Fundraising Priorities

The Library’s fundraising priorities are driven by projects that nurture and advance our mission and embrace our values. We are a diverse and inclusive community focused on supporting the University’s faculty, students, alumni and researchers; embracing curiosity, experimentation and learning through open and equitable access to knowledge and collaborative partnerships.

Annual Fund

Gifts to the Library Annual Fund are unrestricted and provide critical flexible support ensuring the Library can respond to opportunities as they arise, as well as present exhibitions and public events to showcase our collections and the difference we make to distinguished scholarship in Chicago and around the world.

Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC)

The BMRC is a membership association of libraries, universities, museums, community/arts organizations, and other archival institutions, based at the University of Chicago Library. The BMRC's mission is to connect all who seek to document, share, understand, and preserve Black experiences. It is the vision of the BMRC to be essential to promoting discovery, preservation, and use of Black historical collections.

Civic Engagement Fund

Community partnership is a priority for the University and the Library. Gifts to the Civic Engagement Fund enable the Library to develop collaborations with local institutions and individuals to share knowledge, preserve cultural heritage, and help create job opportunities in information management.

Conservation and Preservation Fund

Preserving the Library’s physical and digital collections is an investment in the future that ensures students and scholars can continue to take advantage of our resources. With millions of books and materials in circulation every year, the Preservation team repairs and stabilizes these essential resources for future generations.

Freedom to Read Fund

Learning and creating knowledge require the freedom to explore, to discuss and to share views and ideas. A discourse that allows for disagreement and where divergent perspectives are heard makes us all stronger. The Freedom to Read Fund enables the Library to acquire materials that have been restricted in order to facilitate access for all who seek knowledge. The Fund also enables research and debate on book bans through a program of events.

Library Fund for Books

The Fund for Books enables the Library to acquire materials in print and digital formats, ensuring scholars have the resources they need to learn and explore.

Year of Games (Special Collections Fund)

A donation to the Library's Special Collections Fund will support the campus-wide initiative for the Year of Games led by the Library. During 2025-26 the University campus will be filled with pop-up events, symposia, competitions, an exhibition at the Library (Charting Imaginary Worlds: Why Fantasy and Games are Inseparable), and much more.