March 31, 2011
Faculty Fund for Library Excellence is established
The UW Faculty Senate has unanimously approved a resolution establishing the Faculty Fund for Library Excellence.
Passed by the senate on March 10 and established March 25, the donation fund could help compensate for budget losses at the UW Libraries, and return the Libraries to their previous ranking.
The Faculty Council on University Libraries kicked off the fund with a $2,700 donation. Joyce Cooper, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and chair of the council, said donation goals will be discussed during the council meeting on April 6.
Donations may be made through the UW Foundation website.
According to the UW Libraries Triennial Survey, faculty members rate University Libraries the most important source of information for their work. From 1980 onward, the UW had been in the top 15 percent of American and Canadian research libraries, according to data from the Association of Research Libraries. Now, though, because of budget cutbacks, its in the top 25 percent.
Donations will be used to buy and preserve books, journals and other materials for libraries on all three UW campuses: Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell.
