1. Houston Public Library:
A Case Study
Alliance Management Institute

2. Jackson Stodgel
Crystal Villegas
Lexi Loccisano
Caroline Mullin
Liz Gray
Group Members
Ryan Melton
Keri Driggers
Willa Maddox
Allison French
Kimber Gray
Facilitator: Lora Stevens

3. Case Study Problem
Houston Public Library is constantly working to
keep their collection fresh for their customers. To
do this, staff must discard, or “weed”, older and/or
outdated books from the collection in order to
make room for new books. Each of the 42 library
locations in the system regularly boxes up
“weeded” or discarded items.

4. Final Recommendations

5. Case Study Mission
To increase efficiency in the book
resale and discard cycle in order to
maximize capacity in warehouse
and branch locations.

6. Supply Chain Management
1. Receiving/Weeding
2. Transportation
3. Sorting
4. Sales

7. Receiving/Sorting
• Potentially implement sorting process as part
of circulation tasks: donations received and
initially sorted at individual branch locations
after backlog is diminished
• Additional software technologies and
equipment
• Consistency of branch processes and language
(damaged/discarded labeling)

8. Transportation
• Fleet share
• 5,100 boxes currently waiting for processing
• 2 additional part-time staff for transportation
logistics
• Donated moving services from local businesses
• More warehouse/storage space availability
• Eliminating the layover at the central location
• New handling equipment for movers (roller
conveyers, truck lifts, organization of boxes on
pallets, forklift)

9. Warehouse Sorting
• Pro bono volunteer to evaluate warehouse efficiency
• Alternatively, explore area land bank for available
storage/warehouse space
• More computers and software for sorting
• Staff volunteer time to work at warehouse: incentivize staff
to spend “volunteer days” with Friends/the warehouse
• Standardize training; instill values of organization in
volunteers for retention

10. Sales/Outreach
Booksales
• Marketing of sales: larger social media push, bookmark advertising, neighborhood
flyer campaign
• Sales: more discounted items including lower “grab bag” prices, pop- ups at store
fronts and street fairs, considering bigger spaces for quarterly sales, specialized sales
for niche genres with possible local affinity collaboration
Outreach
K-12 book sale promotion, local community collaboration, wholesale to
churches/community centers/retirement facilities, booths at festivals/farmer and craft
markets
Volunteer Recruitment
New Friends member recruitment, university/high school intern opportunities,
parent/child opportunities, corporate giving programs

11. “Houston Reads” Initiative
City-wide initiative to:
• increase awareness of library services
• improve community literacy
• reduce box inventory by rewarding used books to
participants
• collaborate with/market at K-12 schools
Local library branches hold a small “book market”
on the first Saturday of every month (possible grab-
bag, pre-packaged materials).

12. Founded in 1948 in response to workforce
need for young nonprofit professionals
Mission: strengthen the social sector with a
talented, prepared workforce
Build capacity for the sector by improving
quality of the workforce
More info:
www.NonprofitLeadershipAlliance.org
About the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance