Endowment Will Expand ACU's Africana Studies Collection

Abilene Christian University's Brown Library has received a new endowment fund for its Africana Studies Collection. The new fund, the Christopher and Mary Lou Hutson Africana Studies Collection Endowment, will help the library to collect new materials, resources, and books on African American and African Diaspora history, literature, and religion. It is the third largest endowment the library has ever received.  James Wiser, ACU’s Dean of Library Services and Educational Technology, says this is an important opportunity for ACU, "As we elevate our academic profile, it's really important that we build a larger library, in terms of collection, maybe not physical library, but in terms of having more books, having more diverse books. And so every little bit helps."
 
Wiser says the endowment will expand the library's collection to feature new narratives and support minority owned independent bookstores, "We've always bought books written by African American authors, or books about the African American experience in the U.S. But this endowment is somewhat transformational in that it allows us to be intentional about that."  Wiser says he’s open to the fund expanding, as well as establishing new ones to provide materials and books that highlight underrepresented groups.