readings Reactions Week 14

Jack Goodman

We Would If We Could, But It Is Not In The Budget: Success Stories In Third Party Funding For Public Library Programs

This article gives examples of how community partnerships have funded new programs within libraries and how to implement a new such partnership in a library.

I liked the examples of successful partnerships, particularly the Babies Love Books Too partnership, as it showed how the funding for the program changed over the years from one partner, then to two others, and finally found a place in the library's budget. That just shows how when a program is seen as a necessity within a community, the funding will be there.

A good point the article makes is that librarians are traditionally often not that excited about trying new things. Thinking of the stereotypical older librarian, you would think of someone who doesn't want to use technology, but I think this stereotype has been changing in the last decade with the domination of the Internet. I think the younger generation that is now entering the field has grown up seeing how technology has created innovations, so I suspect the innovative and creative librarian described will become the new norm.

Thomas Leonhardt

Key Donor Cultivation: Building for the Future

This article talks about how essential external funding is, who donors are, how to get them to donate, and how to make them lasting donors.

While this article focused on academic libraries, many of the author's points can be applied to public libraries. Knowing past donors and establishing a relationship with them seems like a great, if obvious, idea. Using a Friends of the Library group also seems like a no-brainer to drum up support. While a public library won't have an alumni magazine, advertising in the newspaper or making pamphlets about donations available would serve the same purpose.

One thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the thought of considering current students as future financial supporters of the library. Perhaps that's because I don't like getting calls from my undergraduate institution asking for financial support. Getting students involved in helping to raise money is fine, but doing so with the intention of gaining future financial support seems shady to me. Also saying that the library director should donate enough to be in the major donor category so as to "become a supporter and a university and a library ambassador at the same time" seems a bit cynical to me.

Sara Lowman and Mary Bixby

Working With Friends Groups: Enhancing Participation Through Cultivation and Planning

This article discusses the impact of the recession on the Foundren Library at Rice University and how their friends group has helped raise funds for them.

The Goodman article talked about innovation and the Leonhardt article talked about establishing relationships with donors and a friends group, this article expands on both of those points. I would never have thought sending a friends group of donors on trips to see rare books, would be a worthwhile expense for a library, but it seems to have cemented both their interest in conserving books and commitment to the library.

Week 14

Working With Friends Groups:

This article discusses different ways to fundraise for libraries, using the case of the Friends of Fondren Libray at Rice University. This article had a lot of good ideas packed into a short space. One of them was the 10 point strategic plan put forward by the university leadership. As I read that, I was reminded of previous classes where there has been such an emphasis on pulling together a good plan. For lean economic times like now, making forward reaching plans seems to be a great idea for any institution. The creativity of the Friends in coming up with ideas for fundraising was pretty astounding. It should be kept in mind that some of these projects were only possible (probably) due to the amount of capital available to individuals in the group. I doubt that a public library could ever wrangle together enough money to visit England gain a new appreciation for rare books! That being said, other projects listed seemed to be quite feasible for libraries today. With the amount of government funding ever decreasing, fundraising ideas are ever more important.

Key Donor Cultivation:

This article discussed library fundraising, specifically that involving donors. Like the article above, he emphasized the development of a plan to ensure that the library is able to carry out its mission well into the future. I appreciated the author’s candid take on the whole subject. He acknowledged that, great as they may seem, library book sales do not bring in a lot of revenue. Alternative sources of funds, such as private or government grants, are a far better mechanism for getting what the library needs. Known library donors know that you want them to give you money. It is just a matter of going about asking them in the right way. Some of what he wrote was troubling, however. On page 204, the author says “If elections seem awkward, approach members privately, perhaps over lunch, and ask that they accept a leadership role” (Leonhardt 204). What does he mean by this? Should we forego elections if they make us queasy? That does not sit very well with me.

We Would If We Could, But It Is Not In The Budget

This article discusses the advantages of libraries partnering with other organizations such as local companies and community organizations. The author also provides a step by step procedure for partnering with them. In a world where public funds for public goods are ever decreasing, finding new sources of revenue are more important than ever. Like the two above, this article provides some palliatives for an increasingly cash strapped world. It was interesting reading through this article to see just what sort of organizations had partnered with libraries.  

                                                                                                Melissa Brewer, S553 for 4/10/12

We Would If We Could, But It Is Not  In The Budget:  Success Stories In Third Party Funding For Public Library Programs by Goodman

Very inspiring stories of how other library systems sought funding from outside sources.  Partnerships and collaboration were prominent in these examples……making special projects possible and successful.  These stories and examples followed many of the steps or important aspects we discussed in class last week and learned via our class assignment in “Shaping Outcomes” course.

Working with Friends Groups:  Enhancing Participation Through Cultivation and planning by Lowman and Bixby

This article addresses budget cuts for both academic and public libraries.  Rice University was the focus in this article and how they addressed  utilizing their “Library Friends Group” to offset funding reductions.  Alumni was reported to be very active at Rice and other universities in supporting fundraising efforts.  Of particular interest was the 10 point strategic vision, a communication effort with fellow universities which addressed the mission for Rice and the most closely aligned goal with the mission of Friends of Fondren Library.  In this connection they found collaborating with the city of Houston a great partnership and opportunity to make needed changes for enrichment while providing educational and cultural resources to the Houston population.  The article provided a summary of activities and events the “Friends” provide and how they went about these events and what was gained or lined up /planned for future success.  We learned outreach and cultivation was a primary goal in planning these events……of which I could see connections to what Indiana University leadership follows.  Many of the ideas shared in this article were very clever and planned out well. I also know some of this activity for folks who do not understand the strategy can see like frivolous spending by an organization or university.  Even though the public does not always understand these missions….the fact to share progress in the community was important to not only cultivate for future partnerships and donors but also to make the community feel included.  I liked reading how many “seed” funding opportunities were overseen and included in a planning process that would continue to expand the life of the project while long range funding was concepted and achieved.

Key Donor Cultivation:  Building for the Future by Leonhardt

In the beginning of this article you understand a “case study”  is expected to have a beginning and at least some idea of an end.  Leonhardt used examples that were more ongoing…which I feel many of the projects in a library are planned to not have an end date or hopes of expanding into evolving versions for long term projects.  I know there are many short time frame programs…but feel when prominent issues in the library are addressed….you are looking for a successful and long range project.  I also feel that planning for funding success will change as the project grows.  I found interesting how Leonhardt quoted “go with the flow because the flow knows where to go.”  How well I can relate this to financial activity at the university where we see some of what seems like original ideas being put in place….has already been put in place at other universities and businesses….or follows very quickly after we make changes to new practices.  I found Leonhardt’s article quite interesting and how he felt strongly unless you have well established  and strong “friends” group….you are best off creating an advisory board with the primary goal of fundraising….not policy and management. 

April 10th Readings

Working With Friends Groups

This article, by Sara Lowman and Mary Bixby, talks about the Friends of Fondren Library at Rice University and how instrumental they are in helping create interest and event to support the library.

Friends of the library are great advocates of the library. They can help raise money for special projects that the library is trying to do. They can also host events that can create interest in the library and help raise the number of patrons that visit the library and materials checked out of the library. If librarians are nice to their Friends then their friends will be nice to them. Friends can help build loyalty with the community, so that the community will support the library. A library that has Friends shows that the library is a part of the community that the community wants to try to give back to the library.

Key Donor Cultivation

This article, by Thomas Leonhardt, talks about cultivating donors of the library.

This article has good ideas for seeking external funds from outside donors. It is important to have an “elevator speech” or an answer ready when a current or potential donor asks about what the library is doing. Having a fundraising board is very helpful in focusing on the outside donors of the library. The board, once it gets big enough, sounds just like a library board but focuses on outside donors and does not have to follow the strict rules of a public library board. The board would have more time to “romance” the donors for their donations. It is also important to recognize donors when they make donations to the library because they will know that the library appreciates the donation and be inclined to donate again at a later date. The article also talked about having a strategic plan for the donations that do come in and having a priority order shopping list in which the money will go the most important thing on the list at that time. Strategic plans, which we learned about last week, is a great way to focus donations that are coming into the library and put the money where it is need the most.

We Would If We Could, But It Is Not In The Budget

This article, by Jack Goodman, shows different examples of partnering with other organizations and gives a step by step guide to partnering.

Partnering with other organizations is not a new idea to me. I have learned about partnering with other organizations in Youth Services class and learning to set the library apart by offering programs that others can do better and partnering with others to do programs at the library. The step by step guide is expanded already-put-into-words guide of what I have learned about partnering. It was interesting the different partnerships formed by the libraries in the article and that when the grants ran out and the program was very successful, the library made room in their budget to continue the program.

Weekly Readings 4/10

Working with Friends Groups by Sara S. Lowman and Mary D. Bixby

The authors examine the contributions made by the Friends of the Fondren Library at Rice University, highlighting some examples that may contribute to their success.

After reading this article, it would be easy to walk away thinking if every library formed a friends group, there would be nothing wrong in the library world! I was surprised at first to read about a FOL group existing for an academic university, honestly. I would be curious to read about such an organization in a more modest academic setting. Rice is very prestigious, with well-off alumni who can afford to be milked. However, I thought the article still offered some pearls of broader application. I liked how they said "it is important for the friends group to have a clear mission that supports the library and [...] provides a venue for people to participate" (Lowman & Bixby, 2011, p. 211). Friends groups seem like a great way to give firm direction to the intersection of the public and the library. They are separate enough to be largely self-governing, but involved enough to know about the needs of the library. It is for this reason that "the quality of leadership [...] is vital to the success of the organization" (Lowman & Bixby, 2011, p. 214). I was reminded while reading this of Library Management, when we discussed how the entire direction and attitude of a company largely depends on who is at the helm. I did like how varied their group was in their activities (inside and outside the library). My favorite advice, though, was having the director attend friends meetings. Going to every meeting may be a lot for the director's plate, but whenever possible makes sense. After all, the FOL are part of the library, and the director should have some knowledge of everything going on below them.


We Would If We Could, but It Is Not in the Budget by Jack Goodman

Goodman writes about the real-life success stories of several libraries thinking outside the box to form partnerships.

This article seemed very practical and down to earth to me, especially after the last one. It felt like a lot of these went with the theme we have often discussed this semester of taking the services of the library to where the people are instead of relying on them to come to us. But he also points out that the most important component is "a desire to innovate" (Goodman, 2008, p. 103), which goes back to the resistance among some longer-term staff to change. I loved his point that motivation is absolutely essential to success, even though I recognize it is common sense. It was interesting to note that three of the four partnerships highlighted dealt with children/teenagers. I think it can be easy to fall into this habit (even if the partnerships are creative) because there are so many eager and willing organizations working with children. Yet I think my hometown library does a great job partnering for adult programs. They have an ongoing heritage skills series that brings in people from local organizations to teach useful crafts that have lost popularity (the latest being Amish knot rugs). Government and private agencies coming in to offer help for senior citizens is also popular. Once again this goes back to knowing your area. These are the kinds of wants and needs in my home area, so the library is meeting them.


Key Donor Cultivation by Thomas Leonhardt

Leonhardt highlights different means of increasing external funding for the library, offering advice on some of the pros and cons of methods ranging from increasing communication with superiors to relationships with donors.

While this article seemed a little disorganized, the advice was sound and practical, with some information applicable to public libraries as well. I did find it interesting that he said friends groups are often very successful, but then advised against forming one. For public libraries, I think this makes more sense than forming an advisory board. For instance, Ohio slashed funding deeply two years ago. As a result, the independent library in my county that serves a town of about 500 (economically disadvantaged) people had to think outside the box to stay open. One of the things they did was start a friends group, which is still going strong. The library just completed major renovations, and the group even provided them with a technology room (complete with an X-Box Connect). I am stunned by their success, and feel like if they can do it, many libraries can. I know the friends group is also hugely important at MCPL. At the board meeting I attended, they discussed how they raised over $100,000 last year, and their most recent book sale last month netted over $4,000.

The other thing I liked was his examples of being very proactive and outside the box in approaching management to let them know the library's needs. For public libraries, department managers need to make sure the director knows their needs. The directors need to make sure the boards know their needs. Even more important though, is communicating those needs to the ultimate "boss" -- the public. This goes back to our discussion of always having an elevator speech ready. Being able to communicate the goals and needs of the library/department succinctly should find its way to the top of almost every librarian's job description.

Week 14 Readings

Stephanie Pike

4/9/12

Public Library Management

Readings Week 14

We Would If We Could, But It Is Not In The Budget: Success Stories In Third Party Funding For Public Library Programs by Jack Goodman

The article discusses the achievements various libraries have had across Australia in forming partnerships with outside establishments. The article proceeds to then outline a methodology a library can approach in best meeting those needs.

While reading the article, I felt that there were some very good pieces of advice when approaching partnerships. I think the important thing mentioned is not only considering the partnerships with the other institution, but also the within the library itself. The staff has to be reliant on one another to form a cohesive unit to even progress to the other steps and become somewhat or entirely successful. The step by step guide, one would consider to be intuitive, does have some excellent ideas of how to formulate and further partnerships Though, I have to wonder if in a way it may be a little too easy in how he has outlined the steps.

Key Donor Cultivation: Building for the Future by Thomas Wilburn Lionhardt

The article present effective approaches and information about how to fundraise. The article breaks down Wedgeworths list of how to fundraise in an effective way. However, the author stresses that prior to even beginning to fundraise, one must know what they want to achieve so that you have an idea of how you will achieve your goal.

Although the article is oriented towards academic libraries, I think there are a few ideas that could be implemented effectively within the public library setting. The discussion about gifts and memorial book funds was especially interesting. I think gifts are especially hard to navigate because one doesn’t know if the gift will be overly beneficial to the library. However, I do think that should a gift be given and accepted, the encouragement of use and raising awareness to the collection are excellent beginnings in increasing circulation. Also, the way to form a successful memoriam for people through books seems nice allows people to donate to the library without having to give a large sum of money. Therefore, allowing the library to recognize the donation in a subtle, but appreciative manner that everyone feels they have won in some way.

Working with Friends Groups: Enhancing Participation Through Cultivation and Planning by Sara S. Lowman and Mary D. Bixby

The article discusses the approach to fundraising, programs, and outreach to assist the library during the economic recession. The focus of the article is placed on the activities and methods used by the Friends of Fondren Library at Rice University.

I felt the most interesting outreach method used by the library was the focus trips overseas to the English Isles. The ability to view rare manuscripts and texts would be an amazing opportunity. Although, it would be difficult to have a public library do something at such a scale, something similar could be done. For example, going to the Library of Congress or Smithsonian Institute to view works dating back to the beginning of the nation’s founding would be a great opportunity for the Friends of the Library to pursue. The concept of being able to go to a different place and influence the library through communication and the forming of relationships outside of the library would be beneficial.

Readings Journal 4/10

Working With Friends Groups: Enhancing Participation Through Cultivation and Planning by Sara S. Lowman and Mary D. Bixby

This article discusses the Friends of the Fondren Library at Rice University and the activities, programs, and fundraisers they provide for the library.

One of the points discussed in this article is the importance of mission statements and strategic plans.  This is something that we have discussed a lot in class.  Without a strategic plan, the library has nowhere to go.  This article takes it a step further and says that not only does the library need a strategic plan and a mission statement, but the friends of the library also needs both.  This article made me wonder how many public library friends groups actually have mission statements and strategic plans. I looked up the friends groups for Monroe County Public Library and for my hometown library, Brown County Public Library (in Wisconsin, not the Brown County in Indiana) and found that both did have mission statements.  So, although mission statements for friends groups are something I had never thought of, I am glad to see that they are being utilized.  In the instance of this article, the friends group seemed to do a lot of good for the library, and I’m sure having a mission statement helped them reach their goals.

We Would if we Could, but it is not in the Budget: Success Stories in Third Party Funding for Public Library Programs by Jack Goodman

This article looks at libraries in Australia who have lost a lot of funding and discusses ways partnerships have helped these libraries.

I thought it was interesting that this article brought up that public libraries are “among the most trusted public institutions.”  This was brought up before in class when we discussed the Jaeger & Fleischmann article Public Libraries, Values, Trust, and E-Government (2007).  That article mentioned that one reason people were going to libraries to use  E-Government resources is because they trust libraries.  However, libraries are not getting extra money for this extra service.  Similarly, this article mentions that even though libraries are trusted, they are very under funded.  Both of these articles show that patrons use the library and find it trustworthy, but government funds haven’t reflected this.  I also really liked the part of this article that discussed what types of librarians are needed to implement partnerships.  Although librarians may be typically thought of as introverts, the trend seems to be changing towards a need for extroverted librarians.

Jaeger, P.T., & Fleischmann, K.R. (2007). Public libraries, values, trust, and e

government.  Information Technology & Libraries, 26(4), 34-43.

Key Donor Cultivation: Building for the Future by Thomas Wilburn Leonhardt

This article discussed library fundraising, especially in regards to donors.

The author of this article mentioned inviting possible donors to a catered lunch, which to me seems like bribing.  Is it ok for libraries to bribe people who are going to give them money, especially if they are spending money to do it?  If I was donating to a library I would like to know that my money was going to be spent on the library’s programs and collections.  If I saw the library casually spending money by taking me out to eat I would wonder if my money was going to be spent as frivolously and if the library even needs the money I am giving.  I know one lunch does not cost that much, so maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way, but to me it seems wrong for a library to bribe someone for money.  There are better ways to receive funds than to stoop to that level.