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Franklin D. Schurz Library

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Friends of the IU South Bend Library


Libraries are where people “…lower their voices and raise their minds.” - - Richard Armour

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

The two quotes above describe what the IU South Bend Library and Educational Resource Commons are all about. We provide the resources and services that can raise people’s minds and enhance their lives, careers, and intellectual pursuits so that they may go in any direction and to whatever destination that they choose. And it is the Friends of the IU South Bend Libraries who help us achieve these goals every day.

The Friends of the IU South Bend Libraries is comprised of individuals dedicated to supporting the Schurz Library and the Educational Resource Commons. Any individual who has a love for books and reading, and who clearly understands the critical role of information in education, research, and every aspect of modern life can become a member of the Friend of the IU South Bend Libraries. Friends contribute their time, donate books from their personal libraries, give advice and encouragement, and make financial contributions that enable the Libraries to achieve much more than would be otherwise possible.

Through the generosity of the Friends of the IU South Bend Libraries, we are able to:

  • Give scholarships to one or more student workers each year. These students must have completed 3 semesters of work in the Schurz Library or ERC and maintained a grade point average of 2.7.
  • Give free coffee during the evenings of final exam weeks – a “perk” our students really enjoy!
  • Provide customer service training to every new library employee
  • Sponsor the Library Speaker series, featuring speakers covering wide-ranging topics such as Native American Literature, the use of Maasai artifacts to teach cultural understanding, the Amish in Northern Indiana, the USA PATRIOT Act and the Challenge to Academic Freedom, and the “Chopsticks-Fork Principle.”
  • Add books to our collections either by giving us books that support our curriculum or allowing us to sell used books in our Annual Book Sale whose proceeds help us purchase new material.

    Friends of the Library receive our biannual Newsletter and invitations to all Library sponsored events. If you wish to become a Friend

    • by joining the Friends of the Library, please fill out the application form and sent it back to the Schurz Library
    • by donating your time, please contact Sue LeFevre, Library Business Operations Manager at (574) 520-4404 or slefevre@iusb.edu
    • by donating your books and other related material, please contact Susan Thomas, Head of Collection Development at (574) 520-5500 or suethoma@iusb.edu
    • by making a monetary donation, please send your check payable to Indiana University Foundation to the Franklin D. Schurz Library, Indiana University South Bend, P.O. Box 7111, South Bend, Indiana 46634.

    Remember, all gifts are tax-deductible.

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    We are grateful for your support of the Schurz Library and the Educational Resource Commons at Indiana University South Bend!