Set up a Steering Group
A strong steering group is the backbone of a successful Library of Things. This chapter explores how to bring together a small, committed group of people who can help shape your idea, share the workload, and build momentum in the early stages. It covers who to involve, how many people you might need, and practical ways to find and support the right mix of skills, experience, and community connections.
You may already be working with a small group of friends or acquaintances, or you might be part of a larger group or organisation. Wherever you’re starting from, we recommend having at least four committed people, and ideally around six, to form your steering group. This gives you enough capacity to share the workload, make decisions together, and focus on laying strong foundations for a successful Library of Things.
In the early stages, your steering group’s role is to build energy and momentum around the idea. As the project develops, the group can begin to engage more widely with the community, explore potential venues, and start seeking funding.
A strong steering group should reflect the diversity of your local community and bring together a wide range of skills, experience, and perspectives. Members should also be willing to act as ambassadors, sharing the idea within their own networks and helping to build local support.
It can be helpful to carry out a simple skills audit to identify the mix of people you need. Useful skills might include community engagement, project management, finance, communications, practical or technical knowledge, or local connections.
You can find potential steering group members in lots of ways, including:
Word of mouth
Putting out a call on social media
Holding an open meeting or informal information session
You may also have your own ideas about what will work best in your area.
If you are setting up a Library of Things through an existing organisation, it’s still important to form a community-based steering group. One person cannot set up a library alone. In this case, the steering group may include representatives from partner organisations.
You don’t need to assign formal roles at this stage, but it is good practice to have a partnership agreement in place. This should clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of each partner and how decisions will be made.
As your steering group develops, it’s important to take time to understand your local area and involve people meaningfully from the outset. Community mapping can help you identify local assets, gaps, networks, and groups, while co-production ensures your Library of Things is shaped with the community, not just for it. This approach builds trust, relevance, and long-term resilience.
You’ll find a practical community mapping template in the downloads section below to help you get started. The Co-production Network for Wales offer guidance, tools, and learning around community development and co-production that may be useful as your project grows.
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