FAYETTEVILLE -- A planned gift to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville will create an endowment supporting the dean of University Libraries.
The estate gift from unnamed donors will create a $3 million endowment for the library dean position and a $1.5 million endowment for a professor position in the library's special collections unit, according to the university's announcement.
"Endowing these two key positions is critical for the libraries' aspirations to grow our collections, expertise and recruitment as we strive to keep pace with the university's growing research endeavors," Jason Battles, dean of UA libraries, said in a statement.
In addition, a $600,000 gift will support planned renovations to Mullins Library, the main campus library at UA.
The University of Arkansas board of trustees, set to meet Wednesday and Thursday at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus, will consider project approval for what board documents describe as an estimated $35.5 million to $41.5 million renovation of the first and second floors of the building.
The renovation would include asbestos removal and the completion of a fire sprinkler system, as well as possible new space such as a "larger and more accessible special collections reading room," according to board documents.
In August, UA reopened the library's third and fourth floors after renovations that included new collaboration and study rooms for students. The first phase of renovations cost just under $25 million, said Kelsey Lovewell Lippard, public relations director for UA libraries.