The General Libraries
Newsletter Number 42, Summer 1999    The University of Texas at Austin    www.lib.utexas.edu

At the heart of Texas library resource sharing -- with its many cooperative and consortial arrangements, and the remarkable information riches it holds in trust for the citizens of the state -- the General Libraries continually seeks new opportunities to share its resources and technical expertise. It has acknowledged these responsibilities and pursued these opportunities for years.

The new digital environment now makes this sharing much more effective and efficient for all concerned, both intellectually and financially. But service to the user remains our touchstone in every environment.


Harold Billings
Director of General Libraries
Annual Report 1997-1998 ... and beyond
         The General Libraries completed and began abroad range of initiatives during the year. These focused on four areas -- all critical for the fifth largest academic library in the United States. Highlights include:

Services to users
  • 4.6 million onsite visits by information seekers to General Libraries units
  • 250% increase in number of students attending hands-on course-related library instruction classes
  • new Science and Technology Electronic Information Center offering improved digital access for students
  • from 21 million to 44 million in just one year -- the increase in "hits" on UT Library Online

Collections and resources
  • 20% more scholarly book titles added to our collections than in previous year
  • International Census Collection transferred to the General Libraries
  • PCL Map Collection chosen as one of the Best Reference Web Sites for 1997 -- the only academic library Web site to win such recognition

Cooperative initiatives and outreach
  • UT System Digital Library's Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) created
  • Academic Library Collections Enhancement Project for building resources with others
  • Research Library Cooperative Program with Stanford and UC Berkeley established
  • Venture with Texas State Historical Association to create The Handbook of Texas Online

Support and funding
  • $1,000,000 from the UT System Academic Library Collections Enhancement Project for the year
  • $2,300,000 from the student-initiated Library Fee
  • Additional funding from the Mellon Foundation, the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, AMIGOS, TexShare, and many others

For details >>