‘Grantsmanship is not a knowledge or a skill typically found in libraries or in library science courses’, writes Bess G. De Farber (p. 76). However, libraries operate with seemingly perennial tight budgets, whilst ongoing societal change is prompting new library and patron needs. Consequently, grant-seeking activity is increasingly viewed as a mechanism to fulfil wish lists, and collaborative grant-seeking is positioned as the optimal approach. De Farber has produced a step-by-step guide to preparing collaborative grant applications to fill the gap in the literature and the profession. She explains:
The competition for grant resources has increased dramatically ... applicants increasingly opt to boost their chances by inviting others to play in their collective project sandbox. The synergy of working together can often yield results that go far beyond what an individual effort can produce. (p. 11)
Chapter 1 The Pursuit of Grant Funds (here a history of funding – governmental and philanthropic – of libraries in the United States of America is provided, and the particular style of writing required in grant applications is identified)
Chapter 2 Collaborative Concepts and Practical Approaches
Chapter 3 Creating a Library Grant-Seeking Program
Chapter 4 Searching for External Grant Opportunities
Chapter 5 Ways to Grow a Culture of Grantsmanship
Chapter 6 Strategies for Completing Application Components
Chapter 7 Grant Writing Tips and Potential Errors to Avoid.
De Ferber observes that collaboration occurs within organisations when preparing applications, as well as between organisations and their external partners. She encourages organisation-wide involvement in grant-seeking, and her suggestions include that staff outside the project team members form a feasibility review group. De Ferber notes the value of grant-seeking in increasing staff thoughts on project relevance, conduct and outcomes, and the importance of communicating unsuccessful as well as successful attempts, for learning. She identifies deterrents to grant-seeking, and acknowledges the pressure in pursuit.
Collaborative Grant-Seeking is number 24 in the series Practical Guides for Librarians. The book is very practical indeed, as demonstrated by the Example Agenda for First Project Partners Meeting (p. 19), with suggested time allocation per agenda item. The information is pitched at the collaborative grant-seeking novice, although experienced grant-seekers may find new insights. Furthermore, the nature of the content means readership might extend beyond libraries to other GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) institutions and not-for-profit organisations.
The book’s title indicates a limiting of scope to seeking grants; thus readers will require broader texts to gain a complete picture of grant funding. Potential complementary resources identified by this reviewer include: Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Stacey L. Bowers, Christopher Hudson, Joanne Patrick and Claire Williamson’s Librarian’s Handbook for Seeking, Writing and Managing Grants (Libraries Unlimited, 2011), The ALA Book of Library Grant Money (American Library Association, 2014), and Gail M. Staines’ Go Get That Grant! A Practical Guide for Libraries and Nonprofit Organisations (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). Other texts will also be required by readers outside the United States, to learn of local conditions and opportunities.
The book is a little awkward in size (212 mm × 280 mm) for keeping close at hand – I would have preferred smaller dimensions and subsequently more than the 147 pages. However, it is incredibly easy to use: Each chapter begins with a bulleted list of upcoming content, and ends with a summary of key points, followed by a list of the references cited. Real-life examples support De Farber’s advice, such as that of the successful application in 2012 for the project ‘A Performing Arts Approach to Collection Development’, which explored ‘the use of live dramatic performances – depicting stories of immigrant journeys held within the Price Library collections [University of Florida] and the resulting impacts on audiences’ (p. 55).
There are tables in just over half of the chapters (for a total of 11 tables). Examples include Table 3.4, Example Learning Outcomes Resulting from Preparing Mini-Grant Proposals (p. 43) and Table 6.4, Excerpt from an Evaluation Plan Using a Logic Model Format (p. 116). The tables are clear and helpful, and I would have liked to have seen even more. Other positive features of the book are that the gutter margin is generous, the font aids skimming, and there is an index (pp. 141–145). De Farber’s qualifications include a Master of Non-Profit Management from Florida Atlantic University, and her research interest is asset-based collaboration development.
Overall, Collaborative Grant-seeking: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a timely, straightforward publication, worth acquiring to establish and enhance organisational fund-raising knowledge and efforts.
Curtin University
[email protected]
© 2016 Leith T. K. Robinson
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2016.1262732