Koret Foundation Gives $2 Million To New Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

The largest single gift to the new university/city library

San José State University has received a $2 million grant from the Koret Foundation -- the largest single private gift to the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. The grant is the Koret Foundation’s second major gift to SJSU, which makes it one of the largest benefactors of the university in recent history. The new university/city library, located on the southeast corner of Fourth and San Fernando streets, is scheduled to open on August 1.

A first-of-its-kind collaboration between a city and a university, the 475,000 square-foot library will provide a center for life-long learning for the community. The facility will integrate the collections, services and staffs of the university’s library and San José’s main library, thus creating a single expansive resource center for students, faculty and community members.

SJSU President Robert L. Caret said, "The Koret Foundation has been a significant supporter of SJSU, first in helping to establish the Koret Athletic Training Center on campus, and now, the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. We value this commitment, which is a testimonial to the Koret Foundation’s mission to help build vibrant communities and encourage creative thinking."

Patricia Breivik, dean of the university library, said, "We are most appreciative of the Koret Foundation’s support. The gift demonstrates the significance of our collaboration with the City of San José. The King Library will provide a center for life-long learning opportunities where our students and faculty as well as the community can connect with both technology and human expertise to help them succeed in today’s information society."

"The Koret Foundation is pleased to support this first-ever collaboration between a major U.S. city and a university to create a learning center that will be shared by students and the larger community," said Tad Taube, president and director of the Koret Foundation. "This valuable community resource will serve more than a million people in the Silicon Valley, and it will further one of the key goals of the Koret Foundation: to advance educational opportunities for the people of the Bay Area."

The San Francisco-based Koret Foundation supports organizations and initiatives in the San Francisco Bay Area and Israel that advance economic and educational opportunities, individual freedom, personal initiative and entrepreneurial values. Since 1979, the Foundation has made grants of $200 million, focusing on education, community development, and Jewish life and culture.

Contact: Nancy L. Stake, Ron Bottini at 408-924-1166