Islamic Libraries: A Resouce Guide

Getting a library started and functioning takes a lot of dedicated planning and work. In this section of the website you will find most of the basic information you will need to create a library. However, if all you need this at point is to organise materals in your library, then go to Organising a Library. For routine procedures go to section on Managing the Library. 

There are a few resources available online to help you get started. For instance, the document, Libraries for all: How to start and run a small library, although a bit detailed, is very helpful in describing how to set up a community library. For a very brief overview describing the setup and management of a small library, in this case a Church library, you may want to read How to start a Lending library for your Organization. And, to give you an overview of managing a special (particulary corporate) library, then you might want to read Starting a Special Library from Scratch.  

State the mission of the Library:

A mission statement of the organisation, masjid, community centre or school will probably be the guide for determining your library's mission statement, unless it will be functioning independently and on its own. Then, you need to determine what your mission wil be.

A mission statement states the purpose of the library and dscribes why it exists. For example,

"To provide information and services, about Islam and Muslims, to all members of the community."

Identify Goals and Objectives:

Goals and objectives are more specific than the mission statement. A librarian needs to identify the goals and objectives of the libraryand always refer to them in the process of running the library.

For example,

• help Muslims understand and practice their religion
• to provide information about Islam and Muslims to those who are interested in learning and for research
• to promote literacy among the members of the community

Library Committee OR One Person Library:

It is time to decide whether the library's operation will be run by a specific library committee or an OPL (One-Person Library) with one person doing all the work (may have to report to masjid/organisation committee). Either way determining this aspect of functioning will help to define responsibilities and decision making.

Budget:

Obtaining a budget is the next issue of importance in setting up a library. A budget is a list of all the library's projected expenses (costs) and all of its income. At the outset, an allocation in the budget is necessary for building the resources of the library. That is, unless the library already has a collection of materials it can use to start the library. Resources will include books, journals, brochures, magazines, audio recordings, visual resources, CDs and much more, as well as access to online resources and other databases for reseach. The budget will also have to cover other expenses such as rent for location (if applicable), payment to staff (unless volunteer), set up costs for shelving, furnishings and automation, and many other costs.

Members and Users:

Identifing who the users of the Library is important in giving you an idea of what type of library collection you want to develop. Is the library primarily for dawah, for research, for recreational reading? You want to build a collection that will be of interest and of some benefit to the people in your community or organisation. What is the reading level of most people in the community? Are you providing resources for children? These are some of the questions you may want to ask.

Location:

The location of the library is important in determining how well it can serve the people in the community or organisation. Locating in an existing building, for example, a masjid or community centre, might be a good idea since these are palces that are known by the community and can probably be easily accessed.

Staff:

In an OPL (One Person Library), the librarian does almost all of the work and has all of the responsibilty for running a library. In a small library, one person is all you may need. However, as the collection expands you may need additional help in the form of volunteers or more specialsed help in the form of certified library assistants.

Source materials:

You probably are starting a collection because you have many donated books lying around the masjid. To help you determine the type of material you want the library to provide, review the mission statement, the objectives and goals and the intended users of the library.

Donations are probably the best way to begin sourcing materials. Look for donors withing your community. Ask volunteers to go around seeking donations or put a donation box in the masjid or store. Write to organisations that distribute free literature (some organisations make dawah materials available at no charge). There are many ways to obtain resources for the library. If you have allocations in the budget for purchases then, this list of  Publishers and Booksellers will  provide your library with a wealth of Islamic books and other materials.

Set up location:

Once you have a space to set up the library, begin by organising materials in an orderly fashion on shelves and/or tables. Organise by the type of materials and by subject. See Organizing the Library for details about organising materials.

Here are a few things you may want to get to help you in organizing the materials you have in a neat and easy-to-find manner. Not all are required. Those items that are necessary are indicated with an *.

Equipment

• Shelves for books *
• Racks or stands for magazines
• Cabinets/cupboards [long drawers] for maps
• Shelves or rack for videos
• Computers or drawer [card] for catalogue
• Computer or drawers [for pockets and cards] or binder [for pockets and cards] for circulation i.e. lending books
• Tables and chairs for users to read and study
• Couch/sofa for users to browse and read
• Desk/table for borrowing [checkout] and returning [checkin]
• Printer [if using computer] or typewriter

Supplies

• Stamps with name of institution *
• Registration cards for users [if borrowing] *
• Cards for users and books [if borrowing] *
• Pockets for books and users [if borrowing] *
• Tape *z
• Labels *
• Catalogue cards [if using card system]

Any type of office furniture will be good in the beginning - chairs for browsing, tables for writing, computer works stations, shelves for displaying materials, desk for staff. But if you are interested in obtaining library specific furniture then please refer to the suppliers and automation links.

Procedures and Policies:

1. Collection

The backbone of any library should be the Collection Development Policy. It is a guideline for your library's collection. It helps you define the types and formats of resources you will and will not include in the collection.

2. Rules of the Library

Clear policies and rules for the library are important to set at the beginning. For example, is it to be a lending library or just for reading and research. If it is the former, then rules about lending and returning books will have to be outlined and enforced. Will there be a fine imposed for lost, damaged or late materials?

Marketing the Library:

Let the resources of the library be known to its intended users in an ongoing basis. Hosts lectures, book readings and other community events that will encourage and interest people in using and donating to the library.

Now that you have started a library, the next tasks involves organising the library so that users can have access to its resources.