Some of the most meaningful research projects at UTA Libraries start with a simple partnership. 

Maybe a faculty member has a question they want to explore. Librarians bring the tools, collections, and expertise to help investigate it, then students step in to help do the work. 

 
That collaboration is exactly what happened when Sam Haynes, Director of the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, began working with UTA Libraries. Over the years, that partnership has grown into major digital humanities projects that advance research while giving students hands-on experience with real scholarship. 

 
It also shows how UTA Libraries strengthens the university's core priorities of student success and innovative research. By supporting us on MavsDay, April 22, you help provide students with career‑ready research experiences and ensure that high-impact scholarly projects like these continue to grow. 

 
Turning a Collection into a Global Resource 

 
When Haynes became center director in 2009, one of his first goals was to digitize the center's U.S.–Mexico War archives. 

 
The collection, assembled by Jenkins Garrett and housed in UTA Libraries Special Collections, is considered one of the most significant holdings in its field. Beyond letters and official documents, it includes broadsheets, illustrations, and firsthand accounts that offer insight into a pivotal moment in North American history. 

 
Haynes knew making this material digital would expand its reach, but he quickly realized the scope of the task. 

 
"I'm not really sure that I understood how enormous a task that was," Haynes said. "It's a gigantic collection." 

 
What began as a digitization effort became a richer, more interactive project called “A Continent Divided.” The site presents digitized documents alongside contextual essays and translations, making them accessible to both scholars and students. Visitors from around the world can explore the narrative of the U.S.– Mexico War through primary sources intertwined with curated interpretation, a blend of archive and analysis that reflects collaborative research. 
 

"It wasn't just about digitizing the documents," Haynes said. "If scholars wanted the primary sources, they could find them. But if teachers or students wanted to learn about the war, they could do that too." 

 
The project brought together librarians, archivists, translators, historians and students, demonstrating how digital scholarship can expand access to original research while enhancing teaching and learning. 

 
From a Research Question to a Digital Map of Texas 

 
That collaboration between Haynes and the Libraries continued when he began thinking about a new research project. 

 
While working on a book about early Texas history, Haynes realized he wanted to better understand the many groups who lived in the region during the 19th century. 

 
"There were about 20 culturally distinct Native American tribes in Texas in the early decades of the 19th century," Haynes said. "And if you want to understand the history of the region, you have to study them individually." 

The project documents thousands of incidents of interethnic violence across Texas between 1821 and 1879. Through interactive maps and visualizations, users can explore how conflicts unfolded between Native American groups, Anglo settlers, Tejanos, and African Americans during a period of dramatic change. 

 
Working with digital scholarship specialists at UTA Libraries, the idea developed into a large-scale digital humanities project known as “Texas in Turmoil.” 

Much of that work takes place in the Day Family Research Lab, where researchers use digital mapping and data analysis tools to explore patterns in the historical record. 

 
"When we started the project years ago, we were working with around 250 sites," Haynes said. "Now we're approaching 3,000. And the tools available through the library allow us to analyze the data in ways we simply couldn't before." 

 
Students at the Center of the Work 

One of the most important parts of the project has been student involvement. Graduate and undergraduate students have contributed in meaningful ways, reviewing digitized newspaper collections for evidence of conflict, analyzing archival correspondence from post-Civil War agencies, and helping design data visualizations that make the site accessible to researchers and the public alike. 

"It's been a project that really couldn't exist without student input," Haynes said. "They've been really excited about the project." 

That kind of experiential learning, where students contribute directly to scholarship, is exactly what UTA Libraries aims to support through its faculty partnerships. 

A Collaborative Approach to Research 

Haynes says the experience has changed the way he thinks about historical research. 

Traditionally, historians often worked in isolation, relying on archives and solitary study to produce books or articles. 

Digital humanities projects are different. 

"In history, research used to be a pretty solitary kind of experience," Haynes said. "But with digital humanities projects, you can't really do it by yourself. You need people who understand the software and technology." 

That's where UTA Libraries makes a difference. From digital mapping tools to specialized research labs, librarians provide the expertise and infrastructure that allow faculty to pursue new kinds of scholarship. 

"I would encourage people across the UTA community, not just historians, to take advantage of what the library offers," Haynes said. "It continues to offer more things for researchers all the time." 

Supporting the Work on MavsDay 

Projects like “A Continent Divided” and “Texas in Turmoil” also highlight an important reality about digital scholarship: the work never really ends. 

Unlike a traditional book or article, digital projects continue to evolve as new sources are discovered; data expands and tools improve. 

"We're constantly revising and adding to these projects," Haynes said. "There's always more work to do." 

That ongoing work depends on support from the broader Maverick community. 

On April 22, MavsDay offers alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the university an opportunity to invest in the work happening across campus. 

MavsDay on April 22 is a chance to support the work happening at UTA Libraries in a real, meaningful way. When you give, you’re not just supporting a place; you’re supporting the people and ideas that bring it to life. 

Every day, we see students figuring things out for the first time, digging into research, trying new tools, and building confidence along the way. We see faculty partnering with us to explore new questions and share their work in ways that reach further. And we see what can happen when people have the space, support, and encouragement to create something meaningful. 

The partnership between faculty like Haynes and UTA Libraries is just one example. The projects that come out of these collaborations, digitized archives, interactive maps, student-led research, don’t happen by accident. They happen because people come together and have the support to do something bigger. 

MavsDay is your chance to be part of that. Your support helps make more of these moments possible for students, faculty, and the ideas that are still taking shape. 

When you support UTA Libraries, you’re investing in what’s next. 

Together we are unstoppable.