A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
This is how breakthroughs
happen.
UC’s academic libraries serve a unique role in that we are integrated throughout all colleges and disciplines across our campuses. This is a part of what makes us leading collaborators—elevating work of scholars, researchers and community members.
We invite your partnership in the work we do to bring extraordinary collections to light, contribute to new scholarly discoveries and support a growing community of Bearcats.
Together we can achieve our vision to be the intellectual center of campus, Greater Cincinnati and far beyond.
ELIZABETH KISCADEN, MLIS Dean and University Librarian
UC
Libraries
THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGH BEGINS WITH YOU
At the University of Cincinnati Libraries, we believe that breakthroughs begin with access— to ideas, to history, to possibility.
In fact, the records we preserve reveal to us time and again that access creates life-changing opportunities. We are proud stewards of more than 4 million volumes and countless rare and unique materials that illuminate our shared history, empower discovery and fuel future scholarship.
Centered on supporting our students’ success, we have strategically aligned around four key initiatives that will meet the evolving needs of higher education and the communities we serve. Our priority areas for philanthropic investment include:
• Support our students: Advance student success and belonging by investing in open resources, experiential learning and equitable access to knowledge.
• Build our organization: Create endowed leadership roles that will build a resilient, inclusive and forward-thinking library enterprise supported by visionary spaces that foster innovation, stewardship and a shared commitment to excellence.
• Expand our impact: Funding for fellowships, curriculum integration and digital humanities platforms that unlock new ways of exploring knowledge.
• Enrich our collections: Ensure the preservation and discovery of rare and distinctive materials that inspire scholarship and illuminate new perspectives, fuel research and inspire future generations.
We invite you to join us in advancing the visibility, accessibility and preservation of UC’s most distinctive collections.
“My experiences as a co-op gave me hands-on practice at instruction, outreach and collaboration, and helped me discover my interest in blending education with technology. I gained confidence in communicating technical topics to diverse audiences by leading workshops and problem-solving during consultations. It has shown me the value of being both a learner and educator.”
UC Libraries
ELSHADDAI MELAKU, CEAS ‘26 BUS ‘26
co-op
SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
Breakthroughs begin with belonging.
UC Libraries plays a vital role in student success—by reducing barriers, increasing access and creating inclusive spaces for learning. Together with our partners, we can elevate student success with targeted investments in:
Expanding co-op experiences
Increase the number of paid, hands-on learning opportunities for students across UC Libraries. These roles provide students with real-world experience in research, archives and digital scholarship. Your support helps students build professional skills while contributing meaningfully to library operations. A gift of $25,000 will cover the cost of supporting a student co-op for one year, or you can provide sustaining support through an endowment.
Open Educational Resources
Provide funding for faculty to adopt and create Open Educational Resources (OER), removing cost barriers and ensuring every student has access to the materials they need to succeed— starting day one. Targeted investments in this area can make a big impact.
For example, an open access accounting textbook published on UC Libraries’ platform eliminates the need for approximately 800 students a year to purchase or rent a textbook for this core course. To date, UC Libraries’ OER Zero Cost Textbooks program is estimated to have saved students $400,000. This program was established with an investment of $35,000 which is used for internal grants to support faculty in creating content or adapting their curriculum to use existing OER content.
“Working in the Preservation Lab has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience. The work itself—restoring and caring for library materials—is deeply fulfilling, but it’s the lab team’s unwavering support and encouragement that has truly shaped my academic and professional growth. It’s a place where I’ve felt seen, mentored and inspired to keep reaching further.”
KRISTOPHER REISSER ‘28 College of Law
BUILD OUR ORGANIZATION
Breakthroughs need strong foundations.
We are investing in our people, reimagining our spaces and building the infrastructure to support a world-class research library. With dedicated support from our partners, we can elevate our organization with meaningful investments in:
Endowed leadership positions
Endowments are essential to attracting and retaining top faculty, ensuring sustained excellence in leadership, scholarship and innovation at an R1 research institution.
• University librarian chair: Provides strategic leadership and flexible resources to advance collections, services and spaces that define a top-tier research library.
• University archivist chair: Strengthens the Archives and Rare Books Library through rare acquisitions, digital exhibits and programming that attract leading scholars.
• Preservation librarian chair: Expands regional conservation services and professional outreach through leadership of The Preservation Lab.
Library spaces
Naming opportunities are available for strategic spaces and serve as a vehicle for funding student programs and renovations that transform critical library environments into stateof-the-art spaces for research, preservation and engagement. These include, but are not limited to:
• The Science Library in Braunstein Hall, which combines both the former ChemistryBiology Library and the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library in one space.
• The Reading Room at the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services.
• The College of Engineering and Applied Science Library that is home to a mural by Francis Wiley Faig that is being restored in partnership with the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
EXPAND OUR IMPACT
Breakthroughs happen when knowledge is shared.
UC Libraries is a hub for collaboration, where scholars, students and faculty connect with collections and expertise to spark new ideas. Our priorities for investment include:
Foster awareness to elevate impact
• Support a library signature event that engages the community, showcases our collections and illuminates the expertise of library faculty and staff such as Poetry
Stacked, the Cecil Striker Annual Lecture or UC DATA Day.
Enrich teaching with collections
• Embed special collections into curriculum with faculty stipends to include rare and primary source materials.
• Invest in digital tools for storytelling, visualization and interactive exhibits, such as the Daniel S. Young Archives.
Empower growth through fellowships
• Fund new discoveries that leverage UC Libraries’ collections through investing in fellowship awards of up to $5,000 to support visiting scholars to conduct research in our Classics Library, Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions and Archives and Rare Books Library.
“For my students, engaging directly with these materials opens up a world of discovery, encouraging sharper observations and deeper curiosity that simply wouldn’t come about if they were looking at flat representations on a classroom LCD screen.”
CHRISTOPHER PLATTS, PhD Assistant Professor of Art History College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning
ENRICH OUR COLLECTIONS
Breakthroughs are built on what we preserve.
Our distinctive collections bring legacies to life by connecting the past to the present and inspiring the future. Their strategic expansion and care are central to our mission as an R1 research institution. With philanthropic support, we can protect and elevate these irreplaceable resources in ways that current funding cannot—ensuring they remain a source of discovery for generations to come.
With your help, we can:
• Expand access to the German-Americana Collection, one of the nation’s largest archives of German-American history and culture, including rare papers from Nuremberg Trial interpreter Werner von Rosenstiel and local historian Don Tolzmann.
• Preserve Cincinnati’s urban story through the lens of photojournalists like Melvin Grier and Daniel Ransohoff, whose work captures the soul of our city.
• Support research in the history of chemistry through the Oesper Collections, a National Historic Chemical Landmark that inspires students and scholars alike.
• Safeguard the history of medicine at the Winkler Center, home to the archives of Albert Sabin, Leland Clark and other pioneers whose work changed lives.
“I’m proud to support the Henry R. Winkler Center’s mission: to build a national and international reputation for excellence in collections, services and programming related to the history of medicine. Supporting the center helps preserve and share the rich history of medicine in Cincinnati and the region.”
PHIL DILLER, MD, PhD Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs & Professor Chair, Henry R. Winkler Center Advisory Board
THANK YOU
Thank you for helping us turn access into opportunity and beginnings into breakthroughs.
Your support of the UC Libraries is more than a gift—it’s a commitment to a future where knowledge is open, history is illuminated and every student has the tools to succeed.
Together, we are building a library system that doesn’t just preserve the past but propels discovery and innovation forward. With your partnership, we can build a future where knowledge knows no boundaries and where every breakthrough begins with access.
CONTACT
Elizabeth Kiscaden
Dean and University Librarian
University of Cincinnati
Elizabeth.Kiscaden@uc.edu
513-556-1515
Chris Pinelo
Director of Development, Academic Affairs
University of Cincinnati Foundation
Chris.Pinelo@foundation.uc.edu
859-466-1089
UC Libraries include:
Archives and Rare Books Library
Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library
College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) Library
College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library
John Miller Burnam Classics Library
Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter
Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP)
Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library
Walter C. Langsam Library
Science Library
Other libraries at UC include the Blue Ash Library, Clermont College Library and the Law Library.
