This book presents a historical review of five private research libraries in the United States and analyzes how these five nonprofit organizations managed the pressures of change that all nonprofits face. Part one contains five case studies: (1) the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens; (2) the Pierpont Morgan Library; (3) the Newberry Library; (4) the Folger Shakespeare Library; and (5) the American Antiquarian Society. Part two contains four chapters on the dynamics of change. New demands for access and democratization are identified. Policies and practices in endowment management, factors that caused budget deficits, and the libraries' responses to financial pressures are discussed. An analysis is provided of organizational growth and how executives resolved the problem of adhering to the objectives of the library founders while addressing conflicting goals of society. Changes in the roles of executives are also examined. Appendices include data sources and methodological notes, as well as a series of data tables. (Contains 50 references.) (AEF)