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Achieve: A Truly Great Library Within Our Grasp
Achieve! The Campaign for NC State is an historic, $1 billion university-wide fund-raising
effort that will ensure our ability to transform lives for generations to come through truly innovative
teaching, research, extension, and public service. The innovative services and accessible collections of
the Libraries contribute directly and extensively to these pursuits.
It has been said that without great libraries, there are no great universities. The NCSU Libraries
serves as this university's nexus of research, scholarship, and community, and thus is an important
part of the Achieve Campaign.
The NCSU Libraries seeks $10 million for initiatives that will support students and faculty through
new and renovated library facilities, expanded collections and services, a pioneering digital library,
and a new generation of leaders of the library profession.
"We envision a library at NC State that gives the university a competitive advantage — one that
can be an added factor in attracting and retaining the finest faculty and students to this institution.
Through the Achieve campaign we will continue to build the kind of superior library that this premier
university deserves."
Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter
The NCSU Libraries
The NCSU Libraries is the gateway to knowledge for the NC State University community and its partners.
The collection encompasses 3.4 million volumes, and the D. H. Hill Library is the most utilized
building on campus. On a typical day, the library is open 24 hours and serves 20,000 on site and virtual
users. In student surveys the Libraries is consistently ranked at the top among campus academic and
administrative units for student satisfaction.
The NCSU Libraries is recognized as a leader among its peer institutions. It is a member of the
prestigious international Digital Library Federation. The Libraries received the Association of College
and Research Libraries' first "Excellence in Academic Libraries" award and has received the American
Library Association's (ALA) "Library of the Future" award and the ALA's award for Excellence in Reference
and Adult Library Services.
Serving NC State's Students
In today's fast-paced society where information is just a click away on the computer, the concept of
a library building might seem anachronistic. Our students know otherwise, describing the library as
"the single most important resource we have on campus" (Technician 8/30/02). In annual surveys
they consistently ask for more: more hours, more group study areas, more computers, more instruction,
and more books and journals.
Our students want a building that is safe, comfortable, and attractive. They value a learning
environment that is tailored to their individual needs — including quiet study space, areas for
collaboration and socializing, and ubiquitous access to technology. Library facilities that provide
these opportunities have seen their use skyrocket.
"Three cheers for the library. . . . The library is our special place to go where the world stands
still, and you can actually get some work done."
Technician November 7, 2002
Top 25 Ranking
The NCSU Libraries is ranked 27th among the top 113 academic research libraries in North America that
comprise the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). This is NC State's highest ranking ever and represents
an unparalleled improvement for any library. In just thirteen years, the Libraries has advanced from a
ranking of #101 — an improvement of 74 positions.
In 2000, the Commission on the Future of NC State University reaffirmed the goal of a Top 25 rank
for the Libraries. The success of the Libraries' campaign efforts will have a significant impact on
the ability to achieve this ranking.
Campaign Priority Areas
The Libraries has identified five priority areas to address to achieve greatness.
| Target Goal |
$10,000,000 |
| Improving and Expanding Library Space |
$3,000,000 |
| Outstanding Collections and Services |
$3,000,000 |
| Digital Library Leadership |
$2,000,000 |
| Leaders of the Profession |
$1,000,000 |
| Unrestricted Support for Emerging Priorities |
$1,000,000 |
- Improving and Expanding Library Space: $3,000,000.
An overarching goal of the NCSU Libraries is to alleviate overcrowding and support both collaborative
and quiet study. Although the Libraries has made impressive strides in launching innovative services
and building strong research collections, students and faculty continually are frustrated by the
condition of the facilities. Of the sixteen University of North Carolina (UNC) campuses, NCSU
provides the least square footage of library space per student. The Libraries can seat only 5.5
percent of NCSU students, far short of the 20 percent UNC system standard. The master plan for
the Libraries calls for renovations of existing space and construction of new space, including
a library on the Centennial Campus.
The first phase of the master plan is the renovation of the East Wing of the D. H. Hill Library.
Bond funding provided by the taxpayers of North Carolina will enable necessary upgrades of the basic
infrastructure, but private support is essential. This much-needed support will be used to add
seating and enhance the quality of public spaces, making them more comfortable and attractive.
"Our students and faculty deserve an environment in which to study, collaborate, and conduct research
that is both comfortable and inspiring."
Susan K. Nutter
- Outstanding Collections and Services: $3,000,000.
In the past decade, faculty and students have emphasized that strong research collections must be a
top priority—they are integral to the success of the university's research, teaching, and
extension/engagement mission. Building collections remains challenging because large annual
inflationary increases in the cost of journals have contributed significantly to the erosion
of purchasing power. New sources of funding must be found if the university is to maintain
outstanding collections. This includes both endowment support and direct gifts to the collections,
as well as in-kind support.
The library's user-centered services help faculty and students succeed in a highly technological
and information-oriented society. These services include delivery of books and articles in both
paper and electronic formats, reference assistance and consultation, electronic course reserves,
and research skills instruction. Support in this area will allow the Libraries to continue to
strengthen these programs.
- Digital Library Leadership: $2,000,000.
In today’s technology-rich campus environment, students must have ready access to the Internet as
well as a full range of computer applications in all of their learning spaces, whether they are in
the classroom, at home, or in the library. The renovation of the first floor of D. H. Hill Library
provides a unique opportunity to achieve this ambitious goal. The library will build a highly
visible, showpiece space — a "learning commons" — to support student learning across
the spectrum of research, collaboration, and use of technology.
- Leaders of the Profession: $1,000,000.
The NCSU Libraries must develop a new generation of leadership to sustain the excellence achieved in
the past decade. A growing national shortage of librarians has resulted from the combination of a
serious decline in the number of new graduates and a wave of retirements that is projected to exceed
60 percent of U.S. librarians in the next fifteen years. This crisis threatens NC State's ability
to retain the talented core of professionals now on staff, and its ability to recruit new librarians,
especially in the areas of science and engineering, digital librarianship, and in leadership positions.
Funding to endow positions and support innovative career development programs, such as the NCSU
Libraries Fellows program, will enable the Libraries to compete with other academic institutions
and with a growing demand from the private sector.
- Unrestricted Support for Emerging Priorities: $1,000,000.
When friends and alumni give unrestricted funds, they are providing among the most valuable gifts
that the NCSU Libraries receives. Unrestricted giving provides the library with an unparalleled
ability to seize on opportunities as they arise. Unrestricted funds are catalytic resources that
help the NCSU Libraries maintain its reputation for excellence. Donors who make unrestricted gifts
of any size can be confident that their contributions are being used immediately and effectively
to make an enormous difference in the success of the library.
Conclusion
The Libraries will construct space to meet current and future needs and provide a technology-rich
environment, offer outstanding collections and services, advance and exploit the technology necessary
to support the next-generation digital library, and increase its competitiveness in recruiting and
retaining superior library faculty.
The NCSU Libraries is dedicated to excellence in supporting the research and educational needs of
the campus and community. Your gift toward this effort will strengthen the Libraries' ability to
achieve greatness.
Campaign Steering Committee
A campaign steering committee composed of campus and community leaders is heading the Libraries'
campaign fundraising efforts.
Campaign co-chairs: Trent Ragland III, Cyma Rubin, and Wyndham Robertson.
For additional information about making a gift to the Libraries, please contact
Michael Gulley
Senior Development Officer
NCSU Libraries
Campus Box 7111
Raleigh, NC 27695
(919) 513-7315
michael_gulley@ncsu.edu
www.lib.ncsu.edu
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