Introduction
There are times where having a special purpose library to support a groups interest and learning can be a handy thing to have. I have been running a small permaculture library (less than 100 books) for our local permaculture group so that obviously revolves around books on permaculture, food growing and sustainable living.
Starting out
When you are starting out it can be handy to consider the following issues –
Decide who is your target audience and what sort of books they need - In most cases if you are developing a special purpose library this will be pretty self evident, as it was in our case – we needed books on permaculture, growing food, sustainable living etc. although you may need to make some hard decisions if you get too many “off topic” donations. It our case we got some general gardening books covering ornamentals (or as my permaculture teacher would describe it – “fluff”) and while a couple is OK I didn’t want to be hauling lots of that type of book all over town. Keeping in mind who you are collecting books for can make those decisions easier.
Establishing Library Rules – these are the ground rules which anyone who borrows a book must abide by, and may include such issues as who can borrow books, how long for and what should happen if a book is not returned. For details see Part 2.
Appointing a Librarian – the first librarian for PSW was the gentleman who had the idea for a library and set it up first, with backing from the PSW committee and I took over when he no longer wanted the job. Ideally the librarian should have some knowledge of books and how to catalogue, store and care for them but in reality you could get anyone, and then let them learn on the job. It helps if they understand what they are letting themselves in for so a job description or responsibility statement is a good idea. The responsibility statement developed for the PSW librarian can be viewed here.
Housing the Books – Books need to be accessible to members but also kept in a secure appropriate storage place so that they are not stolen and remain in as good a condition as possible. In practice this may mean they are looked after by the librarian unless there is a secure permanent meeting place where the books can be stored. PSW meets in a room in a community centre which is run by the local council and used by other groups, so no permanent storage is available there. This means that as the librarian I have to store and transport the books.
Administering the Library – I am assuming here that it is not just you, but there are a group of interested individuals behind you. In this case it may be worth forming a committee to oversee the library. In my case PSW already had a committee and I report through to them at each monthly meeting and any decisions relating to the library are ratified through them.
Obtaining books
Unless you are in the position of having a wealthy sponsor, there will be some financial burden in providing books for the library, however, here are some low cost ideas for getting your library collection started –
Pre-Loved Books
Members - If your library is being developed to service the members of a select group, then it is highly likely that they will have books of their own which will relate to your special interest topic which they may wish to donate. If they are at all like me, they will pick up a book that looks good (forgetting they already have it) then buy it and bring it home and then find out it is a double! It should be an easy matter to talk them into donating the double for the good of the group. They may also have books when they started out learning about the subject which are now a bit basic for them, these are also ideal donation fodder!
Op Shops – The Salvation Army, St Vinnies and the Smith family etc. run “op” (Opportunity) shops which are places where you can get books really cheaply. On the downside, they may not have many books covering your particular specialty and can’t exactly order them in for you. The trick here is check widely and often, every time you go past an shop drop in for a quick look. It can really be surprising what you can find.
Second Hand Book Shops – These are commercial enterprises so the books will be more expensive but they will be well catalogued and you will find a wider variety including perhaps some about your particular specialty. If you have a good relationship with the proprietor they may look out for specific books or book within the range of your interest and let you know if any come in, it after all another sale to them.
Markets – including “Trash and Treasure” style markets can provide an interesting range of books for sale cheaply. I once found a book which I had been looking for for 10 years at the local markets, I bet there was only ever one copy of it in Australia and it turned up at my local markets.
Book Sales/Fairs – Various organisations such as universities, libraries and charitable organisations have book sales throughout the year. There is almost one every month within the greater Sydney area. An internet search on book sales in your area may turn up a website like this one. They can have a very wide range of books and the prices may vary from a dollar or two up to almost full retail price.
New Books
Retail Book Sales – Retail outlets, particularly the book selling chains, will occasionally sell off old, remaindered or damaged stock at considerable saving. In Sydney, Dymocks generally have a sale after Christmas/New Year which has enabled me to get brand new books at anything up to 80% off the retail price.
Remaindered Tables – rather than have a big blow out sale at a specific time of year (or in addition to it) book retailers will sometimes have either tables of remaindered books at reduced prices or a “cheapie” section of their shelves which they maintain throughout the year. Again, titles can be patchy but it is worth a quick look to see what is there and you may pick up a bargain.
El Cheapo Book sellers – These guys classically get heaps of remaindered books and sell them from an unoccupied shop front in a shopping centre or from tables in an open space in the shopping centre. Sometimes their prices can be not much lower than retail so it is handy to know how much you are prepared to pay for a particular title you are looking for, but they are always worth a bit of a browse.
On-line – I am not sure of the sustainable credentials of these but sites like Booktopia or Fishpond can allow you to get new books at greatly reduced prices. Again, sometimes the prices are not reduced at all and with postage they can be dearer than buying from a local bookshop so be aware of how much you are prepared to pay. Every so often they do have special offers with extra cheap books or low (or no) postage costs. Mind you, once you have bought something from one of them, they will keep your in box over flowing with “special offers”!
One down side of the on-line bookseller is that you do not get to browse the book before buying and book that has a great description (and don’t they all?) on line can be full of crud when you actually open it up. If you can, stick to getting books you have perused elsewhere and know to be good.
Shows or Expo’s etc – An example of this is the Working with Wood show that is on every winter in Sydney. They often have specialty bookseller stall who may offer “Show Specials” that are cheaper than retail
Traditional Book Shops – Yup, I’m suggesting that at some stage, you may have to pay full price. In your area of interest there may be a classic book or standard text that you just don’t see for sale anywhere but through normal retail or even from a specialist bookshop, and always at full price. If your committee can spring for it, paying full retail price may be the only way to get than class of book.
In Part 2 -
Classifying & cataloguing books
Storing and transporting books
The borrowing process
Library Rules
Identifying your books
