A library districting effort begins because someone wants to improve the current public library service.
In some cases, public library service is non-existent. There is no public library that is easily accessible. People must drive many miles to get to a public library. They may have to purchase a non-resident card because they are not being taxed for library service. (Remember: Public library service is not free.)
Some public libraries simply do not have the tax base to provide adequate service, even when they serve everyone in their community. A districting effort that consolidates two or more libraries can often create better library service by eliminating duplication of services and taking advantage of economies of scale. Sometimes, a districting effort may occur because a city library board recognizes that library services cannot be adequately supported by the city or because there is confusion about the roles of the city council and the library board in governing the library.
The community wants either to establish tax-supported library service or to improve existing library service. As participants talk about this issue, they find out that other people also want to have better library service. If a library already exists in the area, supporters may bring their concerns to the library staff or to the library board. This may cause the library board to begin looking at the creation of a library district as a possible way of meeting those needs. Or the people themselves may form an informal group with the idea of improving public library services.
At this point in the process, the people who are interested in improving library service need to be careful to assess public interest in library services. Just because you think of public library service as a public good does not mean everyone does, particularly when tax dollars are involved. Libraries that do not promote themselves adequately cannot expect the community to understand the library’s value as a center of lifelong learning and economic development.
Your informal conversations should now become more deliberate. Talk about library service with your friends or in the groups to which you belong. Do other people join in the conversation, or is the subject quickly changed? Typically, if there is a perceived need, informal contacts will lead to the telling of stories about the lack of access to library service or about inadequate service. They will also help you to expand your group, as people may volunteer to help.
If the proposed districting project involves the service area of an existing public library, it is also very important that decision-making bodies for the libraries involved be kept informed about the assessment process from the beginning. Regardless of who initiates the districting process, be sure to keep all the appropriate people informed. This includes city library directors and board members, the city council, and the district library’s director and board. Objections or even indifference from any of these groups may be fatal to the process. It is vital, therefore, that these groups feel they have been fully informed about the districting process from the beginning. If possible, board members and library directors from existing libraries should be encouraged to take a leading role in districting efforts.
As you continue to talk about library services, it is also a good idea to find out about the history of library services in your area. If there is no library now, was there ever a library? If so, why did it close? If there is a library, is there anything in its history that would indicate problems for a districting effort? Was there ever a district in the area that was dissolved? Is there any history of antagonism between libraries in the area?
Here is a brief history of library districting in Idaho.