name/Type] Case Study
[ONE SENTENCE: The problem your library solved] Real case study from a working library.
Why I wrote this: I rewrote a sloppy vendor 'case study' into something honest so you don't repeat their mistakes.
Skip real numbers and obstacles and you publish marketing, not a case study - readers will know.
The Situation
[PARAGRAPH 1: Set the context. What type of library is this? What was their environment? What constraints were they working with? What was the status quo before they started looking for change?]
- Case studies that omit messy implementation details (setbacks, budget fights, timeline slips) mislead readers about realistic timelines and resource requirements.
- Effective case study structure: clear problem definition, actual costs and timeline, obstacle descriptions, decisions made and why, and lessons that apply beyond specific context.
- Red flags in vendor case studies: perfect outcomes, no mention of setbacks, timelines that seem unrealistically fast, and no financial transparency about true cost of implementation.
- When writing your own case study, document the mess. That's where practitioners learn. Real lessons come from how you handled obstacles, not from pretending obstacles didn't exist.
[PARAGRAPH 2: What was the specific library doing? What systems were in place? What was working, what wasn't? Paint a picture of their daily reality before the change.]
The Problem
[PARAGRAPH: One solid paragraph on what specifically wasn't working. Be concrete. Include numbers if available: costs, time wasted, patron impact, staff frustration. Why did this matter enough to do something about it? What was the cost of doing nothing?]
The Solution
[PARAGRAPH 1: What did the library do? What was the recommendation? What was the actual approach? Keep it concrete and specific. What steps did they take first?]
[PARAGRAPH 2: What changed in implementation? What barriers did they encounter and how did they solve them? What had to be learned or trained on? Be honest about what was hard.]
[PARAGRAPH 3: What's the new reality? What does the workflow look like now? How is it different? What do staff experience now that they didn't before?]
The Results
[PARAGRAPH: What actually happened after the change? Include metrics if they exist: cost savings, time saved, staff hours recovered, patron experience improvement. What unexpected benefits showed up? What's better about their situation?]
Key Takeaway
[PARAGRAPH: What can other libraries learn from this? What does this case study demonstrate is actually possible? What assumptions did this library challenge? What would you want another library facing the same problem to understand?]
"[QUOTE: A direct quote from someone at the library who experienced the change. Make it real. What was the most important thing they realized? What surprised them? What would they tell another library facing the same problem?]"
– [Title], [Library Name/Type]
About This Library
[Library Name or Type]: [Description: What kind of library is this? How many patrons? Geographic region? Special characteristics? If anonymized, why? Keep this brief but helpful for context.]
Facing a similar problem?
Your library might be able to do something similar. Different libraries have different constraints, but the core principles usually transfer.