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Annual
Report (2004-2005)
| Membership |
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The fiscal year 2005 was a significant year for Friends of American University Library. Over 1,321 individuals renewed or initiated new Friends memberships, the second highest showing in Friends’ six year history. In total Friends raised $139,946 towards endowed funds and the Friends general gift fund.
Additionally, under the guidance of a new chair, Thomas E. Carroll, the Steering Committee helped prepare the library for the upcoming launch of its Capital Campaign. Friends provided guidance during the formation of the library’s Capital Campaign Strategic Plan; and helped the University Librarian plan and host Symposium 2010, a gathering of library experts discussing the future of the mid-size university library. The outcome of Symposium 2010 is influencing the library strategic plan and shaping the case for fundraising during the capital campaign. |
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| Outreach |
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Friends focused this year on outreach towards community members, including neighbors, alumni, students, parents, and faculty and staff. One major initiative included strengthening the library’s relationship with the Institute of Learning in Retirement (ILR). Friends hosted several meetings with the administrators of the Institute in Learning in Retirement. As a direct result of those meetings library personnel presented at two ILR open houses and hosted three instruction sessions.
Friends focused on sustained communication with Faculty Emeriti, sending newsletters and invitations to events and distributing a letter making them aware of the library as an option for donating materials that would augment the collection.
Additionally, Friends hosted and co-hosted 12 events including a spring 2004 tour of the Library of Congress. This tour attracted a wide variety of attendees and was hosted by Steering Committee member, alumna, and Library of Congress docent, Amy Schapiro. Appendix J lists the complete FY 2005 event schedule. |
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| Fundraising |
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Friends gave generously this year contributing $139,946 to help build the library’s collection. Special fundraising efforts focused on the Eagle Digitization Fund. Former student staff members of the Eagle contributed almost $6,000 bringing the fund’s two-year total to $11,000. Contributions to this fund are used to digitize the student newspaper starting with the 1960’s and 1970’s. As a result of Friends’ support digitization is underway and soon the first digitized archives will be available on the Internet. In addition to contributions from Friends, a grant proposal was submitted in support of this project.
The efforts of Friends enabled the library to make $273,182 in additional materials purchases in FY2005. These print and electronic resources were purchased from gift funds contributed to the library in years prior to FY2005. |
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| Meetings and Administration |
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A new committee, the “Goals Correlation Committee” was formed to support the library’s long-term goals. The Programs & Publicity Committee planned and hosted many events and is currently focusing on a special fall program for students. The Membership and Development Committee focused on relationship-building with the Institute for Learning in Retirement and, working with library staff, laid the ground for a new brochure featuring Special Collections. |
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