Editing Public library (section)

==Organization==
The establishment or development of a public library involves creating a legal authorization and governing structure, building a collection of books and media, as well as securing reliable funding sources, especially government sources.<ref>{{cite web|title=Setting Up a Library: A Resource Guide|url=http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet16|publisher=American Library Association|access-date=14 August 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807053702/http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet16|archive-date=7 August 2013}}</ref> Most public libraries are small, serving a population of under 25,000, and are (or were) established in response to specific local needs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Landau|first=Herbert|title=The Small Public Library Survival Guide: Thriving on Less|url=http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2409|publisher=ALA Editions|access-date=14 August 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628205646/http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2409|archive-date=28 June 2013}}</ref> In ''A Library Primer'', [[John Cotton Dana]]'s 1899 work on the establishment and management of libraries in the United States, Dana wrote:
<blockquote>Each community has different needs, and begins its library under different conditions. Consider then, whether you need most a library devoted chiefly to the work of helping the schools, or one to be used mainly for reference, or one that shall run largely to periodicals and be not much more than a reading room, or one particularly attractive to girls and women, or one that shall not be much more than a cheerful resting-place, attractive enough to draw man and boy from street corner and saloon. Decide this question early, that all effort may be concentrated to one end, and that your young institution may suit the community in which it is to grow, and from which it is to gain its strength.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dana|first=John Cotton|title=A library primer|year=1899|publisher=Wikisource|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Library_Primer_%281899%29/Chapter_II|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025115125/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Library_Primer_(1899)/Chapter_II|archive-date=2012-10-25}}</ref></blockquote>
After being established and funded through a resolution, public referendum or similar legal process, the library is usually managed by a [[board of directors]], library council or other local authority. A librarian is designated as the library director or library manager. In small municipalities, city or county government may serve as the library board and there may be only one librarian involved in the management and direction of the library. Library staff who are not involved in management are known in the United States and some other English-speaking countries as "library paraprofessionals" or "library support staff".<ref>{{cite web|last=Gibson|first=Rita|title=Library paraprofessionals: a bibliography|url=http://colt.ucr.edu/bibliography.html|publisher=University of California Riverside|access-date=14 August 2013|year=2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20021012000000/http://colt.ucr.edu/bibliography.html|archive-date=12 October 2002}}</ref> They may or may not have formal education in [[library and information science]]. Support staff have important roles in [[library collection development]], cataloging, [[technical support]], and the process of preparing books for borrowing.  All of these tasks may be referred to as ''technical services'', whether or not they involve information technology.<ref>G. Edward Evans, Sheila S. Intner, Jean Weihs ''Introduction to Technical Services''; 7th ed. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 2002 {{ISBN|1-56308-918-1}}</ref> While the library's governing board has ultimate authority to establish policy, many other organizations may participate in library management or library fundraising, including civic and voluntary associations, women's clubs, [[Friends of the Library]] groups, and groups established to advise the library on the purchase and retention of books.

State and national governments may also have a role in the establishment and organization of public libraries. Many governments operate their own large libraries for public and legislative use (e.g., state libraries, the [[Library of Congress]], the {{lang|fr|[[Bibliothèque Nationale de France]]|italic=no}}). These governments can also influence local libraries by reserving formal recognition or funding for libraries that meet specific requirements. Finally, associations of library and information professionals, such as the [[American Library Association]] (ALA) and the [[Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals]] (CILIP) help establish norms and standard procedures, secure funding, advocate at the state or national level and certify [[library school]]s or [[information school]]s.