Giving to Umaine Libraries
Raymond H. Fogler Library is the largest library in Maine, with roots dating to the establishment of Maine’s flagship university more than 150 years ago. As a research library, Fogler’s resources and renowned Special Collections inform and empower UMaine students and faculty, and scholars worldwide. And our exceptional staff offer research support and pedagogical partnerships. As the state-designated Maine Business, Science, and Technology Library (MBSTL) and Maine’s only Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), Fogler is a public academic library that supports Maine’s economy and offers creative programming for the local community.
Located at the University of Maine at Machias, Merrill Library is the largest library in Downeast Maine. As a depository for Maine state government publications, Merrill provides the UMM community with authoritative local resources while also offering full access to UMaine Libraries’ extensive electronic collections. Its staff, along with Fogler librarians, ensures that students in Washington County receive the same level of academic support and opportunity as those on the Orono campus.
UMaine Press publishes books that deepen understanding of Maine and its neighbors in Northern New England, Quebec, and the Maritimes. Its work supports the university’s mission by producing original, peer-reviewed scholarship and creative titles in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences for both academic and general audiences. The Press collaborates with authors and scholars to explore the complexity, culture, history, and environment of the region. The press continues to grow and change. In 2026, Betsy Rose was named director, and the press joined the Association of University Presses as an introductory member. The press will have published four new titles by the end of calendar year 2026.
Your gift to UMaine Libraries drives success, keeps Maine’s stories alive, expands access to research, and empowers learning statewide, today and for future generations. Thank you for supporting knowledge for all.
Preserve Fogler’s Main Building
Fogler Library holds a special place in the lives of the UMaine community, past and present. It’s a quiet venue for research, study, and reading as well as a gathering space for interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and programming. The north entrance of this landmark 1940s era building, which looks upon our famed mall, is in need of a major renovation to prevent ice accumulation and provide safe entry and egress. To make a gift in support of our facilities, please contact Philanthropy Officer Jill Burke at jill.burke1@maine.edu or 617.773.8650.
Named Endowed Funds
Create an endowed fund in your name to fund areas of ongoing need, ensuring UMaine Libraries’ sustainability. Some possibilities include:
Please contact Philanthropy Officer Jill Burke at jill.burke1@maine.edu or 617.773.8650
Fogler Wish List
You can make a gift that supports current library needs—from technology and events to special collections and campus collaborations. Possibilities include:
The list is updated periodically as priorities evolve, helping your generosity make a meaningful and timely impact. Please contact Philanthropy Officer Jill Burke at jill.burke1@maine.edu or 617.773.8650.
Have a question?
Contact Jill Burke, Philanthropy Officer, at jill.burke1@maine.edu or 617.773.8650.
You can also visit the University of Maine Foundation website to learn more about ways to support Fogler Library.
Fogler Library is not just a library for the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Maine. It is also a center of expertise for librarians statewide, offering advice and support as libraries wade into new waters. More than that, the library is a major reservoir of books, supporting readers from York to Fort Kent.
Ben Treat ’17G Library Director, Bangor Public Library
This salon has been a really important forum for discussion, a non-judgmental conversation rooted in evidence, expertise, and lived experience. Many of our conversations on difficult topics such as these precede on the basis of fear or misinformation. This has happened historically and in other places in the country, other sectors of our society. The result can be misunderstanding, or even stigma and dehumanization. When we approach these topics thoughtfully in an evidence-based way, we all stand to benefit.
Dr. Robert Glover, 2024 Presidential Award recipient
Fogler Library is absolutely essential for my research, as well as everyone else’s at Maine’s flagship research university. At the same time, Fogler is a welcoming space in the heart of the campus, a place I routinely take guests and colleagues when we want to work in a quiet, comfortable, welcoming environment. UMaine could not provide the services it does to the state, the nation, and the world without the resources of Fogler Library.
Dan Sandweiss Professor of Anthropology and Climate Studies
Being both a student and a former employee of Folger library, I have been able to observe patrons and enjoy the space. Being one of the major gathering areas, it provides a comfortable working environment and serves as a learning resource for professors and students. This is imperative to the success of both the university and its students. Additionally, I’ve been able to observe collaborative work and social groups which I believe further enhances relationships among students and their peers.
Keira Pham ’24
I view libraries as repositories of history, and for this reason, I support the libraries of the University of Maine, which have contributed to my education in very meaningful ways.
Lee Gagnon ’59 Longtime Donor to Fogler Library
The Fogler is a treasure, and we hope it will continue to be as important to future generations of students as it was to us. It needs to grow, and for this to happen it needs the support of the University and the citizens of Maine.
Stephen ’70, ’87 Hon. L.H.D. & Tabitha King ’71, ’87 Hon. L.H.D.
The databases make me feel rich. We at the University of Maine have access to so many paywalled articles. This is expensive stuff. Pretty cool.
Elizabeth Payne, Lecturer in Technical Communication, English Department