Funding Special Collections

[MARILYN WURZBURGER <IACMJW@ASUACAD.BITNET>]

Made an error in the address when I originally sent this.  Hope this
gets through this time.

Marilyn Wurzburger                            IACMJW@ASUACAD.BITNET
Head, Special Collections                     IACMJW@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. 85284    Phone: (602) 965-6510
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Funding for Special Collections:

There were 15 responses to my query.

All respondents stated that they have institutional funding for
basic staff (i.e. at least for the curator of the Collection);  2
institutions report additional staffing being funded by means of
endowments.

All but one institution supports special collections by providing
supplies, but that one institution must purchase supplies from
endowment funds.

Regarding Acquisitions (the main point of my query) only 6
institutions (i.e. 40%) provide support from general funds for
the acquisitions of special collections materials.  The amount of
support varies: responses include such statements as "one-half"
the budget; approx. $1000 this year (2 responses); for serials
and approval books only; "modest support"; and occasional "end-
of-the-year funds".  The rest of those responding (i.e. 60%)
receive no general fund money to support acquisitions.
Endowments are the most frequently cited source of funding (11
responses) with Friends support ranking next highest.  Gifts and
donations play a prominent role in all the institutions
described.

Some interesting comments gleaned along the way: In a medical
library the Founder of the organization (a surgeon), asked
wealthy patients to establish endowments at the library rather
than pay him his full fees.  (We all pray for such "angels" to
become our benefactors!)  Another institution reports that the
special collections staff is assigned fundraising duties, while
another special collections reports that it CANNOT solicit funds
for operations, since efforts might conflict with the parent
organization's fundraising efforts.  Another comment reflects a
concern of many, I'm sure: that because of lack of funds the
department's acquisition program is molded more by what is
donated than by what can be selected.

Thanks to all of you for taking time to respond.  If some of you
would still like to participate in the survey, please contact me
directly and if there are significant changes and/or comments
I'll report once again to the list.


P.S. Perhaps I'll see some of you at RBMS and we can discuss
these issues more fully?

Marilyn Wurzburger                            IACMJW@ASUACAD.BITNET
Head, Special Collections                     IACMJW@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. 85284    Phone: (602) 965-6510