Yale News
The University renamed the Center for Science and Social Science Information the Marx Science and Social Science Library after a family of Yale alumni created a permanent endowment for it.
The gift, which was announced last week, will support library initiatives in science and data-intensive social science, according to Associate University Librarian for Science, Social Science and Medicine Jill Parchuck.The endowment will aid developments in data management, geographic information systems and statistical analysis tools and methods.
Nancy Marx Better ’84 said her family holds a deep connection to Yale, where four generations of family members have received undergraduate and graduate degrees. She cited this involvement, coupled with a desire to contribute to Yale’s research capabilities, as reasons for the donation.
“We all feel very strongly about the importance of Yale’s libraries which are the heart of the university in so many ways,” Better said. “With Yale’s growth in the science and social sciences, it became apparent that additional resources would be needed to build the library’s capability for research, scholarship and teaching.”
The Marx Library, located in Kline Biology Tower, remains closed due to the ongoing COVID-9 crisis. Still, Parchuck said students can access library resources by working remotely with librarians and statistical consultants. She pointed to possible consultations via online platforms as well as options to attend virtual library workshops or access research guides — curated collections of resources on specific topics listed on the library website. Staff librarians have also helped faculty members with remote research.
According to Better, the current crisis highlights the importance of library resources.
“At this particular time with what is facing the world, I think that having a forward leaning library in the sciences and social sciences could be a real advantage for Yale,” she said.
Better added that the Marx Library will become more important for research as it acquires new materials. Better also mentioned that the endowment will support both traditional library materials, such as books and manuscripts, as well as “a new breed” of materials such as data sets.
In an email to the News, University Librarian Susan Gibbons wrote that she is “profoundly grateful” toward Better and the Marx family.
“Their generosity will strengthen Marx Library and its critical role in supporting the sciences and social sciences at Yale,” she wrote.
Kline Biology Tower is located at 219 Prospect St.