Straight Answers from Vartan Gregorian
Arguably the leading authority on library philanthropy, Vartan Gregorian spent eight years as president of New York Public Library (1981–1989) and nine years as president of Brown University (1989–1997). He is currently president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a grantmaking institution founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1911. Gregorian is the author of three books, including The Road to Home: My Life and Times (Simon and Schuster, 2003). A naturalized American citizen, he was born in Iran to Armenian parents and educated there, in Lebanon, and at Stanford University. In 2004 President Bush awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. American Libraries caught up with him January 17, following his delivery of the inaugural Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues at Chicago Public Library January 17.
American Libraries: You’ve been described as a dreamer who learned to take action. How did you learn to?
Vartan Gregorian: I have been a dreamer since childhood and continue to be, but I have also found that reality requires action. Ideas must be actualized. I learned both to dream and to take action from my teachers, from the elementary school level to high school and on through my years of higher education. Every institution I served also gave me the opportunity to learn these lessons.
For example, at my first teaching post at San Francisco State College, I learned about the intricacies of student movement politics and competing ideologies and agendas. Later, at the University of Texas at Austin, I learned about the academic politics of higher education, faculty politics, the politics of the state of Texas, the rules of university governance, the role of the Regents and, most important, the acquisition and exercise of power. It was at the University of Texas that I assumed my first academic administrative position, as director of Plan II, which encompassed an honors BA and other related honors programs.
From there, it quickly became clear to me that it was not just how much money an organization has, or can raise, that makes it successful, but also the moral authority it has, the trust it builds up, and the ability of those who speak on its behalf to persuade others to support their cause that matters. Also, once you agree to take on a position of administrative responsibility in any institution or organization, you cannot be a distant observer or in any way inactive—you must do your own planning, have hands-on involvement, and be prepared to take credit or blame for how well you succeed. After all, dreams are always evolving but actions cannot be deferred—and if you believe passionately in a cause or an institution, you have no choice but to take action on their behalf, otherwise, you will shortchange them as well as your own ideals.
American Libraries: What is the Carnegie Corporation’s current relationship to libraries?
Vartan Gregorian: Andrew Carnegie, the founder of Carnegie Corporation of New York—as well as more than 20 other nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and abroad—was dedicated to the idea that libraries, by providing access to knowledge and education to everyone, rich, poor or in-between, were the foundation blocks of a democratic society. Beginning in 1886, Andrew Carnegie, and later the Carnegie Corporation, in its early years, collectively spent $56 million to create 1,681 public libraries in nearly as many U.S. communities and 828 libraries in other parts of the world.
In recent decades, however, the corporation has not had a program of support for domestic libraries, except for a few grants for specific purposes. Some highlights:
In 1999, the corporation awarded $15 million to promote literacy, services to children and adolescents, and preservation and special collections at the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Borough Public Library, and libraries in 22 other cities serving large, culturally diverse populations. The grants commemorated the centennial period of Andrew Carnegie’s gifts to establish public libraries in New York City and more than 1,350 other communities across America.
In May 2003, the corporation made a $4.5-million grant to support the book collection at the New York Public Library and at the Brooklyn and Queens libraries in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11. It was the second award made as part of the corporation’s $10-million pledge to support the unmet needs of the communities in New York and Washington, D.C., following the terrorist attacks. Earlier, in 2001, when the more than 20 organizations created by Andrew Carnegie awarded the first Carnegie Medals of Philanthropy to seven major individual philanthropists and philanthropic families who had used their wealth on behalf of the public good, we wondered, what do you do to honor people who have everything?
The trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York decided to answer that question by approving a $2 million grant to enhance book collections in public libraries based in cities in which the honorees reside. In that way, the medal recipients’ cities, as well as their libraries, were also recognized.
Currently, along with five other foundations, the Carnegie Corporation is involved in strengthening the development of more than a dozen African universities and their libraries. In addition, the corporation’s own library-related efforts now focus on sub-Saharan Africa, particularly on the development of national and public libraries in South Africa. The overall goal is to create models of excellence that have well-trained staff and that meet the quality and standards set by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Increasing the libraries’ internet access is another effort we support.
American Libraries: What has changed in the library fundraising climate since you were NYPL president?
Vartan Gregorian: In terms of fundraising, when I was at the New York Public Library we could invoke the fact that you could not imagine New York City without the New York Public Library. It is not just a city treasure but a national and international institution of great distinction. It is also a democratic institution at its best, serving every sector of society. Not to mention that it is a symbol of equal access to learning, a true open door to all the knowledge housed within its walls. Hence, instead of begging for funds, we could appeal to individuals who had benefited—and were still benefiting—from the educational and intellectual riches of the library, asking them to provide similar opportunities for current and future generations.
For example, advertisers, actors and actresses, scholars, artists, writers, travel agents, decorators, architects, businessmen and women—these are only some of the groups I could name who use the resources of the living institution that is the New York Public Library and its many divisions, which include Arts and Architecture, Manuscripts and Archives, Periodicals, the Photography and Print collections, Rare Books, Maps, and on and on. Each of these divisions was, and still is, part of the total institution. There is no “hierarchy” of needs at the library, but instead, there is a singularity of mission, a unity of purpose.
In addition, while appealing for the support of the public, with great pride we could make a similar, if not even stronger case to the public sector, including the mayor and other elected officials. Of course, they always engaged in the annual “rites of spring” in regard to funding for the library: First the mayor would propose cuts to the budget, the city council would restore them, and all of us at the library—and in the city—would rejoice. Once, in order to eliminate this annual drama, I proposed putting the library in the arithmetical error column of the city budget.
I, for one, did not resent this process because it kept everyone engaged, every year, in dealing with the ongoing needs of the library. Every year was a testament to the public’s ownership of the library, to its centrality to the life of the city and its people in all five boroughs. It was a brutal process but gratifying, in the end, because it was clear to the city’s officials that those who loved our library were also voters, and attention had to be paid to how they thought the city’s resources should be apportioned.
Some of this has changed, but the arguments remain the same. One difference, however, is that nobody takes the New York Public Library for granted anymore. It is recognized as a focal point of the city’s cultural, social, educational, and intellectual life. That, I know, will never change.
American Libraries: Is there a disconnect between the public’s service expectations and its willingness to pay for those services through tax dollars?
Vartan Gregorian: From their very beginning, the conception of public libraries was based on the belief that libraries, while free, are not really so. The public pays for libraries. Access has costs. Acquisition has costs. Andrew Carnegie realized and reinforced this idea when he built libraries only in places where the community was willing to provide a site and commit to tax itself 10% of the value of his donation annually to support operating costs. From their inception, all three of New York City’s public library systems—Queens, Brooklyn, and the Manhattan/Staten Island/Bronx system—embraced this wise notion as well, understanding that it meant a city, a community, had to invest in libraries over the long term. To do so, they also had to commit themselves to the idea that supporting libraries was a way to help people help themselves.
And the people who use libraries seem themselves to still be willing to help pay their library’s way: A 2003 Marist Poll—which I saw on the website of the New York Library Association, by the way—reported that 67% of those they surveyed said that having access to a public library in their community was very valuable; 27% said it was valuable. The same poll reported that Americans were willing to pay an average tax increase of $49 annually in order to support public libraries in their community. That's impressive—and very heartening. And it makes clear that people are willing to reach into their own pockets to help pay for their library services.
American Libraries: What advice would you give to librarians regarding fundraising today?
Vartan Gregorian: I think the central argument must be the invaluable social, cultural, and economic role that libraries play in our society. A related argument is that access to knowledge in a democracy cannot be bifurcated on the basis of “haves” and “have nots.” Libraries have always been meant to serve as “equalizers”; to provide hope, education and opportunity, as well as unfettered access to the latest technologies (computers, CDs, videos, etc.) that may not be affordable by every member of the public. Functioning as true “houses of opportunity,” libraries enable everyone to participate fully in the life of our society but also to have access to the information that is the source of knowledge and power.
We should also focus on libraries as an asset to our society, not simply a bundle of needs. Libraries provide tools for learning, understanding and progress. They preserve the heritage of our society and our nation. They are a laboratory of human endeavor. They are a window to the future. They are a source of hope. They are a source of self-renewal. They are the symbol of our community with mankind. They represent the link between the solitary individual and mankind, which is our community. If we emphasize what libraries do for us, rather than what they need from us, I believe that our message will be met with generous support.
American Libraries: You have called ALA “one of the greatest organizations in the world.” Why?
Vartan Gregorian: I called ALA a great organization because I’m a member, an Honorary Member, and I know its operations very well. Since it was founded in Philadelphia in 1876, ALA has never wavered from its mission of promoting the advancement of libraries and of the professional development of all librarians. It is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the world. It stands for an open society, learning, access to knowledge, freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, and tolerance, but perhaps most important of all, for the obligation to know—and the right to do so in a democracy. It carries out its work with self-confidence and speaks on behalf of its members with great eloquence. It has respect for the past but no fear of the future. It is not an ossified organization. It knows that libraries are evolving institutions that will not only keep up with technological change but be enriched by new technologies and enhanced by the increased access provided by tools such as the internet. And it stands up for what it believes in. ALA’s new button that says “Radical Militant Librarian—Defending Access, Defending Privacy, Defending Freedom,” is a case in point.
The ALA has defended libraries as democratic institutions and symbols of open access and freedom of thought and speech not only in the United States but around the world. It has also not shied away from being an integral part of the community. It has not been passive, but, through its championing of libraries and librarians, is always actively involved in building communities and meeting their needs. This is especially true in America, where wave after wave of immigrants have come here, thirsty not only for ways to learn about their new country and new language, but also to keep up with events in their country of origin and to preserve their native culture and the multiplicity of languages spoken by different immigrant groups. The ALA has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that our society serves all these needs while at the same time working to promote the critical role that librarians play in all aspects our nation’s social, cultural, and intellectual development.
All in all, I think that every profession should be lucky enough to have an organization such as ALA representing it.
American Libraries: Educational achievement seems to be on the decline, by most measures. What have we done wrong?
Vartan Gregorian: The decline of the public school system has been going on for a long time. The education-reform movement, on the other hand, is only about two decades old. While there have been improvements, they have been unevenly instituted and applied in a hit-and-miss fashion, often with wealthier schools and school districts as the beneficiaries, while poorer schools and districts continue to be neglected.
In our country, there are about 16,000 school districts, which means there are 16,000 different competing authorities and different financing strategies. Hence, there is no real national planning for ways of dealing with the inequities in our schools. This may help to explain why today, while 90% of America’s children—hence, 90% of our country’s future workforce and talent, a total of nearly 48 million students—attend public schools, we are not doing much better at providing them with a high-quality education than as long ago as 1983, when the report, A Nation at Risk famously warned that “the educational foundation of our society is presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people,” and “if an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today we might well have viewed it as an act of war. . . .”
And while we are on the subject of the quality of our schools, we should not forget that good schools are not possible without good teachers. In that regard, our colleges and universities are doing a less than stellar job of preparing and training tomorrow’s teachers. At many universities, schools of education are marginalized as second-class citizens or second-rate degree mills. Perhaps most shocking of all is that even inside many schools of education, the training of classroom teachers, until recently, has been routinely considered low-prestige, entry-level work—a responsibility given to the most junior faculty members, part-time professors and teaching assistants. Low teacher salaries and status also remain challenges, as is the fact that many schools of education continue to be unaccredited.
That said, the picture is not all bleak. There are many initiatives, a number of them foundation-supported, that aim at improving all levels of education. Let me mention three of them that are close to home.
The Carnegie Corporation, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is funding a $60-million initiative called Schools for a New Society that is designed to help reinvent and reimagine the high school experience for American students. The idea was spurred on by a deep commitment to the idea that in order to succeed in the knowledge-based society of the 21st century, all students need to have access to a high-quality education that will prepare them not only to go on to college but also lay the groundwork for a life that includes the potential for economic success, full participation as a citizen of a vibrant democracy and the ability to endow themselves with ongoing learning experiences.
Another Carnegie Corporation–supported initiative is Teachers for New Era (TNE), currently underway at 11 universities (with an additional 30 higher education institutions involved in a TNE learning network), with a goal of stimulating the major restructuring of teacher education. Three design principles frame the large initiative: (1) grounding all elements of the teacher education program on sound evidence, including reliance on measuring the learning gains of pupils; (2) effective engagement of the disciplines of the arts and sciences; and (3) understanding teaching as an academically taught clinical practice profession, including continuing support during the first two full years of professional teaching.
We have also recently begun an Advancing Literacy initiative, which was developed after an extensive review that included consultations with the nation’s leading practitioners and researchers. We learned that the teaching of reading in kindergarten through the third grade is well supported with research, practice and policy, but that the knowledge base for how to teach reading for grades beyond this point is very thin.
The educational community faces a difficult challenge since what is expected in academic achievement for middle and high school students has significantly increased, yet the way in which students are taught to read, comprehend, and write about subject matter has not kept pace with the demands of schooling. American 15-year-olds barely attain the standards of international literacy for youngsters their age, and during the past decade the average reading score of fourth graders has changed little. Readers who struggle during the intermediate elementary years face increasing difficulty throughout middle school and beyond.
Andrew Carnegie once said that “Only in popular education can man erect the structure of an enduring civilization.” Since its founding in 1911, Carnegie Corporation of New York has dedicated itself to that ideal and continues to do so today.
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