Support the Library

“Nobody graduates from a library, but nobody graduates without one.” – Anonymous

Your contribution to the library will help to fulfill our goal of fostering intellectual and professional growth, enriching the research, teaching, and learning environment, and promoting the effective use of knowledge by managing and delivering information resources and services to library users.

If you would like to discuss any of the following funding opportunities, or other ways of supporting your library, please contact Michal Biletzki.

Current Funding Priorities

National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Fund

Donations to this fund will be directly matched by the NEH challenge grant to support Research Infrastructure for Digital Scholarship at the Library. For every $3 raised, the NEH will provide an additional $1, up to a total of $500,000.

Dean’s Innovation Fund

Gifts to the Library Dean’s Innovation Fund create and support transformative initiatives and services such as the 3D Studio, GIS, and data visualization, and builds new collections and collaborative learning spaces.

Archives/Documenting Boston

The Archives and Special Collections houses and carefully curates a diverse and growing collection of historical records relating to Boston’s fight for social justice. Our charge is to preserve the history of Boston’s social movements, including civil and political rights, immigrant rights, homelessness, and urban and environmental justice. We focus on the history of Boston’s communities, public infrastructure, neighborhoods, and natural environments.

Library Dean’s Fund for Student Initiatives

This fund will be used to recognize and support student scholarly excellence and to support services, activities, and events that introduce or encourage students to use all the resources and facilities offered by the library.

Library Resources Fund

This fund supports the acquisition of resources for the library’s collections.

Naming Opportunities

Physical Spaces

Snell Library opened its doors in 1990 and is the heart of the campus community, with over 2 million visitors a year. The library began planning a major renovation project in 2020 and by 2024 the Northeastern community will enjoy a completely transformed environment in which to study, create, learn, and engage. By making a donation to the library and naming a space, you become part of our transformation.

Endowed Funds

Endowed funds are permanent funds to be used for specific purposes and activities to sustain the work at the library. Your endowment gift helps provide for the future of the library by ensuring continued resources from your investment. An endowed gift can be made to honor your, or a loved one’s, lifelong relationship with Northeastern and with the Library, and can be fulfilled through a multi-year commitment. Current endowment gifts are needed to support the purchase and preservation of Library collections, a lecture series, and research programs. Endowments begin at $100,000 and generate annual revenue that continue to support your passions in perpetuity.

Honorary & Memorial Gifts

Memorial and honorary gifts are a meaningful way to recognize a loved one, commemorate a special occasion, or honor a friend or faculty member who impacted your Northeastern experience. Please enclose a note with your gift indicating the name of the honoree and the name and address of the person(s) you’d like notified of your gift.

Planned Giving

Planned gifts have a transformative impact on our students and faculty, and advance innovative pathways in education and research. By allocating your gift through a will or estate plan, you can make a meaningful, lasting contribution to Northeastern—and meet your own financial and charitable goals. To recognize generous donors who have made estate provisions or other planned gifts, the university confers membership in the Frank Palmer Speare Society.

Gifts-In-Kind (Books, Artwork, Etc.)

Due to space constraints and the ongoing transition to electronic information resources, the Library does not accept gifts of books nor print materials. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact our Collection Development Librarian, Amy Lewontin.

The Library does accept particular organizational records and personal papers and may consider rare books, prints and archival materials as well as unique materials that support teaching and research on a case-by-case basis. Gifts-in-kind are accepted on the understanding that the Library becomes the sole owner of the materials. For more information, please see our gift book donations policy.