Becoming a Fundraiser: The Principles and Practice of Library Development, and: Legacies for Libraries: A Practical Guide to Planned Giving (review)

Becoming a Fundraiser: The Principles and Practice of Library Development, 2^nd ed., Victoria Steele and Stephen D. Elder. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. 138 p. $38 (ISBN 0-8389-0783-0)

Legacies for Libraries: A Practical Guide to Planned Giving, Amy Sherman Smith and Matthew D. Lehrer. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. 138 p. $35 (ISBN 0-8389-0784-9)

A library director's role has changed considerably over the last 25 years. In the 1970s, raising money was not anything a library director needed to be concerned about. Budgets were good, information technology was starting to change the world (in the form of OCLC and then the personal computer), and the need for good management skills was paramount. Today, the library director, particularly in a private institution, could well be spending up to 75 percent of his/her time in activities relating to fundraising. The profession as a whole, however, has not been noted for its strengths in lobbying and external relations. Consequently, librarians are generally ill prepared, both by personality and training, to take up this role.

Hence the absolute importance of these two books. They should be considered required reading for all new academic library directors, and probably for those who have been in their jobs for some time. When the first edition of Steele and Elder's work appeared in 1992, it was quickly acknowledged as the definitive reference work for library fundraising, an essential working tool for all involved in raising money for libraries, and especially helpful for newcomers to this role. This second edition has been revised to reflect the emergence of the Web as standard technology and a tool with significant potential for fundraising. The suggested reading list has also been tweaked. However, the substance remains almost identical with that of the first edition. It holds up well as a succinct, thoughtful, and extremely helpful tool for all areas of library development.

Steele and Elder, who bring a wealth of academic fundraising experience, outline the principles and tenets underlying their approach to fundraising. They address the differences between raising money for libraries and raising money for other types of organizations, discuss librarians' attitudes and fears about raising money, and openly confront personal barriers to success. Not only are successful strategies for achieving the library's goals outlined, but assistance is also given in assessing and improving the reader's personal style and fund-raising capabilities. For the first-time library director, who needs to get up to speed quickly on development terminology (what is the difference between a "suspect" and a "prospect"?) or who needs to produce a case statement for inclusion in a capital campaign, this is the place to go. The book is extremely readable, very well organized, and uses a number of extremely helpful mnemonic phrases (who could ever forget MAGIC? Means Age Giver Involvement Contacts). For those who bought a copy of this work in 1992, take it off the shelf and read it again. You will find renewed inspiration and some instant pointers toward reexamining or retooling your current fundraising activities. The acknowledged leitmotif of the book is that it is written for "library directors who are also leaders." Fundraising cannot be delegated. It requires the leadership, vision, and inspiration of the library director throughout all levels of the program.

The second book focuses on one particular aspect of a development program, planned giving, the process of soliciting and receiving bequests and other major donor gifts. This is an area which often causes some unease for many librarians, since it does require a more detailed knowledge of tax law and estate planning than most of us have. Because of these barriers, a planned giving program beyond the standard check-off box in development...