Yost Strikes Deal With Hebrew Union College to Protect Rare-Book Collection in Cincinnati

(CINCINNATI) - A settlement brokered by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sets new ground rules for the management and removal of invaluable ancient artifacts housed in Cincinnati's Klau Library at Hebrew Union College.

The agreement, approved today by the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, mandates greater transparency from the college and grants the Attorney General's Office oversight to ensure that the library uses its collection of rare books to benefit the public.

"These sacred texts were entrusted to Hebrew Union with the promise that they would be preserved for the benefit of scholars and researchers worldwide," Yost said. "I commend the college's leaders for renewing that pledge with this agreement."

The settlement resolves a lawsuit that Yost filed in June 2024 following reports that the college, the first permanent Jewish institution of higher learning in America, had expressed interest in selling some of the precious texts - potentially worth millions of dollars - to offset its sizable deficits. Yost warned that doing so could be a breach of the Hebrew Union board's fiduciary duties.

In July 2024, a Hamilton County judge granted Yost a preliminary injunction, preventing the college from moving ahead with any sales.

Under the newly reached agreement, the college will provide the Attorney General's Office with a complete list of items in the library's Special Collections and Rare Book and Manuscript Collection, identifying any that have donor restrictions. The college must notify the office at least 45 days before making any attempt to sell or remove such items from its collection.

Additionally, proceeds from any sales can be used only to obtain new collection items unless the college's board declares an acute financial need via a two-thirds majority vote.

Among the other terms of the settlement:

• Any existing donor restrictions on collection items must remain in effect.
• The college must maintain a collection-management policy consistent with recommendations from the American Library Association.
• The college can continue to engage in routine movement of items within its library system and through interlibrary loans.