Why should not academic libraries generate their own funding? How might they do so if necessary? If fees are charged for "extraordinary" services, what services might be "extraordinary"?
Accreditation standards may look at the academy as a whole or at a particular discipline or profession. How important is it for an institution to meet these standards?
ACRL standards represent a form of moral suasion since there are no real penalties for non-compliance. What difference might these standards make for the academic library?
How important is it for the academic librarian to be fully aware of current general and subject specific standards?
What problems might the academic library face in attempting to secure its fair share of campus funding?
If the academy focuses more on research, especially externally funded, than on research, is that not good news for the academic library? Does not research involve greater use of library collections and services than instruction?
One of the problems faced by the academic library is that the increased spending on information technology does not necessarily include a focus on information content? How might we better link these two?
Some consider the library to be a place, rather than a gateway, housing outmoded print media. This notion may translate into less funding. What might be done to change this perception?
Without "new" money, it is difficult to support the additional costs of IT without reduction in other services. How likely is it that we can get new money? What do we do without it?
Gifts and giving represents the major avenue open to the library needing to raise external funds. How might the library insure that it is a full participant in any campus fund raising campaign?
Endowments can be problematic. What are the major liabilities associated with endowments to supplement internal library funding?
Why is it important to have a friends of the library group?
Is it appropriate for an academic library to offer fee-based services for the external community with the intent to make a profit rather than recapture costs?
Most fees charged by the academic library are designed to recover costs and discourage use of scarce resources. Fees should not be charged for "core" services. Which services are core?
It is unusual for research overhead funds to be given to the academic library. Why might this be the case? What might be done so that the library does receive some part of these funds?
Nearly half of the funding given to the academic library is spent on salaries and wages. Is this reasonable? Will information technology allow these expenditures to be reduced? What else might be done to reduce personnel costs?
The second major expenditure category, about 30 percent, is spent on collections. Is this reasonable? Will information technology allow these expenditures to be reduced. What else might be done to reduce collections costs?
If the academic library becomes a gateway to digital resources rather than a place filled with materials and people, will the need for funding be dramatically reduced? Why?
Budd quotes a statement by Goudy that "librarians must become more assertive and more savvy in presenting the library's case...." How do we do this? Is it likely to make a difference?
