Gather up all of your pennies. The university libraries are looking to collect 2 million of the copper coins for their penny drive.

“We wanted to introduce a fun activity that could have a permanent outcome, the endowment,” University Libraries Dean Arthur Young said.

The pennies will fund a permanent endowment to support all library collections. Young said the goal is to have the university and community benefit from the fund.

“If every student gave $1, it’d put us over the top,” Young said.

The library is looking to save up to $20,000. Of course, the libraries welcome any kind of coins, from pennies to silver dollars and even checks, he said.

The drive started Feb. 10 and will run until at least April 15.

Young said he credits much of the penny drive’s success to Geology Department Chair Andrew Krmenec.

“He’s been behind it from the beginning. He’s put in a lot of effort,” Young said.

Krmenec, also a member of the library’s Two Millionth Volume Committee, said the penny drive was his idea. He said he felt it was the perfect vehicle to help raise library funds.

“You’re here today and your legacy is going to be here forever,” Krmenec said.

To raise awareness, posters and large water cooler jugs have been placed all around campus. A coin vortex machine is located in the Founders Memorial Library’s main lobby.

“It’s just fun to look at,” Young said. “Then people want to throw more pennies in.”

Mary Munroe, associate dean for collections and technical services at University Libraries, said FML counted its two millionth book last summer.

Young will name a representative two millionth volume for presentation during a celebration ceremony at 2 p.m. April 7 at Altgeld Hall. The ceremony’s reception will include food, music and an address by Nicholas Basbanes, an author of five or six books on the subject of books and libraries.

The library receives most funding from the state, which would include tuition and some state subsidies, Munroe said.

Fewer than 115 academic libraries have two million books, and this puts NIU University Libraries in the top 3 percent of academic libraries, Young said.

“That puts us in pretty good company,” Young said.

The library hit their millionth volume in 1981. The library also provides access to more than 3.5 million microform, about 1.2 million documents, 18,000 periodicals, 8,000 electronic journals and 2,300 electronic books. Munroe said those numbers are constantly changing because the library constantly adds to its collection. The library purchases about 26,000 books each year.