Established in celebration of the return to health of Mary Ackerknecht, a valued member of the Friends of the UCSC Library and an avid reader of contemporary fiction. The endowment extends the depth, character, and distinction of the UCSC contemporary fiction collection and provides a specialized resource for enhancing the intellectual and cultural life of the Santa Cruz community. Endowment income is used to enrich the collection with contemporary fiction suitable both for academic study and for personal recreational reading by students, faculty, and community members.