The Graduate School
The University of Texas Libraries
Battle Hall, home of the Architecture library
The sixteen libraries of The University of Texas at Austin form one of the largest academic library collections in North America. They offer access to over nine million print and electronic items of all types. Fifteen of these libraries are on the main campus, while the Marine Science Library is located in Port Aransas, Texas.
Most of these libraries have open stacks. All campus users are encouraged to explore our print and electronic resources and ask for assistance in person, via e-mail, chat, or online through "Ask a Librarian". A map of campus library locations with contact information is available online. Because hours of operation vary from library to library, please check the hours before traveling to a certain location. Library hours change during holidays and intersessions. In addition to the Perry-Castañeda Library, known as the PCL and discipline-specific branches of The University of Texas Libraries, several special collections on campus may prove essential to your research needs. These special collections include:
- the Benson Latin American Collection, focusing on materials from and about Latin America, and on materials relating to Spanish-speaking peoples in the United States;
- the Center for American History, a special collections library, archive, and museum that supports research and sponsors programs on the historical development of the United States;
- the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, a world-renowned collection of 19th, 20th, and 21st-century British and American literature and other arts-related collections; and
- the Tarlton Law Library, which is one the largest law libraries in the country.
If you don't remember anything else mentioned here, remember our homepage. It provides links to our online catalog of holdings, which is much more than just a listing of books. If you're looking for journals, UT theses and dissertations, music, maps, DVDs, microforms, government documents, audio-visual materials, e-books, e-journals, electronic databases or materials in other formats, search away!
Foyer of the PCL
The University of Texas Libraries purchase approximately 60,000 new volumes each year, and provide access to more than 80,000 e-books. Once you take a look to determine what's available, you can help us strengthen our collections by sharing your research interests with the subject bibliographer or subject specialist in your area and by making requests for specific titles. Subject bibliographers can also provide invaluable research assistance on an individual basis and in the classroom.
We offer access to one of North America's largest collections of electronic indexes and databases. You will be relieved to know that many, if not all, of the major databases with which you may already be familiar are available here at UT Austin. Looking for the databases that are most appropriate for your research? Need Dissertation Abstracts? Factivia? PsycINFO? LEXIS-NEXIS? The Web of Science? We have them and many more! Browse the list of indexes and databases and contact your subject bibliographer to learn the secrets of navigating the choices available and increasing the efficiency of your searches. We know your time is valuable and that you will be working on your research as your schedule permits, from your home, your office, or other locations.
If you bypass the library's portal and try going to vendors' web sites directly to connect to the databases, good luck! You won't be recognized as an authenticated user, and you won't have the passwords or other information required. The library is your ticket to database access!
Library
Services
Some
library services are specifically designed to
help graduate
students. At the beginning of each semester, there's
a schedule
of tours and "Library Classes" sessions for
all students.
Other services include:
- study carrel and locker assignments,
- online renewals and recalls,
- semester-length loan periods,
- ethernet connections to the campus network,
- laptop checkout,
- UTNet wireless access, and
- electronic and print reserves (see http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/reserves/).
Of particular note is our free interlibrary loan service, from one of the best interlibrary loan departments in the country. Unless you specifically request a physically printed or other format item, all interlibrary loan requests are handled electronically, from request to delivery.
If you're heading to the library in person, don't forget your UT ID (which is your library card to check out materials) and your copy card. And be sure you have your UT EID and password. You'll need those, too.
This concludes the section on The University of Texas Libraries. To continue to the next section of the Graduate Student Orientation, click on the button labeled "Next".
Next