TO THE EDITOR:
The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported on the Library Investment Index, a measure used to rank university research libraries, and how increased demand for e-content has impacted this year’s index results.
The undersigned are delighted to see UNC among the top libraries in the country (UNC’s index is ranked 19th), particularly when it is attributed to its ability to keep pace with the demand for digital resources.
Way back in 1994 — before words like “search engine” or “Google” had any meaning – the bicentennial class of 1994 spearheaded a class gift campaign endowing a fund for UNC’s libraries, focusing entirely on emerging technologies and electronic resources for undergraduates.
While we could not have predicted the digital world we now inhabit or what form library resources would take, we anticipated that technology would definitely be a driving force.
In the past, the call to action was the standard message of developing a legacy and investing in the strength of the institution.
While those messages remain relevant for today’s calls for donation, the information revolution of the past decade provides an added urgency.
Libraries need such support not only to thrive but also to survive!
We hope readers and Tar Heel faithful will show similar support for our libraries — like the class gifts of 1950, 1991, 1993, 1994 and 2003 — so that our students and faculty can draw upon the best available research resources.
