Announcing UT Libraries Task Force

Dear UT community,

I am writing to announce the creation of a new task force charged with developing a shared vision for how UT Libraries can best support the university’s educational and research missions. This effort is co-chaired by Lorraine Haricombe, vice provost and director of UT Libraries, and Michelle Addington, dean of the School of Architecture. The Task Force on the Future of UT Libraries is composed of faculty members, students, and staff members from across campus.

Libraries play a foundational role at a world-class, public research university. For more than a century, UT Libraries has built one of the largest and most distinctive collections among public institutions of higher education. Their resources and deep professional expertise foster discovery and innovation and allow students and faculty members to pursue their academic endeavors.

In recent decades, many aspects of academic libraries have changed, driven by technology, the evolving needs of students and faculty, and new approaches to teaching, learning, and research. To ensure that we are responsive to campus needs and changes in the field, I have charged the task force with helping us to understand how our valuable library resources can best be aligned to meet the needs of our faculty, staff, and students.

An essential part of this process is engaging the campus community. The task force will be actively seeking input through various channels and venues, including a town hall on Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. in the Blanton Auditorium of the Edgar A. Smith Building. James Hilton, university librarian and dean of libraries at the University of Michigan, and Anne Kenney, former university librarian at Cornell University, will discuss the changes affecting academic libraries at research universities across the United States. I hope to see you at this town hall.

In the meantime, you can submit your thoughts and feedback on the task force website.

This is an important initiative for the campus as we work to ensure UT Austin continues to provide the necessary library resources to enable our faculty, researchers, and students to succeed. Thank you in advance for being engaged in this process. I look forward to a conversation on how UT Libraries can best support our academic mission.

Sincerely,

Maurie McInnis
Executive Vice President and Provost
The University of Texas at Austin

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