Know the old adage "money makes the world go around"? Libraries are no exception. Rare is the library that has sufficient funding for everything it needs or wants to serve its community. This section is dedicated to helping you find funding resources and work to secure a stable and sufficient budget, including how to work with local officials and make a clear case for funding needs.
Spotlight: From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America
Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC explored attitudes and perceptions about library funding in order to evaluate the potential of a large-scale marketing and advocacy campaign to increase public library funding in the U.S.
Among the findings:
- Library funding support is only marginally related to library visitation
- Perceptions of librarians are an important predictor of library funding support
- Voters who see the library as a 'transformational' force as opposed to an 'informational' source are more likely to increase taxes in its support
This report suggests that targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving increased support for U.S. public libraries. Read the full report.
Grants and grant-writing
Funding sources and strategies
Capital campaigns
Visit the Documents and Discussions tabs here and in the Rural & Small Libraries topic area for the full selection of resources on this topic.
The Funding topic is moderated by Chrystie Hill.
Please post questions, comments, or suggestions for library funding in the discussions.
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Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study
This 2008–2009 study assesses public access to computers, the Internet, and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, and the impact of library funding changes on technology deployment, and sustainability.
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Fundraising and philanthropy during an economic crisis
The Foundation Center is a nonprofit library and training center that educates the public about private foundations and their grants. In response to the economic downturn, we've pulled together resources to inform nonprofits about trends in giving.
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Why Public Libraries Close (Webinar)
Webinar archive and additional resources.
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Websites and Internet Resources on Funding
A list of external links.
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From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America
Principal contributors Cathy De Rosa and Jenny Johnson from OCLC outline why targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving increased support for U.S. public libraries.
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Working Together
A description of the responsibilities of the library's Director, Board of Trustees, and Friends.
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Online Resources for Rural Librarians Promoting Public Libraries
From the March 2006 workshop, Promoting Public Libraries: Using Data and Advocacy to Build Public Support and Funding, a list of web resources for rural librarians, covering the topics discussed in the workshop.
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InfoSpeak: Leslie Burger - Leading Libraries in a Turbulent Century
Former ALA President Leslie Burger speaks about the mission of libraries, how a personal advocacy of the public interest can bring millions of funding dollars to the service of a fundamentally democratic institution
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Set Up a Friends of the Library Group
Among its myriad benefits, a Friends of the Library non-profit or a library foundation can help your library obtain substantial discounts on hardware and software.
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Cozard Memorial Library: Trust-Busting
How a small-town library in South Dakota broadened its base of support beyond its original benefactor.
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Fundraising Action Plan
This worksheet is from an earlier course: 'WebJunction's Fundraising for Libraries', and can serve as another tool to help you plan a fundraising campaign for your library.
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SC Toolkit Chapter 9, Raise Funds
From the Staying Connected Toolkit, this chapter includes sections: 1. Identify fundraising opportunities 2. Approach potential funding sources 3. Conduct fundraising events 4. Resources for fundraising and grantmaking.
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The Carnegie Library (Ballinger, TX): The Minister and the Tycoon (September 2004)
How a 19th-century steel baron and a 21st-century man of the cloth got together and made a great library.
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Keys to Sustaining Your Community Technology Center
George Gundrey, an America Connects Consortium workshop leader, identifies five keys for keeping Community Technology Centers funded and healthy. Timely advice for libraries, too!
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SC Toolkit Chapter 10, Develop Effective Partnerships
Libraries and partnerships go hand-in-hand. Working with local agencies can be mutually beneficial. This guide will help you identify and cultivate partnerships.
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Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries
This study from the State Library of Florida examined several approaches to considering returns on public library availability and use and found they all show substantial returns exceeding taxpayer investment.
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