To ask you for your money-raising ideas for libraries?

[LibraryLibrary]

I'm in my local library's consultation group. Our library is under pressure from the council. 1) We need to attract more users.2) We also need to find a way of reducing costs and/or raising funds.
A couple of months ago I asked people on Mumsnet for their ideas for attracting more people to use the library. The responses were very useful. I went through them all and then sent a precis to the library management. They are starting to take some of the suggestions on board. For instance, we have some new activity groups starting.
Can I now please ask you all for any ideas for bringing in money? The library is open to any suggestions - so I'm thinking fun competitions of different types for different age groups, a fashion show, training courses (but what would people be prepared to pay for?), food and drink events, maybe a talent show... What has (or hasn't - that's useful info too) worked for your local library, school or other organisation? We want to provide activities that people are happy to pay for - in exchange for a positive experience. Of course we may need to find volunteers to help run the events. Any suggestion on how to do that and how best to market the events would be very helpful too. Thank you!

Training courses that are linked to industries that have skills gaps? But I guess you'd need to employ tutors and practical materials and stuff.

Things to do with coding, AI? But I guess you'd need funding for it.

Creative writing or something? Poetry? Classes on that?

Book clubs offering refreshments, board game nights/tournaments, poetry readings, craft courses, community art fairs.

-Creative writing and poetry groups for different ages
-Story times and themed craft activities
-Book and film clubs for people to discuss and make recommendations
-Jigsaw or board game clubs
-If you have the facilities to offer rented space for coffee mornings for local support groups? (Alot of charities or small organisations often struggle to find space for these kinds of things)

Things I might be prepared to pay for:

• informal foreign language conversation groups
• hand sewing/embroidery/knitting classes or groups (thinking of crafts that don’t need much space or make too much mess)

Is there a way to maximise the library as a place for services that otherwise feel inaccessible? Could that attract council funding even if offered free?
. adult literacy classes
.adult literacy book club - called something else - like the Quick Readers maybe, after those Quick Reads that used to be published for adults entering literacy?

• speech and language therapy drop in sessions for children - I wonder if the NHS paediatric and local private therapists would collaborate somehow
• specialist ‘rhyme time’ type sessions for particular needs - maybe one that’s based more on rhythmic lights rather than sounds, for Deaf and some autistic children maybe? Ds would probably have enjoyed that too despite not being Deaf or autistic
• Booker Club announcement evening

. Of course we may need to find volunteers to help run the events. Any suggestion on how to do that and how best to market the events would be very helpful too. Thank you!

you should have a local volunteer centre who can promote opportunities. There's also the GoVo volunteering platform where you can advertise. The key thing to think about is what would ppl get out of volunteering for you/with you rather than just what you want from them. There's loads of information online

good luck OP - our local authority is in the same position

Sell second hand books (accept book donations from the community). Our library has someone who comes in and buys the books that can't be sold - bit like the rag collection at charity shops. Also jigsaws.

Plant sale - get the greenfingered people in your community to grow off-cuts and have a big plant sale once a year.

Seasonal children's events - Father Christmas, Easter (egg hunts,) St George's Day - dragon hunting).

Quiz nights.
Beetledrives.

Art show. Have an exhibition weekend - get the commjnity to bring in their art/photos Entrance fee/raffles/art stalls

Thank you for the suggestions so far. We do some of these clubs/classes already, but they are free. I'm not sure that we would be able to charge for something like help with literacy, as people probably expect that to be volunteer-led or paid for by the council. Is there anything that you have been to or would like to go to that would really feel worth paying for, for you and/or your children? Maybe a one-off evening of fun of some kind, which could be put on every year? Or some kind of activity that your child would really enjoy and that isn't the usual ballet or sports? I realise that if we offer training events and charge for them, we'll have to find really professional trainers and will probably have to pay them for their time.

I wouldn’t want to pay for anything at the library personally. It’s always been a place that’s accessible for anyone. I spent a lot of time there with my child when single and dirt poor.

How about getting local businesses to sponsor the library and give them “sponsored by” plaques on the wall outside? That advertises them and makes them look good for the community.

@Pancakeflipper I like these suggestions, thanks. Although some of them already happen in the town (but not the library) we could maybe offer them done a little differently.

You could look up LockerQuest, they pay you some money annually to host a parcel locker outside your premises. It might give some support to your budget.
Also there are clothes recycling banks you can have on site which split proceeds with you, but I can’t remember their name.

@OriginalUsername2 I think there's only so far we can go with asking for financial donations. Personally I feel more comfortable with providing something which people consider is value for money. I know the library would want to make events as accessible as possible (especially for children's events).

Great ideas!

When I lived abroad, the local community college ran all manner of events. Not inside a library though. Are there any side rooms or large areas to hold an event? Tables/chairs/toilets?

Some of the things they ran included
-various language classes. eg basics for travellers right up to level 1, 2, 3
-knitting/crochet groups, craft,
-English as a second language
-Various dancing
-Chair yoga and exercises from high impact to lower impact for older people or those. Pilates, yoga, meditation.
-Various computing/coding courses

I attended several cooking lessons- BUT, you'd obviously need a large kitchen area with multiple ovens, sinks, bench areas, fridge/freezer. It might need different fire safety checks and it just wouldn't be a viable thing for a library.

I personally wouldn't pay to watch a fashion show or a talent show. I'd also consider having events in the evening when the library is normally shut. I work full time, so many day time events in my area I can't do. Some other ideas, but I don't know how popular they'd be:

• wine and cheese tasting evening (not sure about liquor licence etc?)
• Christmas wreath making
• Egg decorating for Easter

Have you got any local authors who would come and give ticketed talks? I know we're supposed to charge for this sort of thing, but most authors, if asked, will turn out for free (or for a cup of tea and a biscuit) if it's to raise money for a good cause.

Coffee, training courses, parking, baby groups…

Do you have a room/space you could rent out? Knitting/other craft or interest groups may be interested in renting space once a month. Even slimming world or weight watchers?

Out local library hosts a kids craft morning once a month, parents have to stay which means they usually browse the shelves. And they recently did a board games morning.

I imagine you’re already doing a toddler story/rhyme session, but are there minority communities in your area who might want to host a Chinese/arabic/spanish/etc language toddler time?

I used to work in libraries back in the days when they were regarded as a free community resource. Its sad to see how the profession has degenerated to the point where librarians have to scribble for money making ideas because greedy local authorities want to monetize everything. Including art galleries and museums. Most people probably feel that their council tax (which is already too high) covers their use of the library so why should they pay extra?

Our library does free crafts for kids in the holidays but also some ticketed more specific themed sessions that are payable £2 or so for an hour

I know what you mean, but what we're looking at is offering things which are not currently being done by the library and are not part of a library's standard offer. The alternative to raising money is of course cuts.

@OperationalSupport I think we should look into the language classes idea, if we can find the right people to run them.

@7238SM Some good ideas, thanks. Maybe parents would pay for a teenagers' fashion or talent show? I think that upmarket crafts like wreath making would be worth looking into. Unfortunately there isn't a kitchen.

If you could get someone to provide prizes for free, you could run a crafts competition and have the items on display. You would need to pay to enter, just like country shows. There are fewer of these places to enter things like this now.
Running craft classes out of hours. My friend runs one (she has a CIC) and has a massive waiting list of people just wanting to come and make things. Nothing is complicated, it’s more social than anything.

All of these ideas and suggestions sound so much fun, but what you’re doing here is changing from a library to a community centre. If that’s the overall intention then it’s great, that’s a valuable thing to have in any community.
I’m reading with a little frustration though. I used to use my library often - I’ve been studying for years and used to study in my local library, before that I used to enjoy going in there and sitting quietly browsing and reading. I can no longer do either, no more quiet reading or study, because my library now hosts baby singing groups, classes, children’s music groups and play groups, there’s a cafe for chatting right in the middle. It’s just not possible to have any quiet focus on book reading!

I am a big fan of libraries but would be reluctant to pay for anything offered by the library.

Something I would pay for would be adult educational classes run by an external organisation that rents space from the library. When I was a child my mother took french lessons at the library but they were in a function room at the side and there was a adult learning organisation that paid rent for the room. Something of that set up would interest me. Perhaps languages, Excel skills. If I remember correctly my local library also used to rent space to a yoga teacher.

My local library does cinema nights, book club, story time free of charge. Also starting to offer experiment activities one of which was for kids to create one of those volcanoes where you put vinegar down the crater and it erupts. Not sure how successful they are being. I took my so the volcano one but we won't go back unless they change the format. The activity was in the middle of the library rather than a side room and the kids were constantly being shushed by the librarians would pay a nominal amount for something like that to cover materials costs but anything over 3€ would put me off

Our local library runs homework club and helping kids with reading on a Saturday morning for primary school kids. The volunteers are all Duke of Edinburgh secondary school kids. It’s really popular.
They also run coding clubs, Lego club and various craft clubs during school holidays.
Again, secondary school kids wanting to volunteer.
The homework and reading help is free but it encourages kids to take out books.