As the Dean of University Libraries at UMass Amherst – the largest publicly supported research library in New England – it is my goal to increase the Libraries’ ability to engage with students and faculty in support of teaching, learning, and research. Serving the needs of an active university like UMass Amherst requires the Libraries to be creative, flexible, and proactive, and your generosity in giving to the Dean's Fund for Library Excellence allows us to address new opportunities and initiatives as they arise. This means we’re able to underwrite critical projects, focus on programs that enhance student success and advance social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and make capital improvements to facilitate learning and knowledge production. We are also able to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for use by all and acquire notable materials and collections that further opportunities for research and build critical skills that our graduates will use to solve problems of the world.
Nandita Mani, PhD
Dean of Libraries