On Feb. 17, 2006, the McCain Foundation made a $1 million donation to UNB libraries. The gift to the Forging Our Futures campaign is supporting new book acquisitions at Fredericton’s Harriet Irving, Science and Forestry and Engineering libraries and at Saint John’s Ward Chipman Library.
“Our libraries have been one of the keys to our success in teaching and research. This generous gift by the McCain Foundation will give our students and faculty the tools to achieve even greater success. On behalf of all of the many thousands of people who use our libraries, thank the Foundation for their continued support of this University,” said John McLaughlin, UNB President and Vice-Chancellor.
The philanthropic arm of McCain Foods Limited, the McCain Foundation was established to assist charitable organizations within Canada. The Foundation continues the giving tradition of the McCain family with particular emphasis on the communities in which McCain Foods has operations, and on the organizations and institutions that support these communities and their citizens.
“Libraries are central to the university learning experience. They are more than just repositories of books and journals, they are the visible symbol of knowledge and the quest for knowledge which is key to everyone’s university career. They are the quiet center of university life. We are pleased to lend our support to the libraries of UNB and to the university ideal they represent,” said Kathryn McCain, Chair of the McCain Foundation.
Together, the UNB libraries hold more than one million bound volumes, as well as an extensive collection of microforms, government documents and maps. The libraries’ holdings also include many rare books, manuscripts and other special collections.
“Books are the fundamental building blocks of library collections. While UNB’s student population has grown, book acquisition has declined in recent years because of rising costs. This generous gift by the McCain Foundation will go a long way to restoring that balance and creating a foundation for future growth,” said John Teskey, Director of Libraries.
More information about the Forging Our Futures campaign can be found online at www.unbfutures.ca.