ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

NCSU entrepreneurs aim high

Jinnie Y. Davis is assistant director for planning and research, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh; e-mail: jinnie_davis@ncsu.edu

Recent budget cuts at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries focused a great deal of attention on the need for sup- port of collections purchases. Generating less publicity were behind-the-scenes needs such as the NCSU Libraries’ inadequate funding for preservation efforts and for staff development activities. Three library staff members—Nancy Gibbs (chair of the Preservation Committee), Carmen Wijeyasingha (vice-president of the library’s staff association), and Annis Barbee (staff association president)—seized the ini- tiative to carry out a fundraising scheme for these two projects.

The three entrepreneurs gained the support of the library administration to create and sell library souvenirs, with the proceeds going to the Preservation Fund and the Staff Develop- ment Fund, which were attempting to reach endowment level. In fall 1993, with support from the Friends of the Library, they received seed money which they agreed to repay through sales profits. Within two months they had produced five lines of sale items: t-shirts in three different colors, a mug, and a canvas bag, all based on the libraries’ colorful logo.

Annis Barbee, Nancy Gibbs, and Carmen Wijeyasingha wear the t-shirts they developed.

By timing their sales during the pre-Christ- mas season and at the Friends of the Library’s annual book sale, the staff members quickly exceeded their sales expectations. Based on continued demand for current and new prod- ucts, they will diversify their product line with the addition of sweatshirts, a cardboard sun- shade, and another t-shirt.

Gibbs and Wijeyasingha attribute their suc- cess to using a very attractive logo on quality merchandise. They also explain: “We advertised in a variety of ways, kept our stock sup- plies small, and had tremendous response from the library community. We hope to con- tinue this trend in the future with additional items, and we hope to exceed our fundraising goals.” With marketing savvy, they bolstered sales efforts by promotional tactics such as running photographs and order forms in the library newsletter, setting up a display of their wares in a library exhibit case, and obtaining permission from the university to set up a kiosk on the campus Brickyard, as well as in the branch libraries, in the spring.

The two funds benefiting from these sales are certainly worthy of the effort. According to Gibbs, “Existing funds for preservation are limited and, with this effort, we are able to broaden our efforts to educate staff and users, as well as to purchase specialized equipment to repair and preserve the library’s print and electronic collections.” Wijeyasingha and Barbee believe the portion of the proceeds going to the Staff Development Fund will help to enhance educational and training opportunities for library staff: “Libraries are moving toward more and better electronic access to collections all over the world. These funds will directly assist the staff to obtain additional training to keep abreast of changing technologies."

Now that the project has been launched, the entrepreneurs will limit their time to the development of new products. Sales will be handled through the Friends of the Library Office, D. H. Hill Library, Room 1137, North Carolina State University, Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111; phone: (919) 515-2841.