MOBIUS is pleased to announce an upcoming Director’s Symposium designed specifically for library directors and senior leaders navigating today’s complex higher education landscape. As academic libraries face enrollment pressures and constrained budgets, library work is no longer optional — it is strategic.
Please join us in the morning as we identify overlooked revenue pathways within your institution in Roads to Revenue and in the afternoon, Return on Investment, a focused and practical sessions designed to help you strengthen your library's value narrative.
Registration is free and lunch will be provided.
9:00-9:30 - Welcome & Intros
9:30-10:30 - Roads to Revenue: Collaborative Advancement Strategies for Academic Libraries
10:30-10:45 - Break
10:45-11:45 - Roads to Revenue - Working Session
12:00-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-2:30 - Return on Investment: Demonstrating the Strategic Value of Academic Libraries
2:30-3:00 - Closing
Roads to Revenue: Collaborative Advancement Strategies for Academic Libraries
Advancement and development activities are increasingly essential to sustaining and expanding academic library services, yet successful fundraising rarely happens in isolation. Academic libraries operate within complex campus ecosystems that include university advancement
offices, academic departments, alumni relations, student success initiatives, and community partners.
This session introduces a strategic framework for understanding the multiple “roads to revenue” available to academic libraries - moving beyond traditional donor cultivation to collaborative, institution-wide advancement models. Participants will explore how libraries can position themselves as mission-critical partners within campus priorities while building sustainable funding pathways that align with institutional goals.Through real-world examples, practical tools, and structured discussion, attendees will learn how to identify revenue opportunities, strengthen cross-campus relationships, and integrate advancement work into long-term library strategy.
Key Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
● Identify multiple advancement pathways (“roads to revenue”) available within academic
institutions.
● Understand how collaboration with campus stakeholders strengthens development
outcomes and donor alignment.
● Evaluate internal readiness for advancement work, including organizational culture,
leadership support, and messaging.
● Apply partnership-based strategies to connect library initiatives with institutional priorities
such as student success, research innovation, and community engagement.
● Develop a framework for mapping campus relationships that support sustainable revenue
growth.
Return on Investment: Demonstrating the Strategic Value of Academic Libraries
In today’s higher education climate, academic libraries must do more than demonstrate usage - they must demonstrate return on investment. As institutions face enrollment pressures, political scrutiny, and budget constraints, library leaders are increasingly asked to articulate their economic, academic, and social value in measurable terms.
This session provides a practical framework for understanding and communicating ROI in academic libraries. Participants will explore how well-funded libraries contribute to tuition stability, research productivity, student wellbeing, and institutional resilience, while also examining financial forecasting and transparency as part of responsible stewardship. The session balances strategic insight with a hands-on reflection exercise to help participants begin shaping their own ROI narrative.
Thanks to our sponsors!
