Involving everybody in your community, right from the beginning, is the most essential part of a successful library building program. Library staff can contribute their insights and programmatic needs to the project. Local officials will also be involved, including the town manager or mayor, the local finance director, the town or city building inspector, and the fire marshal. Everyone can take part, especially in developing community support and raising funds. In many ways, the project will reflect the hopes and aspirations of the community for its future.
Planning is essential.
Though it's becoming harder and harder to do, what you're trying to see is what your library should look like twenty years in the future. This does not mean that your initial plans won't change and evolve as you go along. Experts predict that the rapid social and technological changes that we are currently experiencing will continue, and probably accelerate. You can start developing your own library of the future by looking at population projections. Your library of the future will need a dedicated team to bring it into being.