Claflin University Spearheads the South Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities' Library Technology Initiative

“We’re very excited about this historic opportunity for the South Carolina HBCU libraries.  The funding will support the collaboration among the institutions and will under gird  teaching and research opportunities for faculty and students."  Ms. Marilyn Gibbs, Library Director, Claflin University

By Helene Carter

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation donated $45,000 for a Planning Grant and $150,000 for an HBCU Library Technology Initiative Grant to benefit libraries at South Carolina’s HBCUs 

Claflin University was selected to spearhead the South Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities' (SCHBCU) Library Technology Initiative to upgrade access to online journal storage databases. 

Initially, Claflin was awarded a $45,000 Planning Grant to assess the needs for the JSTOR online journal storage database.  Participating colleges and universities include Benedict College, Claflin University, Clinton Junior College, Morris College, South Carolina State University, and Voorhees College.

Upon completion of the planning process, the university submitted the Implementation Grant proposal and received approval for $150,000.  This grant will provide funding for first year's annual access fees, the capital fee for each of the participating HBCUs, and a training fee for Claflin University. 

JSTOR, originally conceived by William G. Bowen, former President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, began as an effort to ease the increasing problems faced by libraries seeking to provide adequate stack space for the long runs of back files of scholarly journals. The idea was to convert the back issues of paper journals into electronic formats that would allow savings in space (and in capital costs associated with that space) while simultaneously improving access to the journal content.  It was also hoped that the project might offer a solution to preservation problems associated with storing paper volumes.  

A major benefit of the Foundation's investment will be to the vast number of students, faculty and staff members who will have access to broad online journal storage through the JSTOR database collections for research.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is an independent foundation, established in 1940 in Delaware as Avalon Foundation; incorporated in 1954 in New York; merged with Old Dominion Foundation and renamed the Andrew E. Mellon Foundation in 1969.  Located in New York, New York, they award grants on a selective basis for higher education; cultural affairs, including the humanities, museums, art conservation, and performing arts; conservation and the environment; and public affairs.