Guardians - Library of America

Endow writing that is meaningful to you or a reader you know as a Guardian of American Letters.

“The minute I held Library of America’s Parkman volume — even before I read it — I knew I would become its Guardian.”—Andrea G. Stillman
Guardian of Francis Parkman: The Oregon Trail, The Conspiracy of Pontiac Adopted in memory of her aunt, Mary Riepma Ross (1910–2013)

You can have a permanent association with a great American writer by adopting a Library of America volume through the Guardians of American Letters Fund. The volume you select will be kept permanently in print and preserved for generations to come.

Your endowment of a volume can express your own admiration for an author or body of writing or it can pay tribute to a loved one’s interests, avocation, or life’s work. You can adopt a volume in honor of a reader or in memory of a friend, family member, or mentor.

Guardians and individuals they designate are recognized on a special acknowledgment page in the front of the volume of their choice. This acknowledgment will appear in every future printing of the book.

How to Become a Guardian

Notify Library of America that you are considering adopting a volume. Library of America staff are happy to assist you in making your selection and will send you a sample acknowledgment page so that you may see how your commitment will be recognized in perpetuity.

Pledging a Gift to the Guardians Fund

The pledge to become a Guardian is $75,000, payable by either cash or stock donation. The pledge is typically paid all at once but may be paid in two equal installments over two years. If you would like to arrange payment in installments, Library of America staff will customize a payment schedule for you.

You may also adopt a volume with a planned gift as part of your estate plan. If you would like information about how to become a Guardian of American Letters with a legacy gift, please consult with Caroline Horn, Director of Institutional Advancement at (212) 308-3360.

Join A Guardians Tribute

Devin Rambo

a longtime LOA collector, has pledged to endow John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath & Other Writings 1936–1941 in memory of his beloved wife, Meg, who died in early 2021. He has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for this meaningful tribute and to date has 20% of the needed gift to the Guardians Fund. If you would like to support this campaign, please visit the GoFundMe page.

Our Guardians

Walter Robb

former CEO of Whole Foods, endowed What I Stand On: The Collected Essays of Wendell Berry 1969–2017, to express his deep admiration for the writer whose intimate portraits of America’s rural land and perspective on sustainable agriculture changed his life and inspired his career in the natural products industry.
Candace Wainwright and Emme Levin Deland

together endowed John Quincy Adams: Diaries 1779-1821 in honor of Emme’s mother, Phyllis Lee Levin, a highly regarded biographer who has published two books about the Adams family.
McKinsey & Company

endowed Theodore Roosevelt: Letter & Speeches in honor of D. Ronald Daniel (pictured above) with admiration and appreciation from his colleagues for 60 years of outstanding leadership at the company.

Become a Guardian

Email: support@loa.org
Call: 212-308-3360

Library of America

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From poetry, novels, and memoirs to journalism, crime writing, and science fiction, the more than 300 volumes published by Library of America are widely recognized as America’s literary canon.

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Volumes Available for Adoption