Some of the donors to the Mizzou Libraries prefer to remain anonymous. We know alumni and friends are interested in the stories behind the gifts; so we are sharing this story while respecting the donor’s wishes.
Beginning in the spring of 2018, thanks to an introduction from our friend and conservator James Downey at Legacy Book Bindery, we met a gentleman with a unique collection of rare books and manuscripts. For two and a half years our special collections librarians have been working with this extremely rare collection of medieval materials – digitizing, cataloging and sharing it with faculty and students. In the past year, our anonymous donor has given the Libraries $60,000 worth of early-printed books and two separate gifts of $100,000. The first gift established an endowment for the study of the book, and the second gift will help us improve our special collections storage spaces. This relationship is among the most important and exciting the Libraries have known. It wouldn’t feel like a celebration of our successful campaign without an anonymous shoutout. In the years to come there will undoubtedly be more written about this collection and the impact this donor has made. Today our big message is THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone that made our campaign a success and helps to further the mission of the University of Missouri and the Libraries.