CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2022) — Thomas More University plans to use a $10,000 Preservation Assistance Grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to fund a general preservation assessment, train staff, and purchase preservation supplies for a special collection in the Thomas More Room of the Benedictine Library. Thomas More is the only Kentucky institution to receive a preservation assistance award in this grant cycle, with only 65 being awarded nationally.

Objectives outlined in Thomas More University’s grant submission entitled “Inspiring Scholars: Preservation Assessment for the Special Collections Room,” will be carried out during the grant period of September 2022 through August 2023. During this time, expert consultants from Lyrasis, a non-profit organization supporting libraries, archives, and museums around the world, will visit campus to examine the Thomas More Room and provide guidance and training on how to adequately preserve the special collection, ensuring that it can be used by students and scholars studying the works of St. Thomas More for years to come.

The Thomas More Room’s collections are significant to the humanities as they illustrate the social development of the local community, with a focus on Catholicism in Kentucky that can illuminate the role of religion in the development of other regions and America as a whole. The room is primarily a collection of rare and historic books, university ephemera, local history works, and works pertaining to the history of the Catholic Church. It is organized into subcollections including the Thomas More Collection, the Kentuckiana Collection, and a display case of 33 selected books, such as a rare 1906 folio of Thomas More’s “Utopia.”

“Not only will this grant support the Thomas More Room,” explains John Ernst, director of the Benedictine Library and the Center for Teaching, Learning, & Scholarship, “but it will also support initiatives from our Strategic Plan – Lighting the Way. In working with the NEH, the premier agency for the humanities, we are strengthening the academic reputation and reach of Thomas More University, while also creating valuable connections and ensuring the longevity of our resources.”

Thomas More released a five-year strategic plan and capital campaign during its centennial celebration in 2021 with a primary focus to accelerate campus investments, solidify new financial partnerships, and introduce innovative academic opportunities. The goal is to elevate the University’s visibility and stature in the global community as the region’s premier Catholic University.

For more information about Thomas More University, visit www.thomasmore.edu.

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About Thomas More University

For 100 years, Thomas More has created a university for the student who wants to Be More, Do More, Seek More, Win More, Achieve More, and Create More. Since its founding in 1921, Thomas More has provided a mission-driven, liberal arts education that is based in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Students learn to harness the power of human reason to solve problems and discover truth, which allows them to begin the journey to become the person they were created to be. Entering into the second century, it’s time for More. Serving more than 2,000 students, Thomas More aspires to be the premier Catholic university in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, build upon its excellent return on investment (ranked #1 among private universities/colleges in Kentucky by MSN Money in 2021 and ranked #2 for long term gain in Kentucky by a 2022 Georgetown University study) and share with this generation the transformative power of the Thomas More experience. To find out more, visit thomasmore.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyna Kelley, director of communications and PR, [email protected], 859.344.3309