Library News for the Faculty

From University Librarian Gary E. Strong

I'm delighted to report that the UCLA Library achieved its Campaign UCLA goal of $40 million as of December 31, 2005. In addition to the thousands of other donors who have contributed to the Library since the campaign was launched in 1995, this achievement is due to three extraordinarily generous donors who provided major closing gifts: the Ahmanson Foundation, Ralph and Shirley Shapiro, and Robert and Marion Wilson.

The Ahmanson Foundation has designated its gift to the general collections fund and the Aldine Collection of early Italian printing, a collection it has supported since the tenure of former UCLA Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy.

The Shapiros' gift has established three endowments: the Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Endowment for Conservation and Preservation, the Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Fellowship Endowment for Special Collections, and the Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Endowment for the University Librarian.

The Wilsons designated their gift to the University Librarian Discretionary Fund. This fund supports critical needs, ranging from special-opportunity acquisitions to facilities enhancements, that would otherwise be difficult to address due to budgetary constraints.

Other Library accomplishments during the Campaign include acquiring collections, creating endowments, establishing new programs, expanding services, and renovating facilities.

Among the many noteworthy collections that were acquired are:

• the administrative archive of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley
• music, scripts, and videotapes from "The Carol Burnett Show"
• research materials for the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon"
• Jimmy Durante's musical arrangements, sound recordings, and other materials
• the record collection of renowned jazz critic Leonard Feather
• the archive of Susan Sontag, encompassing manuscripts, correspondence, personal notebooks, and her private library
• the medical library of Dr. Cäsar Hirsch, which was confiscated by the Gestapo after he and his family fled Germany
• a collection of AIDS posters created for public health campaigns in countries around the world
• the A&M Records Collection of sound recordings, arrangments, photographs, correspondence, gold albums, and other materials
• the archive of fashion designer Bonnie Cashin
• the papers of radio, television, and film writer Harry Crane, co-creator of "The Honeymooners"
• medieval and Renaissance manuscripts from Richard and Mary Rouse

Dozens of visionary donors contributed funds to create collection endowments. Funds from these endowments will enable the Library to acquire, preserve, and make accessible materials in a variety of subject areas in perpetuity, which supports both the scholars of today and those of tomorrow.

Campaign gifts enabled the Library to create a conservation lab and an endowment to support its ongoing operations. Matching funds from donors allowed the Library to complete a challenge launched by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish this operation, which repairs highly used library materials and returns them to circulation.

Thanks to a lead gift from the Ahmanson Foundation, the Library launched the Center for Primary Research and Training, which trains and employs graduate students to work with unprocessed or under-processed special collections. The center integrates special collections materials more fully into the teaching and research mission of the university and also helps attract the best graduate students to UCLA by combining an attractive employment option with a valuable research opportunity.

One of the Library's early campaign gifts, of $7 million from an anonymous donor, resulted in the renaming of the University Research Library in honor of former UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young. The most recent tangible result of this gift has been the creation of the UCLA Library Conference Center in the Research Library, which features a presentation room, boardroom, and parlor and can be used by departments and centers across campus for conferences and programs.

I've also been extremely gratified by the many donors who designated their gifts to the University Librarian's discretionary fund. I'm able to use these funds for a variety of critical needs, ranging from urgent facilities needs to special opportunity acquisitions, a few of which are highlighted in the acquisitions article.

I'm honored that so many UCLA faculty members gave to the Library during Campaign UCLA. To each of you, I extend my thanks on behalf of everyone at the Library and all of our users, both now and in the future, whose study and research your gifts have helped to support.