Your generosity as a donor makes a world of difference in the lives of students, researchers, and the UAlbany community.
The University at Albany Libraries wish to express our appreciation for your contribution to Library Development. Your gifts help us to create state of the art facilities, provide world-class resources to students and researchers, and develop innovative and imaginative programs.
Below you will find recent examples of your gifts at use in the University Libraries.

MSIS student Brittany Patton tests out a virtual reality (VR) headset
VR/Augmented Reality and Video Game Collection
In collaboration with a new, interdisciplinary Game Design degree, the University at Albany Libraries began a quest to create a video game collection. This new collection will support the Game Design students, but also provide entertainment options for the university community and support a larger shift toward experiential pedagogy and nontraditional methods of exploring ideas. The VR/augmented reality headsets and equipment are already a huge hit!

Student David Finch "test drives" a VR racing game
Awards and Scholarships
The University Libraries supports a number of awards and scholarships. These include, among others:

MSIS student Maggie Zehr (second from left) receives the Alice Hastings Murphy Scholarship
Wellbeing Book Collection
Developed as a collaboration with the Office of Health Promotion, this collection provides practical tools for personal growth and resilience in higher education. Supporting student mental health and academic success, the collection offers resources on stress management, mindfulness, and work-life balance. It empowers students to thrive in college.

Students practicing yoga at The Well on Colonial Quad
Updated Space and Furniture
In April 2023, the University Libraries introduced The Minerva Room. This multipurpose space is located in the lower level of the University Library, previously the Current Periodicals Reading Room. The Minerva Room has twenty half-moon tables, each on wheels, and eighty seats, allowing for a variety of accommodations and configurations. Since opening, the space has been frequently used for events, meetings, and studying. Other furniture includes high-top tables in the University Library and Science Library, with more on the way!

The Minerva Room