SPEC Kit 339: Innovation and R&D · 39
Separate dedicated operating budget that was established for the consulting service after a formal proposal was
submitted to the deans of the schools that fund the library. Plus a service center established for fee-based archiving
services.
Soft funding (federal and foundation sources) Targeted development funding (small and major gifts)
Student technology fees
The library has received monies from university alumni who now work at IBM, and IBM matches their gift to the
university. University designated this ongoing gift to the University Library, and has funded computing needs over
several years.
The product was sold to several other institutions.
There are some projects that we use donor money or student fees, for example 3D printing.
There is a fund for strategic investments for which we could apply for funding.
This specific innovation is also partially funded by the faculty members’ research funds.
Travel funds, equipment funds, departmental budget requests, special requests
Unrestricted gift funds targeted for this project
We consider lapsing salary savings dollars, which in our institution are fungible and spendable as a supplement to our
routine recurring operating budget, as a critical source of seed money for innovation, especially in cases where there
are potentially large one-time capital or non-capital costs. We have library endowments that are unrestricted in purpose
that can also underwrite innovations although these endowments are not earmarked for innovation alone.
12. If your parent institution provides financial support for library innovation, what is the process for
securing funding? N=27
Included in library annual/periodic budget request 19 70%
Special request by the library director to an institutional administrator 15 56%
Competitive process at the institutional level, e.g., submit a grant proposal 12 44%
Other process, please briefly describe 4 15%
Assorted opportunities for innovation funds from the university. Vice President and Chief Information Officer and Dean
of Libraries also agreed to commit resources from their existing budgets.
Campus Library/IT Fee allocation focused on supporting students.
In some cases, shared funding for new services, such as procurement and implementation of a discovery layer (Ex Libris
Primo) were jointly submitted to administration for special funding.
University funds earmarked for classroom or technology upgrades, campus teaching grants.
Separate dedicated operating budget that was established for the consulting service after a formal proposal was
submitted to the deans of the schools that fund the library. Plus a service center established for fee-based archiving
services.
Soft funding (federal and foundation sources) Targeted development funding (small and major gifts)
Student technology fees
The library has received monies from university alumni who now work at IBM, and IBM matches their gift to the
university. University designated this ongoing gift to the University Library, and has funded computing needs over
several years.
The product was sold to several other institutions.
There are some projects that we use donor money or student fees, for example 3D printing.
There is a fund for strategic investments for which we could apply for funding.
This specific innovation is also partially funded by the faculty members’ research funds.
Travel funds, equipment funds, departmental budget requests, special requests
Unrestricted gift funds targeted for this project
We consider lapsing salary savings dollars, which in our institution are fungible and spendable as a supplement to our
routine recurring operating budget, as a critical source of seed money for innovation, especially in cases where there
are potentially large one-time capital or non-capital costs. We have library endowments that are unrestricted in purpose
that can also underwrite innovations although these endowments are not earmarked for innovation alone.
12. If your parent institution provides financial support for library innovation, what is the process for
securing funding? N=27
Included in library annual/periodic budget request 19 70%
Special request by the library director to an institutional administrator 15 56%
Competitive process at the institutional level, e.g., submit a grant proposal 12 44%
Other process, please briefly describe 4 15%
Assorted opportunities for innovation funds from the university. Vice President and Chief Information Officer and Dean
of Libraries also agreed to commit resources from their existing budgets.
Campus Library/IT Fee allocation focused on supporting students.
In some cases, shared funding for new services, such as procurement and implementation of a discovery layer (Ex Libris
Primo) were jointly submitted to administration for special funding.
University funds earmarked for classroom or technology upgrades, campus teaching grants.
