The Public Library Start-Up Guide

An estimated thirteen million people in the U.S. are not served by a public library. This presents opportunities for creating new libraries. Involving complex, timeconsuming, and expensive decisions, the prospect of starting a library without the right direction seems overwhelming. The Public Library Start-Up Guide provides a framework for success―from looking at the big strategic picture to picking the furniture. Expert library director and author Christine Hage offers a succinct, nontechnical, and step-by-step approach covering all the practical issues for library professionals as well as nonlibrarians who need to know where to start. Acknowledging that each community's library will reflect the unique characteristics and needs of that population, this hands-on manual provides answers to such questions With savvy guidance on all aspects of providing public library service, this is the comprehensive one-stop resource for planning and starting a new library. Community leaders, Friends of Libraries, trustees, policymakers, and municipal officials as well as librarians will find a friendly, accessible, and concise guide to help them get the job done.