Libraries as a business

One way in which many people never see libraries is as a business. When a library exists as a free public service, it becomes difficult to see it as a business because it breaks the specific rules by which a person would identify a business, primarily that all services will cost something, whether an exchange of money, goods or services. The library does not require an exchange of anything other than trust, care and reliability.

 

However, libraries are a business and, since they exist in all areas of the world, the business is booming. So how does the library, as a business, work in a world where money talks and everything costs something?

 

Most libraries are linked to councils and as such, most libraries run on an income from the council, a little extra money coming from the community through donations and fees. However, there are many libraries around the world which are privately owned, but publicly accessible and are thus not funded by any government group. In these cases the libraries must be funded and supported by anyone who wishes to assist. Many such small libraries hold fundraisers or ask for donations in order to manage the collection and maintain the services that they offer and, thankfully, many members of the community recognise the value of the service offered by the library and they assist whenever able.

 

But, as with all businesses, libraries do need significant funds in order to not only maintain the resources of their collection, but also to purchase new resources to ensure that the collection is current and relevant to all users. Weeding is a necessary process to ensure that the collection stays as useful and appreciated as possible, and weeding can also lead to a potential option for fundraising to feed back into the library service. Many libraries quite often have the option for selling on the books that are weeded from the collection so that people can own books rather than needing to return them, and in turn, the library gets some money that can feed into the continuous growth and development of the collection.

 

So when you are next in your local library, consider the costs of maintaining this service which you possibly take for granted. Not only in managing the environment, but also in ensuring that you have access to new books, in good condition and often access to the internet for all people. And maybe while you’re considering these costs, make a donation to help a library out.