Beyond the Guidelines, or Better Access to Access Projects

Abstract

The term “grantsmanship” has not yet made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary, but the concept does appear in most rare books and special collections librarians’ job descriptions. It is not called “grantsmanship”; rather, “responsibility for the solicitation of outside support” or “responsibility for the preparation of grant proposals” are common circumlocutions. Given the present limitations of federal funding, much emphasis now falls on grantsmanship in the private sector. Federal support remains, however, a major potential resource for many research institutions. Many librarians still need to seek outside support in the structured national competition that is part and parcel . . .