When the University of South Carolina College of Nursing launched a new Midwifery program this year, a privately funded endowment allowed University Libraries to quickly provide resources in support of the program’s coursework.
Established in 2002 by USC alumna Mandy Ackerman and her husband Mark, the Deloris and David Zeigler Library Endowment for Nursing honors Mandy’s parents and provides support for the acquisition of books and materials for Thomas Cooper Library’s nursing collection. That made it an ideal funding source when the establishment of the Midwifery program created the need for library resources that had not been factored into the original acquisitions budget.
Being able to provide those resources not only enhances the education of students in the Midwifery program but also facilitates the program’s accreditation, since the availability of adequate learning and research materials is one of the key things accreditors look for.
Philanthropic support for acquisitions in the health sciences can be particularly meaningful, says research and instruction librarian Amy Edwards, because the cost for these materials is often high. “It is not uncommon,” Edwards notes, “for a single unlimited-user textbook to be $1,000 or more.”
“Having ready support from thoughtful donors enables us to make quick adjustments as university programs and priorities change,” notes Dean of Libraries David Banush. “People like the Ackermans make these pivots possible.”
That, says Mandy Ackerman, is why she and Mark established the fund. “My mother, who was a nurse herself, was passionate about care on the local level, so I am so happy that South Carolina’s only accredited midwifery program has this investment,” Ackerman says. “And it makes me so happy that our contribution can impact USC’s nursing program.”
The Ackermans, who have also established an endowment in support of acquisitions for the South Caroliniana Library, have chosen University Libraries as a focal point of their giving both because they see the libraries as a valuable resource for the university and the state and because supporting the libraries was the most fitting way to honor their parents.
The midwifery program, which officially launched in Fall 2025, is the state’s first and offers an accessible online pathway for registered nurses to earn a Master of Science in Nursing and prepares them to sit for the Certified Nurse-Midwife certification exam administered through the American Midwifery Certification Board. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 40% increase in midwifery jobs over the next decade.