I am pleased to share that Hebrew Union College has reached an agreement with the Ohio Attorney General regarding our rare books and manuscripts collections in the Klau Library. This agreement upholds our mission to preserve and maintain access to the Klau and the rare books and manuscripts collections in service to the Jewish People, Judaism, and global academic scholarship. It also affirms the library’s educational, religious and scholarly role within our institution and its service to communities and scholars around the world. As we have stated, the College has never intended to sell nor deaccession these treasured materials and has always managed them in accordance with donor intent.
Key Provisions of the Agreement
The Klau Library is formally recognized as core to Hebrew Union College’s academic and religious mission, and this agreement acknowledges our longstanding commitment to responsible stewardship, including the College’s:
– Adherence to the American Library Association’s standards for collection management.
– Right to share our books, including rare materials, within our four-campus library system, and to continue to engage in interlibrary loans globally, a standard practice that enables scholars to access the works.
– Full compliance with donor intent for rare books and manuscripts, an obligation we hold dear.
To ensure transparency, the College will provide advance notice to the Ohio Attorney General of any potential sale of rare materials, should we believe in the future that such an action will be necessary to ensure preservation and access.
Context, Building Trust and Looking Ahead
Concerns from community members following a routine assessment and valuation of our rare book collection in January 2024 prompted this inquiry. Although we had no intent to sell the collection and took no steps to initiate the sale of any part of it, as an aspect of our responsible management of these precious resources, we periodically assess our assets. Our previous assessment to ensure our collection was adequately insured was conducted in 2019.
While this litigation has posed challenges and incurred significant costs for the College, it will have been worthwhile if it leads to the restoration of trust. I am hopeful that the conclusion of this inquiry will allow us to move forward together to strengthen Hebrew Union College’s important mission: to educate and inspire the next generation of Jewish leadership and advance Jewish scholarship for the sake of our world.
For all who celebrate, I hope your High Holidays have been meaningful. May 5786 bring a release of the hostages, an end to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, the safety and security of Israel and peace for all who call that region home.
Chag Sameach,
Andrew Rehfeld
President of Hebrew Union College
