Discussion 4, Archivist and Librarian Roles in Building Trust with Donors and Patrons

Abstract

The effectiveness of an archives or library for its donors and patrons is based in large part on their trust in both the place and the staff, in donors’ and patrons’ “willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on positive expectations regarding the motivation and behavior of the other” (Pirson and Malhotra 2007). This trust is developed and built by librarians and archivists performing a variety of roles in order to develop collections and entice people to use them. These roles might include gatekeeper, event planner, booster, counselor, friend, activist, steward, and expert. This discussion session would be an opportunity to share case studies or stories about different roles each of us has played in relation to a particular donor or patron and exploring various questions that have arisen in our own experiences?