Areas of Support
Libraries

When you support KU Libraries, you support all Jayhawks. Your gift empowers the discoveries made, the stories written, the minds expanded with impacts that shine across the university, the greater community and the world.

Areas of Support
Libraries

When you support KU Libraries, you support all Jayhawks. Your gift empowers the discoveries made, the stories written, the minds expanded with impacts that shine across the university, the greater community and the world.

TOWARD VIBRANT CONNECTION IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Advancing what is uniquely human

You remember your favorite study spots in Watson, late nights in Anschutz gathered around group projects, or the librarian at Spencer Research Library who helped solve your research challenges. So much of student life and academic success happens at the library.

The world of information is constantly changing and increasingly challenging to evaluate and use effectively. Today’s students need access to a wide range of digital resources and — now more than ever — they need guidance in how to use them. Faculty researchers gain insights and advantages not only from employing KU Libraries’ tools and technologies, but from fundamental collaboration with our librarian experts.

KU Libraries are where we connect, a community platform that propels each Jayhawk to rise.

Carol Smith
Dean of Libraries
Ready to give to the Libraries to support these initiatives?
CONTACT:
Amy Gray
Libraries and School of Social Welfare, Development
785-832-7421

KU Libraries are at the heart of learning and discovery and a key partner in student success and scholarly impact in the digital age. Through leadership in open resource sharing, our libraries enable student and faculty researchers to connect to information without cost barriers. KU Libraries also provide a powerful framework to broaden the reach of faculty projects in a worldwide network of scholarship. Our Makerspace teaches creative problem-solving skills and encourages inventive course assignments using 3D printing, podcasting, A/V postproduction and more. Outreach to K-12 schools and off-campus groups allows the greater community to discover stories from KU, Kansas and around the world through encounters with rare and historic items within our remarkable collections.

The libraries’ work strengthens Jayhawk contributions to the international network of knowledge and ripples out to magnify efforts in every academic department at KU, continuously enabling student and faculty success. When you support the libraries, you support the entire KU mission.

In 2024, Watson Library celebrates 100 years as a cornerstone of the KU community. When you support Watson Library, you will join us in ensuring the continued evolution of library spaces as effective, welcoming environments; providing access to cutting-edge technology and information; and building the human connections essential to navigating the current world of knowledge.

PARTNERING WITH US

Now is the time to make a transformative gift to the Libraries to address the following priorities:

An Integrated Community Commons to Advance Research

Your support allows KU Libraries to create modern, vibrant gathering spaces that support our students and reflect the values of our community. Our libraries are the user-centric hub of an evolving ecosystem that advances research and discovery across campus.

Investing in Library Experts

People are at the heart of libraries and drive our work as multidisciplinary laboratories of learning and research. An investment in an endowed library position will enhance the stewardship of invaluable and increasingly diverse collections; enable greater capacity for leading-edge initiatives such as open scholarship, digital humanities and systematic reviews; and advance our commitment to empowering all students with the information, research and critical analysis skills so essential to success in the digital age.

 

Infusing Technology into KU Libraries

As the world of information changes, so do libraries. Whether it’s new student-driven technology additions for our popular Makerspace, a new “Gadgets-to-Go” technology lending collection, or the complex library systems that drive digital information access, technology investments are key to library advancement. Your contribution can provide equitable access to technology-infused resources, tools and spaces for students across all disciplines, enabling multidisciplinary tech collaboration and experimentation, and fueling innovation and discovery.

OUR STORIES

Professor, librarian co-teach students to create open access podcast
With University of Kansas instructors invested in educating leaders, building healthy communities and making discoveries that change the world, KU is committed to providing the resources and tools to help them and their students thrive.
Open access resources and achievements highlighted at KU Libraries
KU Libraries marked International Open Access Week in October 2024 with a trio of activities to demonstrate the importance of open access resources and their availability at KU.
Data services librarian trains researchers in data management
When people think of research, they often think of the experiments, observations and archival visits that investigators perform to collect data. But how that data is organized once collected is also pivotal to researchers being able to analyze and publish it. That’s where Jamene Brooks-Kieffer comes in.
Centennial gift highlights support for Watson Library
KU Libraries recently honored the 100th anniversary of Watson Library and its supporters. In a surprise twist, donors presented Dean of Libraries Carol Smith with a $100,000 gift.

ALL AREAS OF SUPPORT

KU Medical Center
Your investment in KU Medical Center will save lives and support healthy, vibrant communities.
School of Education & Human Sciences
Ranked as a top 10 public education school in the nation, a donation to the School of Education & Human Sciences enables future educators and human science professionals to create a lasting impact on society.
KU Research
KU's core research labs support investigators and industry partners by providing assistance and training on specialized instrumentation, experimental design, and data analysis.
School of 
Architecture & Design
Your contribution plays a vital role in providing our Architecture & Design students with hands-on experience in the studio, fostering both innovation and imagination.
Dole Institute of Politics
With your support, the Dole Institute will continue to provide unique experiential learning opportunities for new generations at KU, across Kansas and beyond.
School of Business
Your gift to the School of Business provides the pathway for students to get an innovative learning experience at one of the nation’s top-ranked programs.
Spencer Museum of Art
Your gift supports the Museum’s commitment to keep art at the core of learning, teaching and research at KU and beyond and bolsters its ability to sustain and grow its comprehensive collection.
KU Life Span Institute
When you support the KU Life Span Institute, you help our efforts to realize a future where everyone across the spectrum of intellectual and physical ability can attain the best quality of life.
School of Music
Your gift to the School of Music will help students and families discover the wonder of music through our world-class educational programs and hundreds of performances each year.
William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, donating to the KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications gives students real-world experiences so they can thrive in future media professions.
International Affairs
KU International Affairs helps prepare students to be successful in a world that is more connected than ever.
Lied Center
A gift to the Lied Center in support of this initiative will allow the program to expand, eventually reaching all 104 counties in Kansas outside of Lawrence on an annual basis in perpetuity.
School of Pharmacy
Your support of the KU School of Pharmacy will help the school continue to improve the health of Kansans and the world through excellence in all aspects of pharmaceutical care.
University of Kansas School of Professional Studies
KU’s new School of Professional Studies is building programs and pathways to high demand careers and economic mobility for students, and their families.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Your gift can make a transformative difference in the educational foundation for KU students, offering them a broad set of knowledge and skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Libraries
When you support KU Libraries, you support all Jayhawks. Your gift empowers the discoveries made, the stories written, the minds expanded with impacts that shine across the university, the greater community and the world.
The University of Kansas Health System
By supporting The University of Kansas Health System, you will save and improve lives – now and for generations to come.
Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum
Your contributions help us train and mentor the next generation of biodiversity specialists, including providing essential and ethical fieldwork experiences in Kansas and around the globe.
School of Law
Donating to the KU School of Law allows students to gain practice-ready skills with firsthand experience, forging future members of the legal profession in 13 different areas of study.
University Honors Program
Your investment in the KU Honors Program will support exceptional students, give our top faculty the inspiration and connection that keep them engaged, and nurture innovation on campus.
School of Engineering
Your support for the KU School of Engineering propels innovation and drives groundbreaking research, empowering students to shape the future of society.
School of 
Social Welfare
Your gift to the School of Social Welfare will help change social work practice and social policy to support those served by the social work profession.
KU Alumni Association
Your investment attracts new Jayhawks, helps current students succeed academically and find satisfying careers, deepens connections across generations.