The Parents Fund: Supporting UW Libraries

The Parents Program is an ongoing campaign of the UW Foundation that raises money to support student projects that are beyond the capacity of basic instructional programs funded through the university’s operating budget.

The Parents Program seeks to improve the quality of life and instruction for all UW-Madison students.

As a key support system for learning in all disciplines, the UW-Madison Libraries have benefited greatly from the Parents Fund in recent years. For example, the fund was used to enhance multiple aspects of the undergraduate experience in various campus libraries on campus, such as in College, Memorial, and Steenbock libraries.

• Attractive reading areas were created for three heavily used collections.
• The new Information Commons in Steenbock Library with more study space and a computer lab.
• New chairs were purchased for group-study and quiet-study areas.
• More plug-ins with campus network connections were added for laptop use, and several laptops were purchased for check-out by students.
• The Open Book Cafe opened in College Library in 2003.

Since its inception in 1989, the Parents Fund has received $5.1 million from more than 109,000 parents.

To donate to the UW Foundation Parents Fund, which will again be supporting the UW-Madison Libraries in the coming year, make checks payable to “UW Foundation – Parents Fund” and send them to:

University of Wisconsin Foundation
P.O. Box 8860
Madison, Wis. 53708-8860

For more information, please contact Niki Graham at the UW Foundation, either by phone (608-263-0372) or e-mail Niki Graham.