We Need YOU!
By Tom Wilding
This issue of UTA
Library Notes focuses on the role of donors and fundraising in the
life of the UTA Libraries. Research libraries typically depend on
funding and support beyond the boundaries of their own campuses to
develop the depth and richness of information resources that enable
scholarly research. These information resources include rare and older
books and other texts, usually out-of-print, archival collections,
manuscripts, maps, photographs, and many other types of materials.
For many
years the UTA Libraries have been the recipient of both financial
support and donations of materials that have enabled the world class
collections it now holds in many important areas. Over the last five
years, the Libraries have developed a fundraising program with the goal
of strengthening of financial support and the development of
relationships with new donors or potential donors, as well as continued
relationships with longer term donors.
The
University’s telefund staff annually includes a period in their
schedule for the Libraries, and over the last three years over $30,000
has been raised through these campaigns. Constituent groups contacted by
the telefund staff include the Friends of the Libraries and the
Dallas/Fort Worth architecture community. This year recent graduates of
UTA were asked to support the Minority Cultures Collection. Each of
these campaigns have successfully reached new donors.
The
Libraries’ Adopt-A-Journal program continues to grow, with a steady
group of people willing to support specific journal subscriptions as
well as general level support of journals. The Adopt-A-Journal program
is an outgrowth of the Friends of the Libraries, but now includes a
number of participants who are not “Friends.” The Friends themselves
have undertaken a number of renewal programs asking for Friends to
“step up” to a higher level of membership. Many Friends have done
so.
With the
donation of the Virginia Garrett Cartographic Collection, the Libraries
undertook its first endowment campaign to raise $700,000, the income of
which will provide continuing support to the collection for
acquisitions, preservation, and outreach. Over $265,000 has been pledged
so far. The endowment campaign has allowed the Libraries to offer
planned giving as well as outright gift and matching gift opportunities.
Foundations
continue to support the Libraries. The Sid Richardson Foundation of Fort
Worth has generously provided funds for numerous Special Collections’
acquisitions and has agreed to support the Garrett Endowment campaign.
The Summerlee Foundation of Dallas is currently funding a $15,000
preservation project for maps and atlases. In addition, the Houston
Endowment is supporting Cartographic Connections, a program to develop a
curriculum and web-based access to important cartographic materials to
support the teaching of Texas history in the state’s public schools.
Other
giving opportunities, such as a memorial or celebration program or gifts
of collections or individual books and other materials, of course, are
important parts of the Libraries overall development program. Many of
the programs are included in this issue. I hope you will take some time
to review these programs and consider becoming one of the Libraries’
important donors. The changing nature of library services, with the
addition of the many digitally based services, and the increasing costs
attached to information products, has certainly made it difficult for
libraries to sustain their excellence. Like the Uncle Sam posters of the
1940s and 1950s, we need YOU!
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