ADMINISTRATIVE MEMO. NO. 12
Effective October 2004

Guide to Planning and Obtaining Approval for Library-Sponsored Activities

The UM Libraries get involved in a wide variety of activities, which can range from

• One-time events of an educational nature: forums, lectures, seminars, poetry readings, conferences, training sessions. One-time events may last from an hour to several days or weeks.
• Exhibits.
• Web-based services to outside groups.
• Development activities, which can range from acknowledgement of a naming opportunity to showcasing special collections.

  This administrative memo seeks to guide the creators and planners of any such activities. The activities addressed by this memo are primarily “events” as defined in Administrative Memo #34, described below.

  Because there are questions of resource management as well as content management, the originator (individual or work group) of any activity for which resources (e.g., staff time, use of common spaces, products or services from other staff, information technology) are needed outside of the originating work group must acquire approval from her/his supervisor and director. If the originator is a work group of people from several divisions, the supervisor/s and/or director with whom the group works most closely should be consulted or a supervisor or director should be asked to refer the request to the Library Executive Council.

  Consultation with supervisors and directors is also necessary because of questions of content management. In other words, how does the content of this activity meet the Libraries’ needs or goals? Is it suitable for library sponsorship or co-sponsorship? For the Libraries to consider co-sponsorship of an activity, it must advance the mission of the Libraries on campus.

  A proposal or request for co-sponsorship by the Libraries must be decided in consultation with the director with whom the individual or group works most closely. The director may choose to refer the request to the entire Library Executive Council. The question of co-sponsorship cannot be agreed to solely by the individual who initiates the idea or who is asked by a person or group outside the Libraries.

  The originator must also consult with supervisors, directors and others affected by a proposed activity if it is part of a grant application or a stewardship obligation as a condition of a gift to the Libraries. For example, an individual or group may not submit a grant application that includes an exhibit, public event, reception or Web site without obtaining prior agreement from pertinent library personnel whose resources would be required to make the activity a reality. Those individuals could include the communications coordinator, the graphics coordinator, the Web designer or development officers.

  Originators of a proposed activity need to evaluate the concept by the following criteria:
  

  1. What is the mission/purpose of this activity?
     a. How does the activity support the Libraries’ mission and/or strategic plan?
     b. Who is the target audience?
     c. What is the desired outcome?
     
  2. How will this activity benefit the UM Libraries? (What is the projected return on investment? – ROI?)
     a. What are fundraising outcomes or cultivation opportunities?
     b. Is this a stewardship obligation? In other words, is it required or highly desirable because of the conditions of a donation or gift to the Libraries?
     c. Are there other significant benefits? (i.e., enhance Libraries’ image, PR value, outreach, showcase specific collections, etc.)
     
  3. What are the estimated budget and source of funding?
     
  4. What staff resources are required and available?
     
  5. When would the proposed event take place?
     a. How much lead-time is being allowed?
     b. Are there conflicts or very close scheduling (e.g., within the same week) with other activities on the public events calendar?
     

     If the originator and the appropriate supervisor/s and/or division director agree the proposed activity is highly appropriate and needed for the Libraries to undertake, and depending on the nature and extent of resources (monetary and otherwise) that an activity might require, the director may need to ask the Library Executive Council to review the proposal.

     The Library Executive Council (LEC) may also need to be consulted if the direct cost of a proposed activity is estimated to be at or over the level of “big-ticket” requests set by LEC, and thereby requiring LEC’s rather than an individual director’s approval.

     In addition to following the suggested checklists above, the library planner or liaison is also responsible for seeing that library rooms are reserved and used in accordance with library policy and process, as detailed in Administrative Memos 34 and 35, “Meetings, Classes, and Events” and “UM Libraries’ Meeting and Instruction Rooms for Non-Library Events” respectively.
     http://www.lib.umd.edu/PASD/LPO/AdminMemos/memo34.html
     http://www.lib.umd.edu/PASD/LPO/AdminMemos/memo35.html

     Those memos will link to online information about the capacity and furnishings of each room and also to an online room request form. Each library staff member scheduling a room for anything that requires support outside ones unit or group must fill out the form. http://www.lib.umd.edu/rooms/requestform.html

     If the planner or liaison is using non-library space, all rules and regulations for that space must be followed.

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