The newly opened Sara Miller McCune Arts Library at UC Santa Barbara culminates a multiyear effort to unite library collections and services in a central, state-of-the-art space. It also represents the vision of its namesake, a longstanding donor to the university.
“Libraries are a place to learn, to explore, to read and they are often the doors to higher education,” Miller McCune said. “I am very proud to have made a contribution to this particular library and to be part of the future of scholarship at UCSB.”
“This gift to UC Santa Barbara Library is another demonstration of Sara Miller McCune's commitment to philanthropy in Santa Barbara, as well as her support for the arts and higher education,” added Chancellor Henry Yang. “We are proud to recognize Sara's contributions with this named arts library and celebrate her legacy of giving.”
The space, located on the first floor, mountain-side of the main UCSB Library, combines the existing Art & Architecture Collection with the Music Library Collection that was previously located in the Music Building. At the same time, it opens the area with all-new study spaces — from booths and desks to couches and shared tables — and high-density compact shelving for print collections. By reservation, UCSB affiliates also have access to a multimedia studio for recording audio and video, a media lab for post production, listening and seminar rooms and an upright piano. Unreserved rooms are also available on a drop-in basis.
“We are now able to better serve our students, faculty and the scholarly community with a beautiful new space befitting a top-tier research institution,” said Interim University Librarian Alan Grosenheider.
Miller McCune founded global academic publisher Sage Publishing in 1965 to promote and preserve research and education, particularly in the social and behavioral sciences.
Over the past three decades, Miller McCune and her late-husband George D. McCune, often working in conjunction with the company, have made a deep philanthropic imprint at UCSB, including: SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind; SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences; Miller McCune Executive Director of Arts & Lectures; George D. McCune Dissertation Fellowship in Communication; McCune Conference Room at the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center; and the Sara Miller McCune Endowed Internship and Public Service program at the Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life. Her philanthropy has also sponsored ongoing programing, such as the Imagining California speaker series and many Arts & Lectures events and series.
Her gift in 2015 established the Sara Miller McCune University Library Innovation Fund, which fueled the new arts library project.
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