Sounds like you have a similar situation to ours (federated Library System)

We have daily deliveries in York and Adams Counties (we're part of the same district - Martin is the District Center) which makes sharing resources incredibly easy - since you're all sharing and freely exchanging too, that is wonderful.

If you're referring to a "once and done" funding for special projects, I'd suggest you split the monies. It will 1/2 the work, and what duplication you have would not necessarily be a bad thing.

What we have done is this

1) there is a centralized collection which is purchased for each library - that is to say, each library gets 1 copy of different pre-selected popular works, purchased out of a common fund. Not just GNs but fiction as well. It's committee driven, with a scattering of folks around the county that meet infrequently. Some things are no-brainers (Steven King, Michael Crichton, Lillian Jackson Braun) and other authors require some negotiation. The GN's are also author driven, so we get a lot of Spiderman (Stan Lee) - I'm trying to find a way to get them to buy award winners, but we're pretty conservative in some of our libraries, and the Harvy Awards (for example) can have items that are 'edgy' - so the bulk of our centralized collection is Capes and Tights (superheroes)

2) then the individual library has their collection fund, for all materials. Some buy additional graphic novels, others only give grudging shelf space to the items provided by the county.

I don't buy some things (for instance, the Non Fiction Graphic Novels that have become popular) because I know that many of my colleagues will do so. I buy the stuff that's odd, unusual, and has a core group of folks that will read it to rags. Their non-fiction sometimes comes to my patrons, and my odd and award-winning stuff sometimes goes to theirs. Since (in my mind) they're all 'our' patrons, that's fine. Somebody is enjoying a book I selected? I'm ecstatic.

You could do something similar for your libraries - centrally buy stuff that's most popular & that fits your audience, and then allow the folks in the individual libraries to buy what they like...

My suggestion for centralized would be

* popular Superhero-type GNs

* everything from Cartoon Network

* non-fiction works from the slides in my presentation

Then individual libraries can allocate some extra funds to each library to meet the demands of their particular building and fans. Some places get more adults, some get more teens and kids.

There may be a better way to do it, but this is what has worked for us. Future/additional funding possibilities could include-

• Grants or Donations
  • Literacy Council,
  • Rotary Club,
  • Lions Club
  • Phi Kappa Phi
  • Verizon
  • Panera Bread
  • Starbuck's Coffee

  check out this place to start - http://www.grants.gov -

  if you're near a Foundation Center FC Search is their database of on CD-ROM.

 OR

Corral a Eagle Scout candidate and see what they can do for you. That would be an excellent project for someone, and also a chance to do outreach.

Just my $0.10

I've been really lucky, as far as financial support for this format. Once I had materials, the circulation stats made a more eloquent statement than I ever could.

I LITERALLY can't keep some of these materials on the shelf... which is really cool. :)

If you have any other questions, or need details, please let me know.

Thank you for the kind comments!

Maggie

www.yorklibraries.org