Corporate sponsorship and public libraries requirements

Abstract

This paper looks at both the existing relationships and the possible relationships between corporate sponsorship and public libraries. We need to know how and where to raise funds without jeopardising the purpose for which libraries exist. Equally important we need to know the ethos from which the commercial sponsorship proposal comes so that the total societal cost can be considered, for public libraries as public information centres, are considered to have an entrenched role in a democracy. Traditionally this role has been the selection and organisation of a collection of information resources which are freely available to everyone. The paper also considers the direction that society appears to be moving in as it effects public libraries.