John and Elizabeth Stahr Fund Strengthens Collections

Thanks to the generosity of UCI Medal recipients John and Elizabeth Stahr, the Libraries recently acquired an array of significant research resources. Stanford graduates who are longtime library advocates, the Stahrs recognize that the UCI Libraries function as centers of excellence for the University’s research and instruction across all academic disciplines. Their support stems from both their high regard for quality research and scholarship and their firm commitment to educating future generations. This vision led the couple to establish the John and Elizabeth Stahr Library Fund in 2002 as a lead gift to launch the Libraries’ Building Collections of Excellence campaign.

The purpose of the Fund is to acquire significant research materials at the discretion of the University Librarian. In recognition of the Stahrs’ appreciation for the full breadth of scholarship, University Librarian Gerry Munoff chose a diverse selection of significant items recommended by subject specialist librarians.

The Humanities are represented by two important digital resources, both available via the Libraries’ website: The Oxford Classical Dictionary, a key resource for classicists working in a variety of humanistic areas, and the web edition of the full run of Sur magazine (1931-1992), one of the most influential Latin American literary magazines of the 20th century.

The purchases also include three major print reference works published in 2003. Computational Methods in Biophysics, Biomaterials, Biotechnology and Medical Systems: Algorithm Development, Mathematical Analysis, and Diagnostics serves a wide array of scientists working in interdisciplinary areas of the physical, biological and medical sciences, while the Nature Encyclopedia of the Human Genome documents in detail the accomplishments of one of modern science’s most far-reaching collaborative projects. In the social sciences, Macmillan’s eight-volume Encyclopedia of Education, the 2nd edition of a work first published in 1971, brings the field comprehensively up to date.

Two selections in the arts reside in Special Collections and Archives. A key resource for historians of dance is Raoul-Auger Feuillet’s Chorégraphie, ou L’art de décrire la dance, published in 1701. And from the mid-20th century, a series of eight photographic enlargements from the Barbara Morgan Archive document Martha Graham’s revolutionary choreography.

The Stahrs have a long history of outstanding philanthropy and inspirational leadership dedicated to the mission, spirit, and vision of UC Irvine. Their generous financial contributions, as well as their many years of creative volunteer leadership, have played a profound role throughout UCI’s 40-year history.

For more information about opportunities to support the Libraries’ Building Collections of Excellence initiative, please contact Marge Brannon, Director of Development (mbrannon@uci.edu or x49339).