If anyone has a hot tip on a funding source, this is a conservative estimate of what the peaceCENTER needs to operate the Peace and Justice Resource Center over the next year.
Peace and Justice Resource Center Acquisitions -
Immediate Needs - $4,500
Annual Needs- $1,000
The peaceCENTER has built its collection frugally through donations and by scavenging used book stores and sales. Acquiring materials this way is cost-efficient but leaves gaps in the collection. The current acquisitions wish list includes 150 adult nonfiction books with a list price of $3,700; 19 videos @ $300 and 31 children's books @ $400. Approximately $750 of that amount for two critical reference works, "Protest, Power, and Change" and "Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict." Ongoing funding is required to purchase newly published books, books brought to our attention by patrons, and to continue opportunistic buying of discounted books. Our collection especially needs strengthening in peacemaking books centered on non-Christian religions and on Spanish-language books.
Resource Center Consumable Supplies - $600
Materials such as protective covers for books and hard cases for video are needed to prolong the life of the collection. Card pockets, printer ink and labels needed for efficient cataloging. This amount would retrofit the current collection and provide sufficient supplies for two years of new acquisitions.
Resource Center Furnishings - $500
Funding is required for additional shelving, bookends, display racks, signage and other similar furnishings.
Library Administration - $3,750
The peaceCENTER has refurbished the resource center, designed a database and has almost completed cataloging and shelving the collection. Immediate funding is needed for labor hours to draft an administration manual (including instructions on using the computer database); to recruit, train and manage resource center volunteers (to make regular operating hours possible.) This time would also be used to process new acquisitions This is anticipated to take at least 150 hours over the course of the next year.
Study Guide Development - $2,500
Because this community peace and justice resource center will not have an on-site professional librarian, study guides are needed to help community activists with modest research skills make effective use of the collection. The peaceCENTER will engage community partners to assist in developing guides on such topics as environmental justice, socially responsible investing, the death penalty, human rights, faith-centered peacemaking, media violence, domestic violence, terrorism, community-building, conflict resolution, immigration and disarmament. This amount will pay for the development and reproduction of at least 10 guides over the next year.
Resource Center Services - $400/year
Access to the Internet is an important component of contemporary study and research. The peaceCENTER had been receiving its Internet access via a donation from the San Antonio branch office of Nortel Networks. In June, 2001 that office was closed. This funding will pay for one year of commercial dial-up Internet access and for a dedicated phone line.
Resource Center Outreach-
$500/year - Web Development
$1,000 - Grand Opening
The intent is to put the resource center card catalog and wish list on the Internet. This funding is for labor costs to design the Web site format and maintain it. Web hosting is donated by the Web-Hed Group. Additionally, in May, 2002 the library will be re-named in honor of Mohandas Gandhi. His grandson, Arun Gandhi and Arun's wife, Sunanda, will be flown in from Memphis for the celebration and dedication. Local librarians and other peace activists will be invited to a modest reception to meet the Gandhis and participate in the dedication of this new community resource.
Total Needs: $14,700
