A grant of $250,000 from The Schenectady Foundation to enhance the Special Collections area of Schaffer Library was announced in September.
The grant, the largest ever made by the local foundation, will give local residents greater access to archival and manuscript materials. The Special Collections contains a number of rare books, manuscripts, and other items that relate to the history of Union and the local community. The area is popular with exhibit curators, scientific writers, genealogists, students, and teachers.
The gift came as fundraising for the $17.6 million renovation and expansion of Schaffer Library was nearly complete. As of early October, less than $600,000 was needed for the project, and fundraising was expected to be completed during the month.