Library Development Office
Outstanding Unit

The Libraries Development team has been an integral part of our operations and outreach, but the last year has provided them with some particular opportunities to shine. They prioritize the Libraries’ ethics and values, while continuing to surpass their fundraising goals. Development in the libraries is not as easy as other units on campus who have a built in donor base of alumni. Development offers the opportunity for the donor to have a voice when transferring their collections; Seth and Emily work for the betterment of the collections and the library; they establish trust with the donors that we will steward their materials and monetary gifts appropriately. Librarians are not trained to ask for money; having a development officer work alongside us and ask the “tough questions” is useful as we work to negotiate contracts and accept materials The gifts received through the work of our Development team allows the library to continue to provide superb service to faculty, students, and the community. This year’s culminating highlight was Keelung Hong’s major gift in memory of Stephen O. Murray, a gift that was years in the making for the Development team to secure. The Hong gift is the most recent, but the Development unit has continually shown leadership and empathy to build trust both internally and externally to the library and are an integral component of the work of the Libraries.

Library's Development Team

• Seth Martin
• Emily Cordes
• Kathryn Portelli