The Magale Library Friends group was established in 2005 to help Southern Arkansas University’s library better meet the needs of its patrons.
Mission of Magale Library Friends
The mission of Magale Library Friends is to enhance the holdings, services, and facilities of Magale Library and to help the library fulfill its role as the center for learning in southwest Arkansas.
Purpose of Magale Library Friends
• Provide and encourage gifts, donations, and financial support for the library.
• Offer an opportunity for individuals to come together with a common interest in the library and its cultural and academic activities.
• Contributions to Magale Donor Honor Societies will be used to support the needs of the library including books, furnishings, technologies, additional space, educational and instructional programming, outreach, and other library needs. Donations may be pledged over a period of time.
The Magale Library is a centrally located learning resource center containing about 155,000 book volumes. The library has many comfortable study areas and study rooms. The library offers 217 desktop computers (75 in open labs, 25 in study rooms, and 117 in library instruction labs) for student usage. The library has three library instruction labs on the third floor. The library collection also includes 12,000 audiovisual pieces, 38,000 periodical microfilm and microfiche pieces, 360,000 government documents, current subscriptions to 85 periodicals, 212,000 e-books, over 116,000 online streaming academic videos, and online full-text access to over 48,000 periodical titles from 188 databases with indexing and abstracts for additional titles. The library website includes information literacy videos. Online access to library resources is available through the library homepage. Students can use a federated search service at the library’s website that will search most of Magale’s electronic resources simultaneously. The resources at the Magale Library are used to prepare students in all academic areas for their intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill development, and meaningful career preparation.
You are invited to support the success of SAU by joining the Magale Library Friends. Please consider this opportunity to contribute to academic excellence at Southern Arkansas University. Questions? Please call (870) 235-4171.
Become a Friend or Renew Your Membership
We greatly appreciate our Friends and thank you in advance for your membership! You may renew your Magale Library Friends membership by mailing your donation to:
Southern Arkansas University Foundation
c/o Friends of the Library
P.O. Box 9174
Magnolia, AR 71754-9174
*If donating by check, please note on the check “For Magale Library Friends.”
Or, donate online by visiting the SAU Foundation online, selecting Make a Gift, and designating your donation to Magale Library under the “Other/Multiple Designations.”
Thank you for your support!
Member List
Member benefits
• An extended checkout time
• Special invitations to cultural events sponsored by the library
• Public recognition as a member of Magale Library Friends
• Your own librarian to assist you with library needs
• Magale Library Friends Newsletter
Magale Library Friends Honor Society Levels
TOUCHSTONE Lifetime Honor Society $30,000 or more lifetime
Shakespeare Society $10,000 or more
Twain Society $5,000 to $9,999
Faulkner Society $2,500 to $4,999
Dickinson Society $1,000 to $2,499
Poe Society $500 to $999
O’Neill Society $250 to $499
Frost Society $100 to $249
Thoreau Society $1 to $99
Magale Library Friends Annual Luncheon
Each year, Magale Library hosts a luncheon for our Friends. The luncheon includes a guest speaker who provides an entertaining presentation. Our past speakers include prestigious authors, expert researchers, political activists, and historians.
Events
In addition to the annual luncheon and book sale, Magale also hosts a variety of other events including various traveling exhibits, banned book displays, guest speakers, and learning activities. Learn more about our most recent Events!
Projects
Magale serves the SAU community by providing resources that support student learning. Thank you for helping the library meet the needs for the alcove project. The project enclosed the library’s existing alcoves and converted them into usable study space and rooms.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Alcove Before Photo | Alcove Conceptual Photo (showing potential space with completed enclosure) | Phase 1 (moving the window) |
Phase 2 (carpet and paint) |
Final Phase (furniture and computers) |
 |
In 2012 – 2013, Magale raised funds to update the original orange carpet on the 1st and 2nd floors of the library. These photos show the original carpet, the process of removing the carpet, and the carpet’s current appearance. |
 |
Magale 102 renovation in 2016-17 |
 |
Magale continues to update the quality and to increase the amount of technology for students. The library provides study resources, including 210 desktop computers in three labs, 29 multimedia study rooms, and a variety of soft seating, tables, and chairs to help meet the individual and group study needs. |
 |
The library building suffered from two floods, one in March 2022 and another in January 2023. The devastating January flood that ruined the library’s first floor happened mere weeks after its repair from the March 2022 flood damage was completed. While the plans were in place to install flood prevention measures to the building, they were simply a few weeks too late. The library collections did not suffer any loss thanks to the library staff’s disaster prevention planning, but the carpet, walls, and other furnishings were damaged. |
 |
The left photo shows the original seating, the middle photo shows the risers removed during the repair work, and the right photo shows the new flooring and wall paint. The new floor’s one level allows greater accessibility and more seating. Students can now move their desks to work in pairs or groups. |
 |
Magale 117 was a classroom that originally held approximately 25 students in a traditional chalkboard-equipped room. The room has now been outfitted to seat up to 50 students and includes a teaching station with related technology for displaying audio-visual lessons. |
 |
Summer 2023, the university began working on the building’s roof. The first step was to remove the large cooling system off the roof which required a heavy-duty crane. |
 |
In 2023 – 24, Magale raised funds to upgrade the original 1970’s lighting fixtures on the 2nd and 3rd floor. The switch to LED lights on the third floor is expected to significantly reduce the building’s total energy consumption by 40% and make the building more environmentally friendly. |
