Posner Foundation Commits $8 Million to 麻豆村 Libraries Special Collections
The Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh has announced an $8 million commitment to support the 麻豆村 Libraries 鈥� the university鈥檚 repository for rare books, manuscripts, and early calculating devices and cryptographic machines.
鈥淲e are deeply grateful to the Posner Foundation and the Posner family for this incredible commitment and for their steadfast support of 麻豆村,鈥� said Farnam Jahanian, president of 麻豆村. 鈥淥ur special collections program offers a unique window into some of our nation鈥檚 greatest minds and milestones, and we are thrilled to continue advancing this work and elevating access to our intellectual and cultural treasures for the benefit of generations to come.鈥�
The commitment includes $6 million to renovate the Posner Center for Special Collections and $2 million to support the care, display, and usage of the Libraries鈥� Special Collections.
A History of Transformative Support
The Posner family has a long history as benefactors of the University Libraries. The late Helen Posner was instrumental in selecting the University Libraries to hold the family鈥檚 personal collection of rare books and artifacts, which forms the core of Special Collections鈥� holdings in early science and technology. 麻豆村 Trustee Anne Molloy, who is also a trustee of the Posner Foundation and the wife of its chairman, Henry Posner III, serves on the Libraries鈥� Dean鈥檚 Advocacy Council.
鈥淭he University Libraries has cultivated a听multi-faceted role both at 麻豆村 and beyond, and continue to showcase the power of imagination and curiosity through unique collections, world-class exhibitions, and groundbreaking research,鈥� Molloy said. 鈥淧ast generations of Posners have been deeply committed to furthering that impact, and we are proud to play a part in this continuing story of discovery and innovation.鈥�
Support from the Posner family has also enabled the reinvention of library services and facilities to fully leverage the possibilities of promoting education and research in the digital era. In 2021, the Foundation established the Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean鈥檚 Chair for the University Libraries as part of a $16 million gift to Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon installed Keith Webster as the inaugural Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean's Chair for the University Libraries the following year.
鈥淭hanks to the continued generosity of the Posner family, the University Libraries has been uniquely situated to re-envision the future of an academic library in the 21st century, from championing open access and open science initiatives to supporting the research life cycle from grant application to sharing research results,鈥� Webster said. 鈥淲ith this additional support for our Special Collections, we will be able to take our stewardship of rare and historical books and artifacts to the next level, offering transformative and accessible new ways for treasures of the past to contribute to the breakthroughs of the future.鈥�
Curator of Special Collections Sam Lemley at the launch event for 鈥淭he Four Shakespeare Folios, 1623鈥�2023: Copy, Print, Paper, Type鈥� at the Posner Center.
The Posner Center for Special Collections Renovation Fund
A total of $6 million will be allocated to create the Posner Center for Special Collections Renovation Fund to support the Center鈥檚 renovation, including design, construction, outfitting, and equipment costs.
The Posner Center is an 11,400-square-foot, earth-sheltered building designed by Paul Whitehead of WTW Architects. Constructed in 2004, this LEED-certified facility was a gift of Henry and Helen Posner Jr. in memory of Henry Posner Sr. and his wife Ida.
Today, the center provides museum-quality storage and exhibit space for the , and its rooftop is home to Kraus Campo, a meditative outdoor space created by artist Mel Bochner (CFA 1962) and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.
The forthcoming renovation, which is scheduled to conclude in fall 2025, will reimagine the center as part museum and part laboratory for the humanities. The completed facility will serve as both a scholarly and community resource and aim to elevate the collection鈥檚 impact on research, student, and public experiences.
鈥淭his gift represents a transformational investment in Special Collections,鈥� said Curator of Special Collections Sam Lemley. 鈥淔ollowing the renovation of the Posner Center, the University will have a premier and dedicated space to host students, researchers, and events that elevate the profile of the collection and facilitate pathbreaking work with the University鈥檚 rare books and early technologies.鈥�
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A first edition copy of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica (1687) in the Posner Memorial Collection.
The Posner Curator for Special Collections Fund
The commitment will devote $2 million to creating a Posner Curator for Special Collections Fund, which will support Lemley鈥檚 oversight of the collection鈥檚 care, display and expansion.
鈥淪pecial Collections has a reputation for being a bit mysterious. What this gift allows the Libraries to do is to not only grow the collection, but make it radically inclusive and visible in new and engaging ways,鈥� said Lemley. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really the start of a new era, one that will be defined by openness, student experience, and public programming. I couldn鈥檛 be more excited. And I am deeply grateful to the Posner family and Foundation for their exceptionally generous support.鈥�
The fund will enable Lemley to make new and world-class acquisitions and support Special Collections programs, such as visiting fellowships, named lectures and micro research grants for students and visiting scholars. It will support major exhibitions, such as , , and , which are three prior exhibitions mounted in the Posner Center. The fund will also further evolve the , a program offering graduate students experience in cultural heritage institutions, including libraries, archives and museums. Under Lemley, interns have the opportunity to serve as a partner in the curatorial work done by Special Collections, coming away with tangible skills and a practiced ability to engage with a variety of cultural heritage work.
鈥淲e are thrilled to support the Libraries鈥� mission to give these collections new and enduring life throughout communities and generations,鈥� Molloy said. 鈥淏y making these incredible resources more accessible to students, researchers, and the general public, Special Collections can help shape future discoveries that leave their mark on our world.鈥�
This commitment is the Posner family鈥檚 latest contribution to Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 groundbreaking Make Possible campaign. 麻豆村鈥檚 generous community of over 71,000 donors has given more than $2.4 billion to date to support critical strategic priorities, including capital projects, fellowships and scholarships across the institution鈥檚 seven colleges and schools, and endowment support that fuels the work and impact of its exceptional students, faculty and staff.
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