University Libraries serve as more than a quiet place to study and escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world. They hold the keys to the depths of human intellect and records of the past, bound by pages, ink and cracked spines nestled on grand shelves or behind glass awaiting a frenzied study fest or a laidback perusal. Protection of such carefully curated knowledge of the past, research of the present and hopes for the future are essential to humanity’s ongoing pursuit of discovery and innovation – and University Libraries serves as both guardian and exhibitor of such works.
Many gifts to the Libraries are in the form of donated texts. Rick and Nancy Layman, longtime friends and supporters of University Libraries, believe books are a powerful way to capture and disseminate research to the general public. They donated an extensive collection of Julian Barnes novels to the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Instead of keeping such a collection private, they opened the doors for many others to read and research the writings of the famous British author.
“I believe that scholars have a primary responsibility to preserve important research materials,” Rick Layman says. “Such collections can both promote and enhance further scholarship, providing essential worth to research library holdings.”
However, books are not the only way to archive and teach history. Many generous donors have endowed funds to protect and display collections detailing South Carolina’s past and present, not only to keep legacies alive, but to ensure important stories are told.
Ed and Sandra Poliakoff’s gift honor’s Ed’s Russian-Jewish heritage and his grandparents’ immigration to Abbeville, South Carolina. An exhibit case in the South Caroliniana’s Reading Room recounts how his family not only survived, but thrived in the area. Such a substantial story would not have been possible to tell without the Libraries’ extensive research facilities.
“I believe it’s essential that the entirety of our state’s history, the good, the bad, or even the ugly, be collected and made available to scholars and the public,” he says.
Interest in preserving their own South Carolina heritage prompted Freeman (B.S. ’64, MBA ’65) and Betsy (B.A. ’65) Coggins to establish a quasi-endowed fund at University Libraries. Grateful for the Libraries’ contributions to archiving state history, the couple hopes to help the Libraries achieve the goal of educating the public and continuing important research.
“Libraries are a valuable part of the community,” Freeman Coggins says. “They provide literacy and a wide variety of enrichment programs for everyone.”