Midway University receives $2 million gift for new library

Republished from WEKU.

A small university in Woodford County has been given a very large gift. Midway University received a $2 million dollar grant from the James A. and Martha R. Brown Charitable Foundation for a new library. Tim Culver is Midway University’s vice president for advancement.

“We’ve converted the top floor of our existing library to housing. But in order to stay accredited, you have to have a library. So before we can convert the rest of the library, we have to have a new facility.”

According to a school news release, it’s the largest single donation in foundation history. Midway College became Midway University in 2015. The next year, it went co-ed. Adding male students helped the school begin eight straight years of enrollment growth – and a need for a new library.

“This is going to have space for collaboration, tutoring, small group study spaces, it’ll still have some stacks, but it’s going to have, you know, some seminar rooms and work areas, maybe even a cafe is part of it.”

Culver said the university has raised about half of the $9 million needed for the new, 20,000 square feet building.

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Originally published by WEKU.

Republished with permission.

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2024-02-07/midway-university-receives-2-million-gift-for-new-library