Where there's a will, there's a way: fundraising for the academic library

Purpose - The key to a successful library development and fundraising program is a synergistic relationship between development professionals and librarians. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach - The paper focuses on the partnership in achieving the library mission and its fundraising goals. Findings - The study finds that raising funds for any academic library requires commitment and leadership of the library dean and the development officer. With library faculty and staff members' input, the library development team must work together in writing a compelling case statement that has high dramatic and emotional impact on the mission of the library and the institution. Originality/value - The paper identifies three key elements that library faculty and staff can provide to support any successful library development program.