A primer on grant writing for foundation support for first-time grant writers in academic libraries: challenges and opportunities

In a majority of academic disciplines, grant writing is a skill that is often self-taught or acquired informally by trial and error. Few academic discip lines have grant writing as standard part of their curriculum at the graduate level. In the past, grant writing has received little or no emphasis in traditional library education since library science faculty themselves have a poor record of pursuing external funding. Yet, grant writing is a critical skill for new and experienced librarians. For many librarians, the prospect and challenge of writing a grant can seem daunting; however, with institutional support and the support of colleagues within the library and throughout the university, grant writing can be a meaningful endeavor as well as a learned and rewarding professional experience. As budgets for academic libraries continue to contract with the challenges of the current economy, librarians at all levels are looking to external funding to support creative endeavors within their institutions. Among the institutions on which libraries are becoming dependent for funding are foundations, which are unique American institutions of philanthropy.