Looking Back at the Spring Semester

As we say goodbye to a spring semester that has included three weddings, three new babies, one graduation from library school, and the completion of licensure for a master's in social work (LMSW) by a new staff member, I would like to take a moment to celebrate all that we have accomplished as an organization. 

We collaborate across Libraries' departments and the University to achieve our goals. 

The 2023 Faculty Creative Works was a remarkable success that honored faculty's scholarly and creative contributions and included recognition of a record-breaking nine winners of the UTA CARES grant and three ELFF award winners. 

Community Engagement partnered with Special Collections, Cultural Engagement and Social Change, UTA Athletics, Experience Wrestling, The Dallas Wings, and the College Park Center to celebrate Diversity in Sports with an attendance of 89 despite the stormy weather. 

Experiential Learning completed seven ELFF projects in partnership with faculty from across disciplines and have five more courses in the curriculum development stage. The curricula are showcased in the Research Commons. 

We strive to create an environment focused on student learning and engagement. 

Open Partnership and Services successfully held the first UTA Datathon with 100 participants over a two-day period. They raised $4,100 from donors, held six workshops and cemented four new partnerships, all leading to extensive use of the DataCAVE during the event.  

The Basement continues to create a strong sense of belonging for students. 81.21% of those who completed The Basement survey strongly agreed or agreed that they felt a sense of belonging to UTA compared to 63.13% who strongly agreed/agreed with the same statement in the library-wide survey. 

On social media, Marketing and Communications have helped us see impressive reach during the spring semester. For Instagram, our reach is up 600%; visits are up 140%, and followers are up 92%. On YouTube, we have seen a 136% increase in views compared to last year. 

The libraries received over $3 million in HEERF funds to improve the technology, spaces and resources to which our students have access. Library Systems and Technology deployed hundreds of HEERF-funded public computers. Collaborating with OPS and Liaisons, A&D purchased 285 textbooks.  

Through a collaboration among CE, LST, Facilities and EL, we are also finishing the complete refurnishing of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors and upgrading our AV infrastructure.  

Kevin also planned the windows replacement project. Many thanks to you all for your flexibility and patience while working at an alternative location or putting up with the noise. 

We reflect on organizational needs and take action to increase our expertise and access to scholarship. 

In response to increased requests for Systematic and Scoping reviews, a number of Research Services staff have either completed or are working toward completion of the Systematic Review Support Specialist Level 1 MLA certification and the Cochrane Systematic Review training. This focused development will enable us to establish a unified service model to increase capacity and support for faculty and students' evolving research needs.   

Special Collections staff and stakeholders from across the Libraries have selected ArchivesSpace as its content management system. Another cross-departmental group has recommended BePress/Digital Commons as the Libraries' new digital repository and open journal platform. We will be implementing both in the coming months. We have also made great strides in filling vacant positions. 

We are a reflective organization. 

The Dean's search is progressing. Finalists will visit us in July and soon, we will be on our next great organizational journey. As we prepare to share who we are with our next Dean of Libraries and help them to determine our path, I'd like to invite you to engage in some R&R - Rethinking and Rediscovery, to be exact.  

Have you noticed a second wood sculpture in front of Special Collections? It is the Multi-Tiered Many Triggered Whirling War Arrow by Roy Fridge from the Charles Williams Memorial Collection, which has been tucked away in the back of SPCO for many years.  

Don Ivey encouraged SPCO to rethink and then discuss why one wood sculpture was out front and one hidden in the back, with no labeling on either. This led to both pieces being on display with newly created intriguing labels. Are there "hidden figures" in your areas? 

I remember Kelly Dill's story about cutting off the corners before cooking a pot roast at her house. Her mom taught her that because grandma did it. Eventually, she found out the reason. Grandma did it because her cooking pot was too small for the entire pork roast. Are we doing things a certain way because that is how they have always been done rather than reflecting on why? 

One question we often ask job candidates is, "What attracts you to UTA Libraries?" Some say it is our innovation and creativity, some say it is the high-impact student services we provide, and others say it is the people or our embrace of informed risk-taking. These are all great reasons. For those of us who already work here, would we say the same reasons? What attracts and continues to keep you here?  

Of course, let's not forget about much-deserved R&R – rest and relaxation. The Staff spring reception was this week and the annual Family & Friends barbecue is just around the corner.  

- Suzanne Byke, Associate University Librarian, and Gretchen Trkay, Associate University Librarian, contributed to this column.