July 10, 2025

Things to Know about Our Organization
Founded in January 2023.
We are a women-owned business.
We are a benefit LLC registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Our stated purpose creates a public benefit, specifically promoting the advancement of knowledge.
Our mission is to collaborate with clients in ways that create safe space for reflection and curiosity, encourage strategic response, spark innovation, and open possibilities.
Our core values include future-focused, open, sustainable practice, global community, authenticity, advocacy, inclusion, innovation, and love of libraries.
Our primary location is Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. One of our senior consultants is located in Decatur, Georgia, United States, and we have an extensive network of colleagues and partners across the globe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only work with libraries or librarians? No. We feel that our services would suit a wide range of folks who are involved in work that contributes to developing a more compassionate and well-informed society. Our clients have primarily come from the networks that we have developed over the course of our careers: theological libraries, theological education, academic libraries, Koha libraries, and churches. We have also worked with folks in public libraries, non-profit organizations, and healthcare organizations. If there’s something about Fosgail that resonates with you, we’d love to have a conversation!
What does Fosgail stand for or mean? Does it have anything to do with fossils? Fosgail is the Scottish Gaelic word for “open,” one of our core values and the guiding principle for our work. It is not an acronym, though we did sort of turn it into an acrostic when we were coming up with our core values. And no, sadly, it doesn’t have anything to do with fossils, though we love science including geology, paleontology, and archaeology.
What is the background image you use on your website and in so many of your banners and why do you use it? The background image of a wall with several windows is from the interior of the Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart main library building at Mailänder Platz. It was designed by Eun Young Yi, opened in 2011, and was named Germany’s Library of the Year in 2013. This library has been photographed extensively and stock images of its Escher-esque floors of open bookstacks are found all over the internet. There’s no substitute for visiting it in person, which we had opportunity to do in 2023 and when the photos on the Fosgail website were taken. This library building and its architecture resonates with us and our vision for the centrality of libraries in our communities and the world.