Parents' support of library continues to strengthen

Gifts to the Parents' Fund will help provide books and databases for Mitchell Memorial Library when renovation and expansion are completed this fall.

The renovation and expansion project at Mississippi State's Mitchell Memorial Library will be complete by the beginning of the fall semester. And the parents of the university's students are quietly building an endowment to make sure the state-of-the-art facility has the most up-to-date books and materials.

This past spring, nearly 1,300 parents of Mississippi State students contributed more than $83,000 to the 1995 Parents' Fund. Student callers contacted some 9,000 parents during the month-long telemarketing drive.

Contributions to the Parents' Fund are placed in an endowment and the interest earned annually is used to purchase much-needed books and electronic information databases for the library.

Dean of University Libraries John Gaboury has seen the commitment of the parents grow since the Parents' Fund was begun in 1992.

"The support of our parents is stronger each year," said Gaboury. “They can see the outstanding education this university is providing for their children, and the pivotal role that a strong and vibrant library plays in that quality education.

"With their continued support of the Parents' Fund, Mitchell Memorial Library will be among the most resourceful and cutting-edge facilities in the Southeast."

The $14.6 million renovation and expansion is transforming Mitchell Memorial Library into a high-tech facility equipped with electronic classrooms, the Scholarly Information Network, and access to the Internet. These services provide students, faculty, and researchers with access to worldwide databases, collections, and information technologies.

If you are interested in making a gift to the Parents' Fund for Mitchell Memorial Library, contact J. Mark Hutchins, director of annual giving, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Phone: 662-325-2434.