School-Housed Community Libraries: A Case Study

What factors lead to the formation of a school-housed public library? The purpose of this case study was to investigate the issues involved in combining a school library and a public library into one facility designed to serve all members of the community. Such arrangements generate questions concerning planning, governance, staffing, finances, collection development, and evaluation. A combined school-housed library in Delanco, NJ was studied. Data was collected through literature, interviews, documents, observations, and site visitations. Dr. Shirley L. Aaron's A Study of Combined School-Public Libraries was used to design interview protocols. A site visitation checklist was also developed. Historical developments illustrated relevant patterns in the evolution of library service as well as those related to the community of Delanco. The data was then compared to findings of other studies presented in the literature. The study identified advantages and benefits along with problems and weaknesses associated with combining libraries. The research concluded that the public library and the school library are serving the members of the Delanco community better as a combined school-housed library.