University of Houston Libraries

Infobox_Library
library_name = University of Houston Libraries
library_
caption =
location = Houston, Texas
coordinates = coord|29.72100|-95.34256
established =
num_branches = 7
collection_size = 2,231,199 volumes, 22,193 serialscite web |url=http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/arlbin/arl.cgi?task=setupreport |title="University of Houston: Report for 2006" |work=ARL Statistics Interactive Edition |publisher=Association of Research Libraries |accessdate=2008-04-24]
annual_circulation = 380,526
pop_served = 35,344 students, 3,003 faculty, UHS students and faculty, and Houston area population
members =
budget =
director = Dana C. Rooks, Dean of Libraries
num_employees = 201
website = http://info.lib.uh.edu

The University of Houston Libraries are the member libraries of the University of Houston academic library system. The central library of the system is on-campus at the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library. The system has six other branches, all of them existing on-campus at UH. Although students from other system schools in the University of Houston System have the ability to check-out circulating volumes, each other system school maintains their own library systems, and the University of Houston Libraries primarily serve UH students and faculty.

Member libraries

Each individual library serves as a home to certain specialty collections of the university libraries. The following is a list of member libraries of the University of Houston Libraries:

*Conrad N. Hilton Library & Archives
*John O'Quinn Law Library
*M.D. Anderson Memorial Library (Central library)
*Music Library
*Pharmacy Library
*Weston A. Pettey Optometry Library
*William R. Jenkins Architecture & Art Library

History

The original library of the University of Houston was established in 1927 when the school was known as Houston Junior College.cite web |url=http://info.lib.uh.edu/dev/libed/1997/summer/summer97.htm |title="Remembering Ruth Wikoff" |author=Dressman, Fran |work=The Library Edition: Summer 1997 |publisher=University of Houston Libraries |accessdate=2008-04-24] With 1,988 volumes, the library was housed as a section of the San Jacinto High School library, where the college shared building space. Ruth Wikoff was the school's first professional librarian. At the request of Wikoff, President Edison Oberholtzer relocated the library to its own space by converting the high school's music room.

After Houston Junior College became the University of Houston in 1934, and moved to its current location in 1939, the library was housed in the Roy G. Cullen building; UH's first permanent building. Although originally having only three staff members, the library continued to grow by continually annexing more rooms in the building. In 1940, the library had over 12,200 volumes, and by 1951, the library had 50,000. This same year, the library, with several benefactors' help and the M.D. Anderson Foundation, was able to build the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library as a new location. Hugh Roy Cullen and Leopold Meyer donated enough money to add 6,000 more volumes to the library before it was moved into the new building. Four years later, the library's volumes reached 145,000, and expenditures were $200,000.

The university then expanded the library services by creating the University of Houston Libraries system. The Weston A. Pettey Optometry Library began as a reading room in 1952 when the College of Optometry opened. In 1967, the Pharmacy Library was established in the Lamar Fleming building on-campus to primarily serve the university's College of Pharmacy. [cite web |url=http://info.lib.uh.edu/dev/libed/1997/spring/spring97.htm |title="Pharmacy Branch Library" |author=Parkin, Derral |work=The Library Edition: Spring 1997 |publisher=University of Houston Libraries |accessdate=2008-04-24] Today, there are seven branches.

In 1968, an eight-story tower was added to M.D. Anderson Memorial Library, and the Brown wing of the library was added in 1977. [cite web |url=http://info.lib.uh.edu/dev/libed/2004/summer/summer04.pdf |title="M.D. Anderson Library: A Timeline" |publisher=University of Houston Libraries |work=The Library Edition: Summer 2004 |accessdate=2008-04-24] The most substantial changes to M.D. Anderson Memorial Library took place in 2004 when a new wing was added. The new wing was built as a front entrance to the library, along with the John O'Quinn Atrium, and a 24-hour lounge area.

References

External links

* [http://info.lib.uh.edu University of Houston Libraries]