UAB’s main library was formally dedicated in May 1973 as part of the new University College campus. It was officially rededicated in October 1974 as UAB’s Mervyn H. Sterne Library in memory of the local civic leader, civil rights activist and UAB supporter of the same name. Sterne led efforts in the 1920s to establish better funding for Alabama public schools.
Sterne — the library — follows in the philanthropic footsteps of its namesake through its annual Toys for Fines holiday drive, when library patrons who bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child up to 12 years old can receive up to $20 in overdue fines waived. The toys are combined with UAB Information Technology’s Toys for Tots collection, another yearly UAB tradition.