A Gaze Back Over a Century

by Tom Wilding

At the end of the twentieth century, it is interesting to reflect on the development of the UTA Libraries as it mirrors the growth and development of the campus as a whole. While there is little documentation about its earliest days, we do know that it grew slowly and that it occupied several locations in its first seventy years. Its modern history dates from 1964, with the opening of the new Central Library. Prior to that the library had been located in College Hall above the shooting gallery, I am told – not a location that would be conducive to quiet study and reflection!

At one time the campus library was in College Hall, upstairs from the shooting gallery

College Hall opened in 1928 and housed, in addition to the library, the rifle range.

The new library was part of a campus building program that marked the transition of then Arlington State College to a four year, senior institution. By the time the library actually opened, the move to the University of Texas System and the establishment of the Graduate School and the rapid development of graduate programs necessitated an almost immediate expansion. The new library opened with two floors and a basement. An additional four floors were added before the end of the decade.

The foundation for the current Library was poured in 1962

The foundation for the present library was poured in 1962.

The end of the 1960s marked the beginnings of rapid developments in library automation and information technology, and the UTA Libraries followed the national movement in these new directions. The 1970s saw the automation of many of the processing tasks of the Libraries, the most visible one, perhaps, the inauguration of an automated circulation system. At the same time, in keeping with the development of the university both in programs and enrollment, the Libraries grew significantly. In 1964 at the opening of the Central Library, the physical collection numbered around 70,000 volumes. By the end of the 1970s, the collection numbered 700,000.

Jenkins Garrett (left) and Harry Ransom in March 1974 at opening of Garrett Library

Jenkins Garrett (left) and Harry Ransom in March 1974 at the opening of the Garrett Library.

One of the most significant events in the development of the Libraries occurred during the 1970s. Most research libraries pride themselves on significant special research collections. In 1973-1974 prominent Fort Worth attorney and avid book collector Jenkins Garrett, and his wife Virginia, donated their collection of Texana and Mexican War materials to the University. This would be the impetus to take the fledgling Special Collections to a position of national prominence.

Architects rendering of proposed UTA Libraries Special Collections

Artist's rendering of the Cartographic History Library.

The 1980s saw the rapid growth of physical collections through a special initiative, enabled by funding from the UT System, to build a research library to complement the emerging research university. Along with this rapid growth was a transformation of scholarly publishing, and unprecedented escalation of the cost of most research library materials. These events would come back to become major issues in the 1990s.

UTA Special Collections division: photo courtesy Carol Lehman

Cartographic History Library in 1978 when it opened. Photo courtesy Carol Lehman.

Along with this was the move from automated systems that supported library processing to the implementation of integrated library systems that both supported library processing and user access. Here are the beginnings of digital library applications. Access to the library’s catalog and to some reference sources moved beyond the walls of the library and became accessible to users across the campus.

The 1980s were also significant in moving from a divisional library approach to an integrated, centralized service model, preserving the subject expertise of librarians working with faculty groups and students. This model mirrored the research library structures of many of the nation’s foremost research libraries.

Reflecting on the decade of the 90s, it is easy to see the spiraling effect of technological advancement. At the beginning of the decade, it is just possible to see the catalog and a few reference sources move beyond the walls of the library. By the end of the decade, the Web has transformed library services and the educational enterprise. Web-based educational opportunities obviated the need for students to come to campus, and this put pressure on the Libraries to provide the same level of access to high quality information resources to support those distance learners.

Central Library as viewed from the top of Texas Hall

Central Library, viewed from Texas Hall rooftop.

Physical collections, still important but increasingly expensive, necessitated new strategies for funding the Libraries. While there were certainly seesaw moments during the decade, a more solid financial base by the end of the decade produced the re-establishment of the acquisition of scholarly information and enabled the rapid growth of digital information. No longer were users satisfied with having access to the catalog and reference services. Full text access to journal literature and other resources quickly became the expectation. Between 1995 and 2000, the growth in full text access to journals on the Libraries’ website grew from zero to approximately 15,000, although many of these are in article-based resources. Actual access to journals electronically went from zero to approximately 4,750. Partnerships both on and off the campus enabled this growth and brought rich resources to UTA students and faculty, not only in the library facilities but at their offices, labs, homes, and even (for a distance education student) to an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

In the 1990s, the Libraries celebrated the acquisition of the one-millionth volume. Having taken 70 years to build a collection of about 70,000 volumes, it had taken only thirty years to grow from 70,000 to 1,000,000. I wonder how we will count the continued growth of information resources as digital information becomes more and more prevalent? What will the director of 2100 look back and say about the UTA Libraries in the year 2000?