By Dan Adkins

UK Director of Libraries Paul Willis said success in building the endowment stems from ongoing efforts of William T. Young as the library campaign chairperson.

Sept. 29, 2000 – (Lexington, Ky.) – Recent gifts to the University of Kentucky Libraries have pushed the book endowment to $55 million, an amount that tops all other public institutions and is second only to Harvard in a recent survey.

The spring 2000 survey by Virginia Tech showed UK’s endowment stood at $21.147 million in 1999, but the amount was doubled by gifts received since the survey was conducted. Two gifts, totaling $5.025 million, were reported to the UK Board of Trustees last week, bringing the book endowment to $55 million.

UK Director of Libraries Paul Willis said success in building the endowment stems from the ongoing efforts of William T. Young as the library campaign chairperson, and the positive reactions to the new library that bears his name.The William T. Young Library, which opened in April 1998, vastly increased student and faculty access to information via technology and has attracted more than 2.6 million on-site visits.

The Virginia Tech survey was based on figures reported during 1999.  The survey assembled figures reported by public universities and private institutions that chose to participate.