Past Rowland Medical Library Director establishes endowment for library staff support
Published on Monday, January 29, 2024
Ada Seltzer retired from UMMC after serving as the Rowland Medical Library director for over 20 years. She recently established the Ada M. Seltzer Endowment for Health Sciences Library Staff Development Endowment with a gift of $50,000 to provide librarians and library-support staff opportunities to advance their knowledge and skills of theoretical, administrative or technical aspects of health sciences library information management and services.
A Kutztown, Pennsylvania native, Ada accepted a leadership role at UMMC after holding a similar position at the University of South Florida, replacing the institution’s first library director, Irene Graham. During her tenure, Ada was focused on staff development and modernizing the library with enhanced computer technology for students and residents. She was also successful in making the library accessible to all Mississippi scientists and clinicians, internal and external to UMMC, especially after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition to starting the first statewide, online network of Mississippi health sciences information and other innovative improvements, she was a competitive ballroom dancer and avid art collector. Several pieces in her collection, by Mississippi artists, were donated to the library after Seltzer’s retirement.
Her philanthropic support continues today. Even after retirement, she still understands the importance of having sufficiently trained library personnel. To support the Rowland Medical Library contact Dr. Sheila Henderson, major gifts officer at 601-815-3302 or sahenderson@umc.edu.