Top 10 Innovative Funding Methods for Public Libraries -- Private Funding

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Please list your ideas for innovative PRIVATE funding methods for public libraries - i.e. ways to make some bucks in your library, through corporations, etc.

  1. Adopt a call number or section of the library - people can either "clean up" that section by making sure books are in correct order, or donate money to that section. "Decimal Dusters" American Libraries March 2007, 21. (LT)
  2. Library fashion / art show - local designers / artists can donate their works and auction off (LT)
  3. Offer ad space inside/outside library building (LT)
  4. For the "one book / one community" programs, a % of sales of that book at local book retailers should go to the library Baldwin. "On My Mind: Why Stop at One City" American Libaries May 2006, 35. (LT)
  5. Libraries can sell their clever ideas / slogans / events to other libraries Coffman. Searcher Volume 8, Number 1 • January 2000 [1]
  6. Public libraries can offer outsourced reference services to corporate/academic libraries (LT)
  7. Books2Eat - Have professional, student, and recreational chefs and bakers create foods based on a book. Then the professional entries are auctioned off to support the library, and the others are eaten by patrons paying a fee to attend the event. Patrons also judge the entries, with prizes going to the most creative. From brouchure for EMCC, 2007). (SR)
  8. Other food contest: Have people enter food, like a chowder contest, and then charge admissions to the event, and have people vote for their favorite entry with dollars instead of ballots. (the entry with the most money wins! (This seems to get people to pay for their own entry again). (SR)
  9. Partner with a local bookstore to get people's "points," or credits towards a free book. Have people donate their "points" to a library of their choice. (SR)
  10. Collect donations for sale on ebay. Not just books, but items that people have that are too good to throw away, but don't want anymore. (SR)
  11. Movie Night: Show a newly released or popular movie for free sell popcorn, candy and refreshments and copies of the DVD or book related items (new and weeded copies) in a small kiosk before the film. Contributions could go to DVD/Film Collection. Another take is to get a second run film and charge small amount (have movie houses like this in Portland, OR area, has to be cheap to get the film because the fee is like $2!)(SF)
  12. Rent Library Space during After-Hours. Marriage ceremony, bar mitzvah party, Grandma’s 80th Birthday Bash at the library. Museums do it, why not libraries?(Questions to consider: increased insurance rates plus custodian/cleaning staff to clean and open/close building)(SF)
  13. The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Make a small donation of ($10-$150) and a Book, DVD, Music CD has a personalized sticker that could be customizable and choosen by the contributor along with a nice card honoring the contribution. Mother’s/Father’s Day, Christmas, Graduation Season (May/June). Based upon the fundraising campaign of Holy Cross. Holy Cross asks parents to make a small donation ($30-50) to the library which is used to a new book. Each book purchased with these proceeds has a personalized sticker of the graduate’s name, class, major, degree, etc. (SF)
  14. Tap into “Cause-Related Marketing:” Forget our Competition, Partner with Them! Have a big corporate sponsor like Microsoft, Dell, Amazon, even Google! fund public libraries on a federal level. Businesses sponsor non-profits to create an honorable “do-gooder” image. This is alike to American Express encouraging card usage during one quarter of the year with a percentage donated to “Charge Against Hunger.” Other examples are Bank of America offering free tickets to their cardholders to a number of Museums and Nike supporting the Boys and Girls Clubs. On a smaller level Barnes & Nobles donates 25% of their profits to the Massachusetts Library Association during the weekend of National Library Week. The catch is a customer has to have a “coupon” dispensed at Massachusetts Public Libraries through a week or so before the scheduling weekend. This could be improved upon and Barnes & Nobles donates 10% of all profits to libraries during the month of April; forget the coupon dispensed at the library, the “donation” is automatic.(SF)
  15. Wishing Well. If renovating or building a new library incorporate a “wishing well” structure. Have a Sign like: Books Change Lives, Make a wish with your spare change and Support your Library. This is quite lucrative see the article Wells Contain Money Mountainwhich states “those making a wish with their spare change literally throw away just under 3 million pounds every year, according to the "Fountain Money Mountain" report.” And on Flickr: “In the year 2002, the state library of Virginia, collected $142,000 from this Wishing Well! “ [2] and looks like Reno Library has one too: [3] (SF)


LT- 1, 4 (9 & 14 can be related), 7, 12, and 15
SF- 1, 7, 12, 15
SR- 1, work on combing (4, 9, 14), 10, 12, 15

Top 10 Innovative Funding Methods for Public Libraries -- Public Funding

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