The Elizabeth Griffin Forsman Library Endowment for OER (Open Access Resources)

The Elizabeth (“Betty”) Griffin Forsman Library Endowment for OER (Open Access Resources) supports acquisitions and access to study materials and textbooks for students across The University of New Mexico (UNM) as many students cannot afford expensive books and study materials for classes.

A former Navy WAVE, teacher, and librarian, Betty was passionate about education, reading, and libraries. In 1968 she received a Master’s degree in library science with an emphasis on what was then state-of-the-art audio-visual technology to enhance learning. Because of this background, she was an early adopter of computer technology both in her personal life as well as in libraries. Her Master’s thesis was titled “We Dream – Community–School Library”. She had the opportunity to fulfill that dream in 1984 in Austin, TX, where she became the first librarian at Lake Travis Community/High School Library, which served not only the high school, but the community surrounding the high school.

This endowment carries Betty’s passion for libraries and her desire to make learning and education accessible for all.