Gifts and Donations

The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library of St. John's University welcomes gifts and donations that support the academic needs of our students and faculty, as well as the interests and concerns of our members and sponsors. Gifts of books and other materials expand and enhance our collections; monetary donations allow us to improve our services. Donors may wish to designate their grants to support a specific collection or activity or target an area where there is a perceived need. See Donor's Guide.


The Library requires funds to strengthen existing collections and purchase materials. These funds enable us to purchase expensive reference books, market research studies, journals, newsletters, CD-ROM discs and obtain access to online databases.

In order to provide the most effective information service, the Library requires equipment to automate, thereby increasing access to the collection. Access to multimedia resources on the Web requires periodic upgrading of hardware and software, which is becoming increasingly expensive and important.

Our collection consists of books; periodicals; forms, policies and contracts; laws and regulations; pamphlets; government documents and other materials related to the insurance industry and its role in global commerce. Many of these documents are currently available only at this library, and a large percentage of this material is in extremely fragile condition.

Our Insurance Information Preservation Project is a concerted effort to preserve these documents before a unique and valuable history of insurance is lost forever. Several organizations have responded generously to our grant proposal, including the Starr Foundation, US Trust, and the American Marine Insurance Forum.
 

Recent donations to the Davis Library’s archives include:

2012. Two original fire marks and FMC newsletters were donated by the Fire Mark Circle.

2012. Alexander & Alexander memorabilia and significant monographs were donated by W. Lee Carter III, CPCU .

2012. Insurance company advertising signs, policies, and memorabilia were donated by Jay A. Shapiro.

2011. LECG Corporation, a global litigation; economics; consulting and business advisory; and governance, assurance, and tax expert services firm made a significant dontaion (approx 3000 items) to to the Davis Library from their Conneticut Office. Much of this material is in the Life Insurance subject area.

2010. The Richard Bunker Singer Papers were donated by Elizabeth S.M. Estey.
 

Should you know of a foundation that might be willing to support some of our special insurance information projects, particularly as they relate to automating our catalog, providing access to our collection via the Web and digitization of materials in our extensive historical collection of vertical files, we would appreciate hearing about it from you. For this and all other questions concerning gifts or donations to the Library, please contact the library, at 212-277 - 5137 and speak with the Davis Library Director
Ismael Rivera or send an e-mail to davislibrary@stjohns.edu.