The hot days of summer, at least where I live, can mean a good number of us are looking for cooler places to spend our time—perhaps at the local library! It’s also that time of year when families have returned from their vacations and the kids have just returned to school, leading them to seek out library resources.

Managers realize the library’s special role in their communities and want to make that role stronger, which includes supporting technology services. The September PM’s cover story, “Strengthening the Library’s Strategic Role” (by Rashad Young, city administrator, Washington, D.C., and Susan Benton, director, Urban Libraries Council, Washington, D.C.), takes a look at improving public access technology since public libraries can be go-to resources for Wifi access in remote locations and Wifi-enabled bookmobiles.

In the article, managers across the country discuss using Edge, a new, free tool developed by national organizations including ICMA that offers a way to evaluate tech services and develop a roadmap. See the helpful guides the authors provide.

Where to start with the rest of the issue because it’s all good. In “Ferguson, Baltimore, and the Search for Civic Health Metrics,” author (and ICMA staff member) Randall Reid writes that performance management and analytics-assisted decision making are essential to addressing the lingering problems that can plague neighborhoods. He believes that a performance measurement analysis is needed to measure service delivery effectiveness in either community-based or traditional policing methodologies, and that analytics can also signal declines or increases in community well-being. This, in turn, can guide resource allocation to programs benefitting residents and neighborhoods. See if you agree.

Four case studies in “Transitioning to Alternative Models of Police Service” (authors Jeremy Wilson, Alexander Weiss, and Clifford Grammich) feature actual experience with various forms of public safety consolidation. The case studies include Fraser/Winter Park, Colorado, police department; Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, regional police department; Rockford, Michigan, department of public safety; and San Mateo County, California, sheriff’s office. Read five common themes in the case studies, including one that advises cost savings may be elusive, especially in the early years.

From what managers tell ICMA, the question of what they actually do in their positions is asked by residents and by family members. When County Administrator Anthony Romanello’s son asked him the “What do you do” question, and it led him to wonder exactly what he does do, he decided to keep a 30-day diary. Find out what he discovered and could honestly tell his son as a result. A follow-up to Romanello’s article by leadership adviser Tom Davidson has tips to help you determine what your unique purpose in life is.

During my years at ICMA, articles on animal services have always been popular. Bryan, Texas, now operates its own animal shelter because as authors Hugh Walker, Eric Zaragoza, and Julianne Burkhalter write, the city council had the vision that Bryan could operate a shelter for a lesser cost than contracting for the services. The article explains how it all came about.

I was intrigued and a bit skeptical when author Nick Kittle contacted me about writing an article on how to measure the value of innovation. As a former cofounder of the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Office of Innovation and Sustainability and now performance, innovation, and sustainability manager for Adams County, Colorado, Kittle helped devise a formula to demonstrate the power of creativity. He explains the calculations in “Measuring Innovation Value.”

As usual, there is more copy in the print version of the September PM than I’ve touched on here, especially the always extremely informative Ethics, On Point (with responses from ICMA members Jessie Levine, Joseph Mangiamelli, Caryn Miller, and Robert Stowe), Council Relations, Balancing Act, and Innovation Edge departments. Two online-only PM+ articles are on the topics of coaching and networking while looking for a job.

2014-2015 ICMA President Jim Bennett rounds out the issue with “Top 10 Things I Wish I’d Been Told” (that is, early in his career). I suspect managers around the world will agree with his 10 ideas, including “you were not hired to have all the answers” and “your colleagues are your best resource.”

While at PM’s website, I hope you will take time to answer this month’s PM Poll question: "Has Your Local Government Increased the Number of Temporary or Contract Employees Hired to Save Resources or Close a Budget Shortfall?