Enabling the Edge of Excellence at Dacus!

A New Library Building. For Dacus to move from a 20th century library to a 21st century one this Edge of Excellence goal erects a new building.  The university has placed before the South Carolina legislature one request:  funds for a new library building to be located on the west side of campus.  Estimates for the new building are $35 million. (For more, see http://www.winthrop.edu/president/educationbydesign/library.htm

Book and Periodical Endowment Fund. Dacus has over half a million volumes in its collection, making it the 4th largest in South Carolina.  But to push Dacus to the edge of excellence, our goal is $1 million to be place in an endowment fund for library materials.

Makers of the Mind Lecture Series. Libraries are not only about books and bytes but they are especially about ideas. We’d like to showcase the best minds to talk about new ideas in science, medicine, law, philosophy, theology and literature. If college is, indeed, to be a place of the mind, then such a series is required. To get us to the edge of excellence, our goal is $250,000.

Digitization Projects.  Winthrop Archives houses many one-of-a-kind collections, such as the Nathan Asch papers or the Gilchrist collection.  Because of advances in web technology, many such papers can be made available to literally millions of users through digitization, a process that makes such materials readable over the Web while preserving the integrity of those materials.  To get Dacus to the edge of excellence, our goal is $300,000.

Rare Books and Papers.  The Pettus Archives is already home to many rare materials including a letter from George Washington and numerous fist editions.  To move that collection to the edge of excellence, however, we need to be able to acquire more rare materials or the papers of many significant writers, thinkers, politicians and the like.  Our goal is $500,000.

Dacus Professional Development Fund.  Dacus is home to 13 professional librarians and 17 paraprofessionals.  Making sure all these excellent employees stay current is an arduous task.  Moreover, it’s estimated that by 2010, at least 45% of the library profession will be at or near retirement.  This Edge of Excellence Fund would allow us to continue education in a rapidly changing environment while also allowing us to “grow out own” professional by helping worthy paraprofessionals move to the next level of service in their education.  Our goal is $400,000.

Traveling Exhibits and Lectures.  Both the Library of Congress and the State Library of South Carolina offer numerous traveling exhibits designed especially for libraries.  These costly exhibits make for excellent opportunity for students to learn outside the classroom while also providing the larger Rock Hill community a wonderful chance to enjoy the intellectual labors of our faculty.  This Edge of Excellence Fund would enable Dacus to host four or more such exhibits, lectures and receptions annually.  Our goal is $275,000.

If you would like to join us in our plans for these exciting goals, please contact Winthrop University's or feel free to refer to the University Development Office web-site.

For more information, please at the library.