Small and Rural Library Fundraising Lab
Help shape a new pilot for small and rural libraries
The Library Support Network is developing a new pilot program to help small and rural libraries build local support, strengthen fundraising capacity, and grow a durable base of champions, advocates, and partners.
This project will combine discovery, peer learning, practical tools, and field-sharing so that participating libraries can help shape approaches that work in real communities with real staffing and capacity constraints.
Why this lab
Small and rural libraries are civic anchors. They also need stronger support systems.
Public libraries are increasingly asked to serve as trusted gathering places, community hubs, and civic anchors. Small and rural libraries often do this work with limited staffing, infrastructure, and fundraising capacity.
The Lab will explore what small and rural libraries need to build and sustain stronger local support in ways that fit their community context.
The central question
What do small and rural libraries need to build a durable base of local champions, advocates, and supporters who can help fund, protect, and advance the library’s role in community life?
What the pilot will do
Practical tools, peer learning, and tested approaches
The Lab will begin by listening to small and rural library leaders, then use what we learn to shape a pilot cohort, test practical approaches, and share useful tools with the broader field.
Listen first
Gather input from small and rural library leaders about local conditions, fundraising readiness, capacity constraints, and support needs.
Test practical approaches
Work with a smaller pilot cohort to test tools, peer learning, working sessions, and light-touch support that fit small-shop realities.
Share what works
Develop practical resources, lessons, and examples that can help small and rural libraries beyond the initial pilot participants.
Who should share interest
We want to hear from small and rural library leaders
This developing initiative is designed for small and rural public libraries that want to strengthen fundraising, community support, and the broader base of champions needed to sustain the library’s role in local life.
Participation pathways
There will be several ways to be part of the learning
Not every library will participate in the same way. The project will begin with broad discovery and then move toward more focused pilot participation.
Discovery
Share your experience
Library leaders may be invited to participate in an interview, focus group, survey, or other discovery activity to help shape the pilot design.
Good fit for
Libraries that want to help LSN understand what support-building and fundraising really look like in small and rural contexts.
Learning Community
Stay connected to the work
Some libraries may remain connected through a lighter-touch learning pathway with selected updates, peer exchange, and shared learning opportunities.
Good fit for
Libraries that want to learn alongside the project but may not be part of the formal pilot cohort.
Pilot Cohort
Test tools and approaches
A smaller group of libraries will be invited to join the pilot cohort, participate in structured peer learning, test practical tools, and help refine resources for the field.
Good fit for
Libraries ready to engage more deeply, test ideas locally, and share what they learn with others.
What the Lab is building
Resources with lasting value for small and rural libraries
The Lab is designed to generate tools, examples, and lessons that can be shared through LSN and used by small and rural libraries beyond the first pilot participants.
A starter framework
A tested approach to fundraising and local support-building tailored to small and rural libraries.
Practical tools
Templates, guidance, and resources aligned with real operational constraints.
Field insight
Lessons about what helps small and rural libraries build stronger community support.
Peer examples
Stories and examples that show promising approaches in different community contexts.
Help shape the pilot
Share your interest in the Small and Rural Library Fundraising Lab
LSN is gathering interest from library leaders and partners who want to help shape this new pilot program. Sharing your interest does not commit you to participate in the cohort, but it helps us understand your library, your context, and how this work could be most useful.