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Avenu Expands IT Managed Solutions into Citizens Support Arena

The IT Managed Solutions Business Unit is expanding its current realm to include Citizen Support Services. We will be providing library management and community engagement programs that supports open access to information and secure learning environments for citizens. Dana Braccia, Director of Client Success, is also Avenu’s Chief Librarian.

I was able to speak with Dana recently and gain some insight into our new Citizens Support Services and recent win at Germantown.

So you have a dual title, Director of Client Services & Chief Librarian. What experience do you have in libraries?

Libraries is actually one of my passions. I have my Master’s in Library Science and 18 years of library management experience. Prior to Avenu, I served as the Executive Director for the Texas Library Association, supporting hundreds of public libraries as well as monitoring emerging library services trends. I also served as Vice President of Library Operations for Library Systems & Services overseeing library operations for more than 75 public libraries around the country. In addition, Laura Burnett who is one of our west coast CSMs, also has her Master’s degree in Library Science and extensive library management experience.

It’s easy to see how Library Management would fall under Citizen Support Services, but how does that link to our IT Managed Solutions Business Unit?

In today’s world, every facet of the library is tied to IT from managing circulation and collections, programming and outreach, library cards, staffing, patron notification and record management…the list just continues from here.

Can you share some information regarding the Germantown contract and what Avenu will be doing?

Yes! Avenu won a three-year contract to manage the library’s:

  • Staff supervision, recruitment, training and overall management
  • General library services, card-holder services and user experience
  • Library technology, software and infrastructure support for staff and public computers
  • Library automation, circulation and Integrated Library System (Polaris)
  • Materials collection selection, acquisition, and management including e-resources
  • Library programming and community outreach
  • Marketing and citizen engagement
  • Strategic planning, service assessments, and grant writing
  • Community partnerships and working with volunteers and Friends of the Library organizations
  • Communication with municipalities and library boards
  • Digitization and historic document preservation

So will Avenu have new employees who are part of the library staff?

Avenu has extended job offers to all of Germantown Library’s existing staff so that there is not any interruption in continuity to the community. The library will have 21 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) who will all be Avenu employees.

When will all of this take place?

Paul Colangelo – CEO, Roger Murphy – Director of ITMS and Dana Braccia went to Germantown this week for a kick-off meeting with the city. The library staff will officially transition over to Avenu on July 1, 2021.

Congratulations to Dana, Roger, Laura, and everyone else involved in this exciting win!