11/05/1997LIBRARY DONOR RECOGNITION COMMITTEE
CITY OF CLEARWATER
November 5, 1997
Present: Glenn Garte Library Advisory Board
Howard Adler Library Advisory Board
Tony Bacon Library Advisory Board/Library Foundation
Judy Melges Library Advisory Board
Julie Lewis Library Foundation
Carolyn Moore Library Division Manager
Absent: Judith Moroff Library Foundation
Mercy Walker-Dickinson Library Foundation
Dr. Arlita Hallam Library Director
Chair Garte called the meeting to order at 11:35 a.m., and briefly summarized the previous meeting.
The October 14, 1997 minutes were approved as submitted to the committee members.
III Research Reports.
A) Julie Lewis, Executive Director of the Library Foundation reported on her telephone consultation with The Executive Director of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Based
on that discussion, Ms. Lewis has suggested a policy for the Library Foundation: (1) The donation of a specific monetary amount will qualify a donor to receive the privilege of naming
a large room or area; (2) In addition to the financial requirement, the donor should have demonstrated long term support of the Clearwater Library.
Ms. Lewis further reported that at such time as the City selects a site
and identifies a time frame for the construction of a new Main Library, the Foundation would hire a consultant to conduct an initial study to identify potential donors. This survey
will identify issues of importance to individuals or groups who may be considering large donations to a capital campaign for the library. There was discussion among the members concerning
the potential site of the new Main Library and the possible outcome of the recommendation from the Site Selection Task Force.
In her report, Ms. Lewis commented that the Library Director could determine the appropriate donation to support a given area or room of the library. The determination would be based
on the amount of money required to construct and/or maintain the room. Any policy needs to be flexible and general enough to allow for individual cases to be handled judiciously.
Howard Adler reported on the policies of the Columbia University Library and the Marriott Library, University of Utah, which were contained in GIFTS AND EXCHANGE MANUAL, a book recommended
by an American Library Association representative.
He commented that the policies of the Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Spartanburg public libraries were more useful to the committee.
V. Discussion ensued concerning policy and procedure examples from other public libraries as introduced by Mr. Adler.
VI. Mr. Bacon emphasized the importance of encouraging donations by allowing the naming of large areas as the donor requests. Ms. Melges expressed concern about the possibility of
donor recognition taking the form of large and unsightly commercial signs that do not complement the building and are not consistent with the Library’s mission. Ms. Moore distributed
and discussed a possible policy outline including the specification of the naming authority, as well as procedures, provisions, and prohibitions relative to naming issues that could
be included.
Consensus was reached that the policy would include provisions for
naming large areas or rooms consistent with requests of donors who have made large donations sufficient to support the construction of the area or room. The signs specifying the names
requested should be consistent and reflect the interior design of the building
Mr. Adler moved and there was a second to recommend the promulgation and acceptance of standards setting forth donor recognition to be awarded for various levels of monetary contributions.
The motion carried. Discussion ensued on the subject of at least two levels of donations: (1) those which would be large enough to fund a designated room or area and (2) those which
would collectively or individually fund other components of the library building and its contents.
Ms. Moore will draft a policy based on the conclusions of the two meetings to date and submit to each member for review. The need and timing for another meeting of the ad hoc committee
will be determined subsequent to review of the draft.
The meeting adjourned at 12:40 p.m.