Howard County Library - A+ Partners in Education

A+ Partners in Education

a plus partners in education logo The first comprehensive partnership of its kind in the country, A+ Partners in Education ("A+") has become a vital component of Howard County's culture. Launched in 2002, the partnership now includes all three educational institutions in Howard County: Howard County Library System (HCLS), Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), and Howard Community College (HCC).

A+ can be tailored for implementation in any jurisdiction. The items noted below are intended for other library and school systems interested in developing a similar partnership.

Articles about the partnership:

"A+ Partners in Education: Positioning Libraries as a Cornerstone in the Education Process," by Valerie J. Gross. Children and Libraries, the Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, Vol. 1, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2003, p. 27-31.
"A+ Partners in Education: Linking Libraries to Education for a Flourishing Future," by Valerie J. Gross. Public Libraries, PLA/ALA, Vol. 44, No. 4, July/August 2005, p. 217-222.

Toolkit: Explains how the A+ Partnership works in Howard County.
Video: January 2010 - An Update on A+ Partners in Education - Part 1, Part 2
Video: October 2010 - A+ Signature Events with HCPSS
Video: October 2010 - A+ Signature Initiatives with HCC
Video: October 2012 - A+ Partners in Education Celebration
Podcast from the 2006 A+ Celebration, featuring U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings
Use of the A+ name and logo: Download the A+ Partners in Education logo, which can be edited (click here for use parameters).
A+ Summaries from 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Beginning in 2010, we integrated the A+ Summary with HCLS's annual report.
A+ Partnership Agreements:

with Howard County Public School System (updated 2006)
with Howard Community College (2007)