LIBRARY BUILDING ON A BUDGET
Jeff Graveline - The Tuscaloosa News
 
 

One thing that I am sure everyone has dealt with are budget constraints.  This poses quite a problem when many of the books that we use everyday can easily cost upwards of $100 each.  When I started at The Tuscaloosa News the library, if it could be called that, contained a set of encyclopedias and several outdated almanacs.  Over the past year, I have built the collection to nearly 300 volumes while spending little money.

These are my suggestion for building your collection on a budget:

Public libraries 

· Call and ask when their Friends of the Library book sale will be held; most libraries have at least one throughout the year.
· Try to be one of the first people there to get the best selection of books.
· Larger libraries usually have the best selection.
· Ask the librarian or book sale worker if there are any books that they do not have out.  Many times they will keep some of the larger collections in the back.  I have found complete sets of the Code of Alabama this way.

College and university libraries

· Some college and university libraries throw away their reference books when they get updated editions.  Call you local school to find out.
 
Law Firms

· Law firm libraries are a great place to get legal materials;  Many larger firms will throw away their state codes each year.
 
Other

· Contact people you know at larger libraries and find out what they do with their discards.  They may be willing to donate them to you.
 

Remember -  Don’t think of it as begging; think of it as creative collection development.
 
 
These are just a few of the books that I have picked up at local book sales.  Notice the difference between the new cost and the price that I paid.  I have found that there is not a high demand for reference books so you should be able to find some good ones without having to fight over them.
  

· American Big Business Directory, v. 1-3, 1997
 Cost new - $595.00  Amount paid - $6.00

· Books in Print, v. 1-9, 1996-97
 Cost new - $510.00  Amount paid - $10.00
 
· Encyclopedia of Associations, v. 1 pt. 1-3, 1997
 Cost new - $425.00  Amount paid - $3.00

· Encyclopedia of Associations, International Organizations, v. 2 pt 1-2, 1997
 Cost new - $   Amount paid - $4.00

· Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media, v. 1-3, 1996
 Cost new - $415.00  Amount paid - $3.00

· Countries of the World, v. 1-2, 1996
 Cost new - $195.00  Amount paid - $2.00

· Statistics Sources. V. 1-2, 1997
 Cost new - $415.00   Amount paid - $4.00

· City Profiles USA, 1996
 Cost new - $65.00  Amount paid - $2.00

· Literary Market Place, v. 1-2, 1997
 Cost new - $189.95  Amount paid - $1.00

· Congressional Directory
 Cost new - approx. $23.00  Amount paid - $.50
 

Donated Books

· Directory of Corporate Affiliations, v. 1-5, 1996
· Congressional Quarterly Almanac, 1993-1996
· Federal and Municipal Directories, 1996
· The Weather Almanac
· The Insurance Almanac
· The Almanac of Almanac of American Politics, 1996
 
 


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