AARL

The State Library of Victoria Foundation: a perspective

Janice Van De Velde

Abstract The State Library of Victoria's $200 million building redevelopment project marks a major turning point in the library's history. As the largest project of its type in Australia, the building redevelopment has provided enormous and complex challenges in terms of creating a contemporary library within the confines of heritage buildings, whilst simultaneously opening up many new opportunities. These opportunities have enabled the library to implement innovative services, re-establish its position as one of Melbourne's most used and recognised cultural landmarks and have provided the catalyst for the formation of the State Library of Victoria Foundation as a core business activity.

The State Library of Victoria: historical overview

The history of the State Library of Victoria can be viewed from many perspectives but is, overall, one of evolution and expansion. Founded as the Melbourne Public Library in 1854, the library opened to the public in 1856 with a collection of 3846 volumes, all of which had been carefully chosen for their pragmatic or educational value. Today the library's collection contains more than two million books and serials as well as thousands of historical pictures, manuscripts, maps and other materials. The library building has undergone a similar process of expansion and now comprises seventeen different buildings on six levels spread across a two-hectare site. The end result is a visually distinctive Melbourne landmark that juxtaposes heritage with modern architecture: the most spectacular and recognisable feature being the Dome Reading Room - a spatially magnificent room which was completed in 1913 to celebrate the library's jubilee and recently refurbished (2003).

Statutory obligations, changing trends in popular culture and new technologies have also influenced the development and evolution of the library's services and collections. The 1869 Copyright Protection Act, for example, ensured that material such as newspapers and popular fiction, which the library's founders refused to collect on the basis of its 'inconsequential' nature would evolve into significant strengths within the state collections. The library's newspaper collection is in fact one of the largest in Australia. Changes in popular culture, particularly the emerging nationalism of the post-war years, have also had an important impact on the library since they encouraged interest in the library's heritage collections. This interest would, in turn, culminate in the formation of a specific Australiana collection, support group (1951) and building (1966). Changing communications and information technologies have undoubtedly had the most rapid and pervasive influence, expanding access to services and collections beyond the physical walls of the library building.

Antecedents of the State Library of Victoria Foundation[1]

Despite the State Library of Victoria's evident ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, increasing levels of patronage, and its 'public good' status, throughout most of its history the library has struggled to achieve adequate political and fiscal support. While this problem is hardly exclusive to this institution, for the State Library of Victoria it is one that has been characterised by progressive deterioration during the twentieth century. In response to this situation library support groups emerged in the early 1950s. The first of these groups, the Public Library Society of Victoria (PLSV) was formed in 1951. A rather eclectic group, its focus was to secure major works and donations and promote the library's interests to the broader community.[2] The activities of the society would provide an enduring legacy for both the library and subsequent support groups. Following the formation of the La Trobe Library as a separate collection of Australian material, the Friends of the La Trobe Library (FLTL) would replace the PLSV in 1966. The friends displayed distinctive scholarly interests and a passion for the library's heritage collections, which soon found expression in the La Trobe Library Journal. First appearing under the editorship of Dr Geoffrey Searle in 1968, since that time the Journal has continued to publish and promote the library's unique collections. Like the society, in addition to its promotional work the friends encouraged many substantial donations to the library and raised significant funds for the library's collections and services. One of its achievements was to secure funds from the Sidney Myer, Ian Potter and Sunshine Foundations to employ a manuscript field officer. Nominally a temporary position, the success of the first incumbent, Patsy Adam-Smith, resulted in the position being upgraded to permanent status; in later years the position was extended to cover the whole library and renamed field historian.

Encouraged by state librarian, Warren Horton, the friends broadened its outlook to promote and source funds for the library as a whole rather than the specialist area of heritage collections. This more inclusive approach was reflected in a new name - Friends of the State Library of Victoria (FSLV) - and an immediate involvement in whole-of-library issues, particularly the building, collection storage and conservation, and staffing levels. The friends emergence coincided with a downward funding cycle across the Victorian library system in general. This led to intensive public political campaigns protesting conditions in the state library as well as the Victorian public library network. Responding to these protests the state government implemented a series of lengthy funding and operational reviews into the Victorian library system. The first of these reviews was undertaken in 1984 and looked at public library funding, although the recommendations were shelved until 1986. A separate study, The State Library Development Study, was commissioned in 1987. This recommended inter alia redevelopment of the State Library of Victoria buildings; redirection of funds from the public library sector back to the State Library of Victoria; and separating the governance of the public libraries and the State Library of Victoria, to reduce any potential conflict of interest. It would be another year before the government made the decision to redevelop the State Library of Victoria building, but by this time a new lobby group known as the State Library Development Council (SLDC) would emerge. Although membership of the council would overlap to some extent with the friends, and the friends did have official representation on the SLDC, this new group was essentially aimed at representation of the interests of the professional and institutional sectors. In the words of the State Library Development Council it was constituted as:

A separate lobby group which will concentrate on the concerns of academic, other institutional and independent users of the State Library of Victoria...[since] these users' interests [are] different from those of other distinct user groups such as students, genealogists and the general public.[3]

Being the focus of such attention was not particularly welcomed by the library's executive let alone the state government. However, it was the view of both the friends and the council that:

as supporters and users of the library, [they] should have access to those who make policy decisions for the library... [and should be involved in] the consultative process when policy changes impinge on users.[4]

The four major goals of the State Library Development Council were:

• to promote the development of the collection as a national resource, and its proper conservation, accessibility, promotion and understanding
• to promote the State Library of Victoria as a major cultural centre
• to secure funding for and promote the management of the library on a basis which will place maximum importance on the collection and its users, encourage commitment, specialisation and professional development in staff, and provide for the most effective interaction with the public, and
• to bring about a development of the site of the highest quality, with proper provision for the development of the library in the foreseeable future, and for the optimum conservation of the major historic elements identified by the National Trust.

In 1988 the state government finally approved plans to relocate the Museum and redevelop the entire site for use by the library. The decision was welcomed at all levels in the community and inspired the formation of a new and intensive capital fund raising appeal under the direction of a prominent group of individuals drawn largely from the Friends of the State Library of Victoria. The appropriately titled Renaissance Appeal was a campaign specifically designed to support projects relating to the library building redevelopment. The Appeal, which operated alongside the fundraising activities of the friends, targeted the corporate sector and provided impetus for the future development of the foundation as a distinct fund raising arm within the library.

Work on the library site, which commenced in 1990, did not lead to any immediate improvements in operational funding. In fact, this would not occur until 1996. Although special funding was allocated in the 1991-92 budget the government earmarked this for the book vote, conservation and bar-coding not operational costs per se. As a consequence the library was forced to reduce services in 1992, introducing so-called summer hours between November and February: this included early evening and Sunday closures. The immediate impact of these reductions once again met with public campaigns, criticism of both the Library Council and the state government, and the emergence of another lobby group, known as the State Library Users Group (SLUG). The State Library Users Group identified with 'serious researchers' as distinct from the institutional membership of the council and individual membership of the friends, but once again membership between the groups did overlap. In terms of size, each would remain numerically small: membership of the friends peaked at 450 and then stabilised in the early 1990s. The friends would eventually amalgamate with the State Library of Victoria Foundation in 1997. The State Library Development Council and the State Library Users Group have continued to remain active and approach library 'management, the Council or the Ministry as appropriate, on matters of concern such as access, hours, equipment, facilities and policies'.[5]

Structure and Role of the State Library of Victoria Foundation

The State Library Development Study Steering Committee made a number of explicit recommendations in relation to the formation and functions of a foundation for the library. Noting the experience of the Victorian Arts Centre, the Steering Committee argued that a library foundation could expect to be particularly well supported when the building program commenced. Accordingly the Steering Committee suggested that the state government provide $250 000 seed funding to establish a foundation followed by subsequent support on a dollar for dollar basis.[6]

Another seven years would pass, however, before the State Library of Victoria Foundation was established in 1994. The friends must have felt at least a little challenged by the development of this new body and its specific role to secure ongoing contributions from the corporate and private sectors to augment government funding. Certainly the proliferation of support groups did not benefit the library as it led to public confusion. While awareness of this problem plus the perceived benefits of amalgamation (especially in terms of administrative and financial activities) did see the executive committee of the FSLV advocate a merger with the foundation, there was a considerable time lag between advocacy and actual amalgamation. Upon amalgamation in late 1997 the Friends Executive became a sub-committee of the foundation. It also continued to run two operational groups (Editorial and Publications, Lectures and Functions).

The foundation was established as a trust with the Library Board of Victoria acting as trustee, the latter being subject to the usual legal obligations and responsibilities. It operates through an executive - supported by various sub-committees, which apart from the La Trobe Journal Committee have either a specific revenue or relationship focus. Like many other cultural institutions, the State Library of Victoria has found that a foundation, operating as a formal business arm of the library rather than a voluntary group, provides the most effective means to raise funds from the non-government sector, and promote the library's profile. The State Library of Victoria Foundation's principal objectives are to:

• assist the library to maintain, preserve, develop and make available a collection of library material including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Victoria and the people of Victoria
• assist the library to obtain, develop, improve, and maintain its collection of literary and historical artifacts and materials
• assist the library to engage in other activities related to the above including the conduct of research, the publication of materials from the library's collections and the exhibition and display of materials from the library's collections, and
• attract and retain for the State Library of Victoria the continuing interest and financial support of the community at large.

Risks and achievements

Obviously the biggest challenge facing the foundation arises from the competitive professional fund raising environment and the long lead time required to develop and nurture potential sponsors. These are challenges faced by foundations worldwide and must be factored in to the way in which the foundation operates. Library foundations in the United States, for example, estimate that 'an institution needs to have a strength of relationship amounting to a monthly contact for five years in order to be in a position to ask for a million dollar gift'.[7]

Significantly, many of the activities envisaged for the foundation by the State Development Study in 1987 (such as sponsoring of major lectures and the provision of facilities named for corporate donors) have been brought to fruition. The foundation is on the verge of celebrating ten years, and this provides a timely opportunity to summarise some of its major fundraising achievements and initiatives which include memberships; capital campaigns; major events; and naming rights for new spaces.

Memberships

The foundation has managed to steadily build its membership base, and currently numbers some 700 members. Membership is available in a number of categories ranging from a base member grade followed by bronze, silver and gold membership. A trend analysis of the foundation's membership undertaken over 1998-2000 revealed that while there have been increases in the base membership grade, non-renewal affects all levels but the very highest membership level. As an indicative trend, non-renewal of membership subscriptions is not limited to the library foundation; support groups of other cultural organisations have similar problems. However, as membership does generate a significant level of revenue for the foundation as well as providing the less tangible, but equally important benefits of networking opportunities, a decline of any kind is cause for concern. A range of loyalty program strategies to maintain membership levels have recently been implemented with very positive results.

Over the last few years, refurbishment of the Domed Reading Room has provided a major opportunity for longer term capital fund raising. Although a spatially magnificent room, the Dome did have some functional flaws, most notably water leakage from the concrete skylight frames, which eventually required complete encasement of the Dome in 1959 with copper sheeting. The copper sheeting certainly solved the leakage problem but also destroyed the original character of the room: instead of soft light emanating from some 480 skylights the Dome now looked like a 'candle lit tomb' - according to one newspaper report in 1961.[8] Reinstating the skylights to restore the original and spectacular light source to this enormous room has been a key feature of the library's building redevelopment program, and a major fund raising focus for the State Library of Victoria Foundation. The restoration process, which has taken four years to complete, has included transformation of the annulus into a series of public galleries to display collection items, as well as refurbishment of the original furniture and fittings. The fully restored Dome was reopened to the public in July 2003 and now houses the Australiana open access collection: it has been renamed the La Trobe Reading Room, in honour of one of the library's founding fathers. The foundation has managed extensive awareness and fund raising campaigns to raise funds for the refurbished Dome, refurbishment of the original furniture, and reinstatement of the glass panels.

Naming rights sponsorship

The opportunity to pursue Naming Rights Sponsorships emerged in the late 1990s as the library redevelopment reached a stage where new and refurbished spaces were being completed. The Village Roadshow group became the first major corporate sponsor to secure naming rights, in this case to the Village Roadshow Theatrette, which was completed in 1995. The foundation has been able to attract continuing interest in sponsorship naming rights from a range of national corporations, philanthropic trusts and private individuals or families. Further examples include the Trescowthick Information Centre (1997), the Herald and Weekly Times Newspaper Reading Room (1998), the Keith Murdoch Gallery (2001), the Helen Macpherson Smith Genealogy Centre (2003), the Agnes Robertson Music Room (2003) and the Cowen Gallery (2003). As naming rights are normally secured for a set period it is important for the foundation to maintain and extend its relationships with corporate and philanthropic sponsors. The foundation seeks to maintain an ongoing engagement with sponsors, for example through invitations to exhibition launches, functions and the use of the library's facilities and spaces and the like.

Major events

Fundraising and relationship building through major events consumes a great deal of time and labour but provide enormous returns to the foundation in terms of promoting the library's profile, supporting existing relationships and generating new network opportunities. Whilst many of these events involve the library's Public Programs Division, foundation volunteers have provided exceptional support to ensure the success of events such as the Queenscliffe Carnival of Words, and various dinners held in the Domed Reading Room.

Bequests

The foundation has an active bequest program and provides information sessions on estate planning and wills to its members and friends. The library was recently the recipient of the largest cash bequest in its history, more than $1 million, which highlights the crucial role of bequests in the future.

Conclusion

Despite the increasing competition for the corporate and philanthropic dollar and the very real decline in interest from the corporate sector for naming rights, the foundation has enjoyed growing success each year. This positive performance is due to the foundation's professional management and strategic focus, the dedication of its executive and other committee members, and its excellent relationship with existing and potential sponsors and donors. The foundation's Capital Fund has grown six fold since it was established three years ago and it is currently delivering record levels of funding to the library to support acquisitions, exhibitions, conservation, public programs, school services and other programs. The foundation is very well positioned to continue to deliver vital support for the library, which celebrates its 150th year in 2004.[9]

Notes

1. Thanks to Mr Andrew Lemon for his comments relating to the history of the library's support groups
2. Major donations, for example, included the J K Moir collection of books, pamphlets and manuscripts relating to Australian popular literature
3. Newsletter Friends of the State Library of Victoria Inc October 1991
4. Newsletter Friends of the State Library of Victoria Inc April 1991
5. Newsletter Friends of the State Library of Victoria Inc No 12 May 1992
6. State Library of Victoria Development Study State Library of Victoria Steering Committee Melbourne 1987 p4
7. Journal of Academic Librarianship January 1998, p2
8. Truth 18 November 1961
9. For further details on the State Library of Victoria Foundation please contact Jack Moshakis executive director State Library of Victoria Foundation telephone: 03 8664 7017 or e-mail jmoshakis@slv.vic.gov.au.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address).

Janice Van de Velde, senior policy and research officer, State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne Vic 3000. E-mail: jvandevelde@slv.vic.gov.au.nospam (please remove '.nospam' from address).