Public Library Start-Up Guide » (1st Edition)

Hage is the director of a public library in Michigan, has worked in libraries for some 32 years, and has experience in creating new libraries and library facilities. She offers a practical manual for library practitioners, civic organizations, and community leaders seeking step-by-step guidance on starting libraries from the ground up. Coverage includes building the project team; securing financing; selecting a director and the staff; establishing personnel and service policies; creating a long-range plan; participating in collaborative arrangements; building, furnishing, and equipping the library; developing the collection; planning and developing services; and promoting the library. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

It's hard to believe that in this wired age there are still an estimated 13 million people in the United States who are not served by a public library. In 1999, Hage, a past president of the Public Library Association, was recruited to start a library in the suburban Detroit area. Drawing on her experience in establishing the Clinton-Macomb Public Library (where she now serves as director), Hage's guide outlines the steps required in creating a library from scratch. Although she acknowledges that individual communities will have unique needs, Hage covers the common issues that all face: the options and alternatives for providing library service; building the team (board, director, staff, volunteers); securing financing; developing policies; long-range planning; constructing and equipping the library; and more. While Hage provides a basic yet thorough overview, more detailed literature can be pursued in each of these topics by using such titles as Lee Brawner's Determining Your Public Library's Future Size, Richard C. McCarthy's Designing Better Libraries: Selecting and Working with Building Professionals, 2d ed., Kathleen Low's Recruiting Library Staff: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Paula M. Singer's Developing a Compensation Plan for Your Library, and Virginia G. Young's The Library Trustee: A Practical Guidebook, 5th ed. Recommended for anyone needing information to start a public library.-Marie Bruni, Huntington Memorial Lib., Oneonta, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.