Murphy Library has been a crucial hub of the UWL campus since it was built in 1968… and you can tell. We need the support of the UWL community to help improve student experiences by providing crucial study space solutions.  

On average, the library sees over 600,000 visits from students, faculty, staff, and La Crosse community members. With so many students and visitors utilizing this campus center, Murphy Library is showing its age and struggling to support the rapidly changing environment of a college education– made worse by an ever-shrinking budget. Over the past decades, the library has prioritized providing high-quality resources, digital access, technology, and services; but this has left little if any, funds for our most used yet underfunded resource – our study spaces. We’ve always been there for our students, but now we need your help! 

We need the support of the UWL community to help improve student experiences by providing crucial workspace solutions. This crowdfunding campaign seeks to raise $8500 to help provide contemporary furniture, tools, and supplies to support this academic and community hub on campus.... and make us look a little less like your grandparents’ living room. 

Campaign Impact

Funds raised will be spent to improve student experiences by providing crucial study space solutions. We will purchase the following materials based on fundraising benchmarks within our campaign. 

• Goal 1 $500 – Whiteboard markers/erasers kits/tables
  • For some reason, students love whiteboards and dry-erase boards... don't ask us why, we don't have an answer. Though every time we ask students what they want in the library they say, "more whiteboards!" So, let's give the people what they want! We will use $500 to convert some of our old tables into dry-erase surfaces (we'll use some paint stuff to make the change, ask your chemistry friends to explain how it works) and purchase marker and eraser kits to add to our collection of loanable tools for students.
    
    
• Goal 2 $1000 – Tabletop power outlets/converters
  • Since our electrical system was built in 1968, the builders could never have dreamed how technologically entwined the college experience would become! While the library still serves as a community hub and gathering place, much has changed from the late 60's... libraries today need to not only be a welcoming space but must also provide power and internet for the many devices students bring to study, write, research, and support their college experience.
    
    Today, the library has become an obstacle course of charging cables straining to reach every available outlet. We will use $500 to purchase power hubs that will be installed in our group study spaces and tables to help keep students charged and connected during those long hours of studying.
    
    
• Goal 3 $2000 – 4 Rolling whiteboards 
  • Ok, so we can't overstate how often students tell us they want more whiteboards.... like, every time we buy more they say we still need more. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. In addition to converting tables and buying kits, we will spend $1000 to buy 4 rolling whiteboards; hopefully, that will satiate the mob.
    
    
• Goal 4 $3000 – 3 Bean bags 
  • Students regularly spend entire days at the library, studying from the moment we open until when we close. While we believe libraries are key to academic success, we also believe naps are a required component of a balanced academic life. How do we provide students with furniture that facilitates both quality learning and comfortable sleep you ask? Well, look no further than the quintessential dorm room staple - the bean bag chair. We will spend $1000 of our funds raised to purchase industrial strength bean bag chairs that will support the most studious of pupils and the deepest of sleepers.  
    
    
• Goal 5 $5500 – Work pod chair 
  • We’re not just thinking about our extroverted studiers - we also want to care for our introverted pals too! While developing and improving the group spaces we also want to provide some more secluded and comfortable options for those students who need to block out the world and hunker down. We will purchase a new “pod” style working chair that lets students study in seclusion for those times when they have to leave their dorm rooms!
    
    
• Goal 6 $8500 – Another work pod chair
  • Unlike your first post-college apartment, we are going to try and at least have some matching furniture. For our final goal, we will purchase another “pod” style working chair to compliment our first. We have to look at least a little classy when our friends visit...
    
    
• Any funds above our goal or in-between goals will be used to purchase additional goal items!