Every library book is like a little gift to someone. We never know who will find it or what difference it will make in their life. But in a library of millions of volumes, all those little gifts add up to something truly big.
The same is true for your gift to the Duke University Libraries.
As you see in the charts below, more than 2,000 people make a gift to the Libraries Annual Fund every year. That includes you and me. More than half of those gifts are $100 or less, and many of them come from repeat donors. Together, however, they add up to more than $2.6 million in unrestricted support over the past three years!
Unrestricted giving has enabled the Libraries to do some spectacular things. It has allowed us to build world-class collections and implement innovative programs, particularly for undergraduates. In fact, the Libraries are partners in research for students from the moment they step on campus until long after they’ve graduated.
Here are just a few of the things we’re able to do with support from the Libraries Annual Fund.
- Provide one-on-one research help to first-year students through the Duke University Libraries Residence Hall Librarian Program
- Showcase some of Duke University Libraries’ riches by expanding our digital collections
- Create unique classroom experiences like Archives Alive
- Offer remote access to more than 60 databases to alumni through the Duke Alumni Library
- Display exhibitions and host events for everyone
Every gift counts and every gift makes a difference! Thank you for joining me in supporting the Libraries Annual Fund. Together, we are making a real difference in the Duke community.