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New Temple library named for trustee who donated $10 million

Temple's new library will bear the name of Steve Charles, a 1980 graduate who has been on the board since 2016 and donated $10 million toward the university's library system.

Temple’s new library will be named for Steve Charles, a member of the board of trustees, who donated $10 million to be used toward university libraries.
Temple’s new library will be named for Steve Charles, a member of the board of trustees, who donated $10 million to be used toward university libraries.Read moreCourtesy of Temple University

Temple University's new $170 million library will be named for a member of the board of trustees who donated $10 million, the university announced Tuesday.

The gift from Steve Charles, a 1980 graduate who has been on the board since 2016, will be invested into an endowment, and its earnings will be used to add and retrain library staff, maintain the building, purchase collections, promote partnerships, and support technology, the university announced. The Charles Library name was approved at the board of trustees meeting on campus Tuesday afternoon.

"Steve's gift is transformational in supporting Temple's goal of building a 21st Century library that will redefine campus life, sustain Charles Library at its optimal level and care for all of the valuable resources it will provide," board of trustees chair Patrick J. O'Connor said in a statement.

Charles is cofounder of immixGroup Inc., which "helps technology companies do business with the government," according to its website. The firm, based in McLean, Va., was sold in 2015, but Charles serves as a consultant.

The library, at the intersection of Liacouras and Polett Walks, is expected to become the anchor in the heart of the North Philadelphia campus. A sleek, block-long structure with a robotic text-retrieval system, the library is scheduled to open in May 2019.

"Opportunity and innovation occur at the intersection of disciplines," Charles said in a statement. "I live by this idea, and the vision for the library embodies it as the place where students can collaborate in the latest ways."