Initiatives and Priorities

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Archives

The Appalachian Trail is a national treasure. The longest hiking-only footpath in the world, it measures roughly 2,190 miles in length and travels through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain Range, from Maine to Georgia. More than 3 million people hike the trail every year.

The century-old history of this national treasure recently travelled to a new home. In May 2022, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) archival collection moved to the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of the George Mason University Libraries to be professionally catalogued, preserved, and made widely available to the public.

The University Libraries request you consider supporting this major archival project to preserve and share the history of one of our nation’s greatest national treasures. With adequate funding secured, the goal is to have the Appalachian Trail collection fully curated, selectively digitized and made broadly available within a period of two years.

If you have questions, please e-mail Kathleen Kehoe, Director of Development at kkehoe@gmu.edu.

Libraries’ Student Research Endowment

The University Libraries’ Advisory Board has proposed to create a new endowment in support of excellence in student research at Mason. To signal their support, they have made a combined challenge gift to launch this initiative. The Libraries’ Student Research Endowment will provide recognition and monetary support for Mason students by funding a new Graduate Student Fellowship and a new Undergraduate Student Research Prize each academic year. We believe student research skills learned today at Mason benefit the lives of many in the future, as is demonstrated by the current output by both students and faculty research efforts related to the crucial field of global public health. If you would like to support student research and education, please join us here. If you have questions, please e-mail Kathleen Kehoe, Director of Development.

Center for Mason Legacies

The Center for Mason Legacies (CML) is a new interdisciplinary and collaborative research center established by the University Libraries and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. CML's mission is to preserve and examine the legacy of George Mason IV (1725-1792), his ancestors and heirs, and the people he enslaved. The Center engages student researchers in studying the past and present influences of our university's namesake through a combination of scholarly research, public history, teaching innovation, and community outreach. Gifts to the CML fund will allow us to provide stipends to graduate and undergraduate student assistants, offer internship opportunities, enable public programming and community outreach, and establish future initiatives. If you would like to support the work of the Center for Mason Legacies, please join us here.

Naming Opportunities

There are a number of naming opportunities available in Fenwick Library and other Libraries’ branch locations. If you are interested in naming a room, study carrel, or other facility, please e-mail Kathleen Kehoe, Director of Development.

Established Endowments

Help University Libraries obtain the critical resources needed to meet the growing and evolving academic needs while personalizing a gift for the future.

Gifts-in-Kind

The Libraries welcome gifts of books, manuscripts, music, and other research materials to enrich the collections and archives.