ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 584 / C&RL News ■ Septem b er 2002 THE WAY I SEE IT Rethinking library development The ethical implications of library fundraising by Phillip J. Jones Philanthropy is an increasingly potent force in our society, particularly in the nonprofit sector. Colleges and universities have sou external funding for generations, but the scale o f this activity has increased markedly in the last decade. Almost every institution eyes its endowment, striving to raise that figure. On campuses across the United States, fundraising has become big business. It is not surprising that the proverbial heart o f the institution, the library, has caught the fundraising bug. Many academic librarians have em braced developm ent with a vengeance, which they view as necessary to guarantee the fiscal future of their libraries. Directors of library development and their support personnel have mushroomed. Their work has encompassed both raising funds and writing about the process; this commitment has led to an inflow of cash and to an outflow o f journal articles and con feren ce papers. However, these papers have been almost ex­ clusively practical, within the genre o f “How we done it good.” As such, almost no authors have critiqued this nascent activity. Most li­ brarians have accepted library development as a necessary good without subjecting it to scru­ tiny. Nevertheless, scrutiny is in order. Academic librarians need to think critically about the development ventures that they pursue with such enthusiasm. In particular, they should examine the ethos o f fundraising and how it gh r e la te s to th e p r o fe s s io n a l e th ic s o f librarianship, the yardstick against which they t should assess their practices. At first glance, library development and these ethics appear uneasy bedfellows. Making social distinctions Foremost, fundraising is unapologetically the process of seeking money, o f fiscal aggrandize­ ment. To ferret out money, one must identify potential donors, and to identify potential do­ nors, one invariably makes social distinctions. This is the genesis of the problem. ALA strives to ensure that all library users have equitable access to information and li­ brary services in order to ensure an informed citizenry in a democratic republic. In essence, ALA seeks to minimize social distinctions. These ideas are enshrined in the ALA Code of Ethics and other pertinent sections o f the Policy Manual. Library schools drum these prin­ ciples into their students. Although academic libraries have a different mission from public libraries and a more narrowly defined clien­ tele, an ethic o f equity o f access (and treat­ ment) guides their service. Most academic librarians offer their senior administrators more prompt and deferential service than they offer freshmen, but they ac­ knowledge this service differential with dis­ comfort. An ethical librarian keeps inequity of service as well as distinctions among patrons to a minimum. About the author Phillip J. Jones is social science and humanities reference librarian at Baylor University, phillip Jones@baylor.edu mailto:Jones@baylor.edu C&RL News ■ Sep tem b er 2002 / 585 An insulation of fundraising from general library operations, and most patently, public service, would lessen the tension between li­ brary development and professional ethics. However, library development rarely occurs in a vacuum. Directors of development seek to extend their activity throughout the organiza­ tion; they succeed when gifts pour in and en­ dowments rise. Therefore, they encourage their colleagues to adopt a development mentality, to cultivate “constituencies” and “relation­ ships.” Useful inside the office o f library de­ velopm ent, a bottom-line mindset is prob­ lematic outside o f it, particularly in the public service departments. Most academic library units operate with reduced staffs, and public service departm ents are no exception. Public service personnel should offer the best possible service to their pri­ mary clientele and make this service as eq ­ uitable as possible. Few academic libraries have sufficient staff to offer special services to moneyed constitu­ encies. One who bends over backwards to serve special patrons (i.e., donors or potential do­ nors) undermines professional ethics and may do so at the expense of others (e.g., the under­ graduate masses). Collection development Collection development and library develop­ ment constitute another dicey pair. Most li­ brarians are familiar with the quotidian prob­ lem of gift books; the professional literature has examined this issue at length. However, more serious than filling up one’s shelves with junk is the specter o f censorship, either indi­ rect or direct. Most donors will not have the same com­ mitment to academic freedom and to balanced collections as librarians, and some donors may attempt to put their stamp on a library’s col­ lection, much as a prospective donor may seek to endow a chair with an ideological bent. A donor may offer a library a slew of books from a narrow perspective; or worse, one may offer a library a check on the condition that certain texts be removed from its col­ lection. It is difficult for librarians to refuse a large check, but it is dangerous for them to cede their professional judgment to others when it comes to developing their collections. Donors The library must be the heart (as in the center or core of intellect) of the campus, but it also must be the heart as in the conscience. can provide needed cash and materials to supplement collections, but librarians must ensure that they themselves determine the con­ tents of their collections in accordance with the mission of their institutions. Ethical arguments aside, library develop­ ment is problematic on utilitarian grounds. In the short term, the academic library that mounts an aggressive development campaign shoulders partial responsibility for providing its own resources. This responsibility should lie with the parent institution, the college or university, as long as the academic library ful­ fills the mission o f its parent. Fundraising may also erode long-term pa­ rental support. If an academic library raises a significant sum o f money, the college or university may cut funding. Noteworthy success at development may prove its un­ doing. Library development was not conceived as an end in itself—the ultimate objective was to secure materials for patrons. Nevertheless, un­ less kept in check, the process may overwhelm the ultimate objective. The pecuniary interest o f the library must never trump other inter­ ests. Development should complement other li­ brary operations and be in harmony with the ethics of librarianship. Therefore, it behooves librarians to examine fundraising critically, es­ pecially its ethical implications. Such study need not eviscerate library development, but ensure that it be ethical and valuable in the present and the future. The metaphor of the library as the heart of the institution can supply an instructive, two­ fold meaning to this investigation. The library must be the heart (as in the center or core of intellect) of the campus, but it also must be the heart as in the conscience. Although we librarians may witness the leas­ ing of the ivory tower, we can attempt to keep our venerable workplaces beacons o f democ­ racy. In short, money talks, but we need not amplify the sound. ■