The University of Arizona Main Library: A History of Innovation and Resources

The University of Arizona Main Library stands as the largest academic library in the state, a vital resource for students, faculty, and researchers. Beyond its extensive collection and services, the library has a rich history of adapting to the changing needs of its community. This article explores the Main Library's history, its diverse collections, and its commitment to innovation in the digital age.

A Foundation for the Future

The University of Arizona, a public, land-grant, research and educational institution, is dedicated to preparing students for an increasingly diverse and technological world and to improving the quality of life for the people of Arizona and the Nation. The University of Arizona Library is dedicated to meeting the diverse information, curricular and research needs of students, faculty, staff and affiliated customers. Making the campus better by being flexible, innovative and forward thinking - this is a primary goal of the University of Arizona Library. The Library has organized services and activities to positively respond to the educational and research endeavors of the University of Arizona.

One interesting story about the University of Arizona Main Library is that it was actually built on the site of a former football stadium. In the early 1960s, the University of Arizona was in need of a new library to accommodate its growing collection of books and other materials. Rather than constructing a completely new building from scratch, university officials decided to renovate the existing stadium and convert it into a modern library. The resulting library, which opened in 1976, was a dramatic departure from the traditional academic libraries of the past, with its modern design, open spaces, and innovative use of natural light. The building itself is an impressive sight, with its soaring atrium, modern design, and spacious reading rooms.

Diverse Collections

With a collection of over seven million books, journals, maps, government documents, and multimedia materials, the University of Arizona Main Library is a treasure trove of knowledge. As the main library for the University of Arizona, the Main Library holds many different collections, including the East Asian Studies, Government Documents, Map, and Middle East collections. The Main Library collections focus primarily on the social sciences, humanities, fine arts, education and business.

Special Collections

Established in 1958, Special Collections houses a large number of books, pamphlets, ephemera, broadsides, photographs and significant primary resources in the manuscript and archival collections. Special Collections is home to one of the nation's finest collections of printed texts on the borderlands of the Southwest and Arizona. These collections document the region's culture and history, including accounts of Native Americans and their ancestors, the impact of Spanish and Mexican settlement, and the influx of Anglo-Americans and others into the region during the 19th century. The manuscript collections also emphasize the history and literature of Arizona and the borderlands of the Southwest. Within these collections, one finds journals of explorers, diaries of settlers, papers of prominent Arizonans, and records of small businesses. It also houses the papers of Arizona politicians, including Morris K. Udall. The Special Collections of the University of Arizona, housed in the Main Library, include many digitized collections, available online.

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Beyond the Main Library

It is also important to note other libraries and archives in Arizona, such as the Arizona Historical Society Libraries & Archives, which collects published and unpublished material of enduring historical value that allows researchers to explore Arizona’s economic, political, social, and cultural heritage. The McClelland Library is home to rare books, research materials, a Genealogy Centre, maps, children’s collection, literature, poetry, and popular fiction. The library even boasts a circulating and browsing research collection for members of the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library. To checkout materials you need to be a member of the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library. Valuable historic documents and maps are preserved and protected, including items related to mines, real properties, and cities that once were but are no more. They have magazines and newspapers-many digitized-from 1882 to the present day. Their photo collection is searchable and contains more than 15,000 images. Their reference map collection is one of the finest historic records available for the region. The Sharlot Hall Museum Research Center (Library & Archives) [SHMRC] is a full-service research facility, collecting and preserving archaeological, cultural, and historical materials related to Prescott and the surrounding communities, Yavapai County, and Central Arizona. The primary function of SRMRC is to provide support to amateur, professional, and academic researchers, as well as members of the general public who are interested in its resources.

Adapting to the Digital Age

The University of Arizona Library has consistently sought to improve its services and adapt to the evolving needs of its users. Several key initiatives demonstrate this commitment.

Enhanced Access and User Experience

The UA Library created a cross-functional Access Team that conducted several usability studies, mostly with undergraduates. The team examined how students learn and navigate the Library's gateway. A new Library web site has been designed to support users unfamiliar with library terminology and practices. The new Gateway allows increased access to the Library's homepage. Actions: The University of Arizona plans on a new campus center, the Integrated Learning Center. This unique space will consolidate teaching and services for first year students. The Integrated Learning Center will be connected to the Library through an Information Commons. In preparation for this new facility the Library instituted a "Prototype Information Commons." Situated in the reference rooms in the Main and Science Engineering Library, high-end computers are strategically placed to encourage collaboration and with ready access to library staff. The Prototype Information Commons is the most popular destination of after hours customers. Data at the Commons has allowed the Library to identify software tools needed by students.

Streamlining Operations

The shelving turnaround time has been reduced from 80 hours to four. Outsourcing the cataloging and physical processing of 25% of the monographs received each year has resulted in the saving and reallocation of $180,000 and a reduction of time between receipt and shelving of books from six weeks to four days. $107,000 reallocated by streamlining book-ordering procedures. Time for orders leaving the Library was reduced from 40 hours to 24 hours.

Enhancing Research Skills

In 1997/98 an online tutorial to teach library and information skills was created at the University of Arizona. Research Information Online (RIO) is a step-by-step- tutorial that assists students in the research and writing process. The cross-functional team designing RIO, used focus groups with faculty and students, literature searches, and benchmarking (including the University of Washington, Purdue and UC-Berkeley). Also, customers tested a pilot program. The Library's Peer Information Counseling Program (PIC) is now in its' tenth year at the University of Arizona Library. Each PIC student works on the reference desk. They also present library research skills to the Math and Science Learning Center, African American Cultural Center, Chicano-Hispano Resource Center, Math and Science Learning Center, TRIO, Filipino American Students Association, Minority Student Services and Global Student Programs. The university's minority retention is increasing.

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Embracing Open Access

Library staff developed partnerships with state universities to maximize their buying power. In 1998 the University of Arizona Library became a founding member of SPARC, which advocates re-introducing competition into scholarly communications and the accelerated delivery of information to users. The University of Arizona's professor Michael Rosenzweig became one of SPARC's first partners. Professor Rosenzweig is now successfully publishing a new journal, Evolutionary Ecology Review, with support form SPARC, the Association of Research Libraries, and UA librarians. The current journal is one third of the cost of Dr. Rosenzweig's previous journal. The Library created a new position, copyright and intellectual property librarian.

The Journal of Insect Science publication debut was in January 2001. This peer reviewed electronic journal will improve scholarly communication while reducing the costs of access. Tree of Life database. Tree of Life is a collection of over 1,600 World Wide Web pages containing information about the diversity of life. These pages are housed on twenty computers in four countries, and are authored by biologists from around the world. Tree of Life is the platform for a number of courses in the biological sciences. It is a reference tree, research tool and curriculum resource. Journal of Range Management available, as well as faculty databases and curricular notes on range management. This database, accessible to the general public and the library, provides reference service for national and local users. In this project the Library is working with Dr. Mark Chaves, faculty member in the Sociology Department. Dr. Chaves surveyed of 1200 congregations in the United States. He examined a wide variety of issues associated with churches, synagogues and other religious organizations. The survey questions and scope could have been daunting, but UA librarians have streamlined the materials for easy researching. Professor Chaves states, "The library was essential because of their commitment to learning how to do something like this--a commitment that was evident both in coming up with the resources and also in managing the process so that steady progress was made.

Commitment to Diversity

The Library's commitment to diversity is embodied in the position of Assistant to the Dean for Diversity, Recruitment and Staff Development. University of Arizona Library has the campus' most outstanding record for minority hires. In 1996, there were less than 30 partnerships; today there are 113.

Access and Services

The Main Library is open and freely accessible by the public during public hours, however borrowing privileges are limited to University of Arizona faculty, staff, students, alumni, and those associated with the library through ASU, NAU, Pima, the President's Club, or the Friends of the Library. The Main Library hosts the Express Document Center, which offers fee-based printing and copying services. Self-service printing, scanning, and photocopying is also available on the first floor of the Main Library. Public computers can submit jobs to the CatPrint kiosks, where guests can pay using a credit card. The Main Library is now open 24 hours, four days a week.

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