How to Start a Public Library

Public libraries are institutions at the heart of every community. They are storehouses of knowledge and often a gathering place for neighbors. Funding for public libraries is always difficult to come by, however, if your community is in need of a public library, here are some tips to help you start one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Find out what sources fund public libraries in your area. Most libraries are funded by taxes. If this is the case, obtaining the necessary funds to start a public library is a matter decided by city, county or state officials in charge of allocating public funds.
2. Research the needs of your community. If your community is in need of another public library, gather the statistics that support your idea. Meet with members of other public libraries to help confirm the needs and give you data to help support your position such as circulation statistics, gate count and average transaction per household data.
3. Petition community leaders who are responsible for library funding. Attend city council meetings and express your interest in building a new library.
4. Start a local political action committee to focus on the issues surrounding the building of a new library in your community. Political action committees help to educate the public about issues you are concerned with, get funding to support your cause and help to put pressure on public officials to take your concerns seriously.
5. Invite experts to join you in your endeavor to start a public library. Find an educated professional in the field, like a librarian who holds a Masters degree in Library and Information Science to lead the project. He is educated in the collection development if your plan is approved and is also educated in the politics that surround libraries, how to procure additional funding and how to deal with staffing and other managerial issues that may arise.