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Giving to the MBLWHOI Library

Historically, and to this day, one of the great biological libraries in the world."
~ Eric R. Kandel, Nobel Laureate

For over a century, the MBLWHOI Library has been the intellectual heart of the Woods Hole scientific community. Today the Library is internationally recognized as defining current trends and practices in marine information sciences and bioinformatics. Giving to the Library will help us to continue to build one of the most unique print and electronic literature collections in the biological, biomedical, ecological, and oceanographic sciences.

How to Give

Contact Jennifer Walton, Co-Director to discuss your support interests, or Give Online now.

Computer with scans of book picturing fish

Levels of Support

  • Library Friend - $100
  • Library Reader - $500
  • Science Literature Fellow - $1,000
  • Archivist - $5,000
  • Rare Books Conservator - $10,000
  • Historian of the Archives - $25,000
  • Patron of the Archive (Rare Books Room naming) - $250,000

Rare Books Program

In 1888, C.O. Whitman, the MBL's first director, wrote "a library is a necessity in such a laboratory. We must have, at a minimum to begin with, all the important journals now printed in the four principal languages (French, English, German, Italian)."

From that first directive a research library founded and the beginnings of a Rare Book collection and Archive begun. Currently, the Rare Books collection and Archive contain a prestigious history of American biology and serve scholars and students alike. From a Nobel Prize to a death mask, to books printed in the 16th century, this intellectual oasis lends a special perspective to the research efforts in Woods Hole, and with the advent of digitization - the world!

Give now to one of our endowed funds for the Rare Books program listed below, or contact Library Co-Director Jennifer Walton to learn more.

Endowed Funds for Rare Books and Journals

  • Thomas A. and Gloria S. Borgese
  • Fred Harris Daniels Foundation
  • Frank MacNaught
  • Robert Huettner
  • MBL Associates
  • Edward and Susie Rowland
  • Marilyn and David Sheprow

Other endowed funds

Endowed funds are critical to the MBLWHOI Library and ensure that we can continue to build one of the most unique print and electronic literature collections in the biological, biomedical, ecological, and oceanographic sciences. We thank the donors listed below for their important support and encourage you to establish a fund in honor or memory of a family member or mentor or just because you value the importance of this collection.

Kimball C. Atwood III Fund

Books, journals, online resources purchased in the field of genetics

Francis R. Hunter Endowed Library Acquisition Fund

To purchase new books and journals

George Frederick Jewett Library Endowment

To support on-going purchases

Fred Karush Endowed and Frank Brown Library Readership Fund

Endows a Desk Readership for the MBLWHOI Library each summer

Mellon Foundation Library Endowment

To support the operations of the MBLWHOI Library

Stubby and Julie Rankin Memorial Fund

Books purchased in the field of natural history and/or systematics of marine invertebrates

Collection Donations

The MBLWHOI Library has been fortunate to receive numerous gifts of seminal works supporting the scientific research of our patrons. These gifts have augmented our collection in the biological, ecological, marine and medical sciences. All donations must be approved by the Library Director and accompanied by a deed of gift form and a list of contents.