Richland Library serves more than 400,000 people across 13 locations in Richland County, SC, providing access to books, technology, programs, and services for all ages. As a modern public library, they knew their role extended beyond circulation and attendance counts. They needed to understand: What difference are we truly ‘making in people’s lives?’

But like many libraries, Richland Library faced challenges: siloed data systems, staff stretched thin, and reliance on outputs (attendance, usage) rather than outcomes. Without a clear strategy, the risk was high: duplication of effort, inconsistent effectiveness, and missed opportunities to demonstrate value.

To move forward, Richland Library wanted a partner who could help them:

  • Understand true impact, not just activity, across 13 locations serving a wide range of ages, neighborhoods, and needs.
  • Unify fragmented data practices into one shared, organization-wide approach staff could actually use.
  • Build internal capacity so data use didn’t depend on any one person or team, but became part of how every department worked.

Richland Library needed a partner with experience translating outcomes work for a large, decentralized public institution — one that understood the realities of limited staff time and competing priorities, and could build something that would last well beyond the engagement itself. That search led them to ResultsLab’s Impact Accelerator.

The ResultsLab Approach

Richland Library partnered with ResultsLab’s Impact Accelerator to build a comprehensive, outcomes-driven impact strategy. Our approach helped them move from simply collecting data to using it as a tool for decision-making and organizational change.

Through its ACT™ Model — Align, Capture, Transform — Richland Library was able to:

  • Align: Develop an Impact Strategy that clearly defines who they serve, what services matter most, and the outcomes they aim to achieve. Build program models for both an internal and an external program.
  • Capture: Audit current data systems, streamline tools, and create a Measurement Plan and Toolkit so staff collect the right data without unnecessary burden.
  • Transform: Embed a data culture across the organization with dashboards, data use plans, and staff training so evidence drives daily decisions and long-term strategies.

The Transformation

By working with ResultsLab, Richland Library is laying the foundation for an organization-wide shift:

  • From Counting to Learning: Moving beyond tracking attendance to understanding what works and for whom.
  • Staff Empowerment: Equipping staff with user-friendly dashboards and routines so they can see progress, adapt quickly, and feel ownership over outcomes.
  • Strategic Alignment: Ensuring leadership, staff, and the Board share a common understanding of impact and use it to guide resources and priorities.
  • Community Accountability: Articulating outcomes in ways that demonstrate value to funders, partners, and the public.

This shift makes Richland Library more agile, efficient, and equipped to prove its essential role as a community hub in the 21st century.

“Working with ResultsLab has shifted how we think about data. It’s not just about reporting anymore—it’s about learning, adapting, and ensuring Richland Library delivers the greatest value to our community.” — Diana Keane, Planning & Projects Manager, Richland Library

Why Libraries Should Partner with ResultsLab

ResultsLab helps libraries think differently about data. We don’t just build dashboards — we change the way organizations operate so that data becomes part of the culture.

When libraries partner with ResultsLab, they gain:

  • Efficiency: Streamlined tools and systems that reduce burden on staff.
  • Effectiveness: Clearer understanding of which programs work and how to strengthen them.
  • Confidence: A shared story of outcomes that resonates with Boards, funders, and communities.
  • Sustainability: Staff trained and equipped to carry forward a culture of learning and improvement.

Richland Library is becoming a model for how libraries can move from outputs to outcomes, from counting attendance to demonstrating community transformation.

ResultsLab is the partner that makes this shift possible. By investing in data culture and outcomes-driven strategy, libraries can maximize resources, strengthen their role as community anchors, and lead with confidence in a rapidly changing world.

Partner with ResultsLab. Build an outcomes-driven library system that delivers measurable value for your community.