UNCG University Libraries

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro University Libraries system is located has five branches on campus all located in Greensboro, NC. In addition to the main Walter Clinton Jackson Library, the system contains the Teaching and Learning Center (which houses materials on film and video), the Music Library, the Chemistry/Biochemistry Library, the Teaching Resource Center in the School of Education and the Multicultural Resource Center (located in the Elliot University Center). The University Archives and Manuscripts, Special Collections and Rare Books, and Digital Projects Office are also considered part of the Jackson Library system. [University Libraries homepage [http://library.uncg.edu] ]

History

Starting in 1895, the library began as a small collection in one main room. It consisted of several hundred books donated or paid for by the Charles Duncan McIver and his family, the faculty, and the students. [Myrtie Scarboro, “Among Ourselves” State Normal Magazine, IV (March 1900), 64. ] By 1900, library had moved to the former gymnasium and had grown to over three thousand volumes. Later known as the Carnegie Library, the major expansion of 1923 tripled the building’s capacity to over 20,000 volumes; the growing library collection reached 60,000 by 1930. In 1934 a fire destroyed the Carnegie Library building, although much of the stacks collection survived with only water damage. After years of planning and interruptions from WWII, the Walter Clinton Jackson Library was built in 1950. This older portion of the library still stands and houses much of the library administration and special collections. In 1964 the library became a federal document depository; it still retains the status as a selective depository for U.S. government documents, as well as a full depository for State documents. A nine-story tower addition was built to the main building in the 1970’s, making it a landmark on campus. [Trelease, Allen W. (2004) Making North Carolina Literate. Durham: Carolina Academic Press. p.35, 110, 152, 338, 482]

The University Libraries grew out of Jackson Library. As faculty and students came increasingly to rely on technology, a Learning Resources Center was created in 1982. Under Chancellor Sullivan, a new School of Music Building was opened in 1999 housing a separate Music Library.

Collections

The Library Catalog of UNCG currently contains holdings for materials in the Walter Clinton Jackson Library (except maps), the Music Library, and many materials in the University Teaching and Learning Center. Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives are increasingly available via the online catalog.

Jackson Library houses a growing collection of Electronic Resources. Over 400 electronic databases are accessible in the Library and campus-wide. Most are also available to currently affiliated UNCG faculty, students, and staff accessing the Internet from home or office, and to members of the general public who visit the library in person. Assistance in using electronic databases can be obtained from the Reference Department.

The Library subscribes to approximately 2648 printed journals, serials, and newspapers. Holdings are listed in the Library Catalog. The Library also provides access to over the full text of over 32,000 electronic journals and newspapers. The Library's technology department (ERIT) invented the first OpenURL Link Resolver to go into production in the United States. Known as Journal Finder, the service is now used by over 40 other libraries.

The Government Documents web pages provide extensive links to local, state, and national government information. The Government Documents collection is a part of the Reference Department. Service is at the main Reference Desk on the 1st floor. The collection includes both Federal and North Carolina documents. The Library Catalog contains records of the Library's collection of Federal documents published after 1976 and NC State documents published after 1987.

The Microforms Collection is administered by the Reference Department and is located on the second floor of the Library's main wing. It houses more than a million items. Many microforms holdings are listed in the Library Catalog.

The Music Library is located on the main level of the School of Music building (corner of W Market and McIver Streets) and supports the educational, research, and service goals of the University by providing music resources, information, and services required by students, faculty, staff and community members. Our unified collection consists of sound recordings, video recordings, scores, books and serials about music. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to come to the Music Library to listen to and view sound and video materials and to check out books and scores.

Rare books and manuscripts are located in the Special Collections and Rare Books on the second floor of the Library's main wing. Also housed here are a number of important research collections, including the Woman's Collection of historical materials dating from the sixteenth century; over 3000 of works of detective fiction by American women authors from the 19th to mid-20th centuries; a large collection of early children's books dating from the eighteenth century; internationally recognized cello music materials, historical works on dance and physical education; and major author collections, including Randall Jarrell, Lois Lenski and George Herbert. Modern private press works and fine printings, artists' books and American trade bindings are well represented in the book arts collection.. Manuscript holdings are increasingly available in the Library Catalog.

The Reference Collection is located in the Reference Department on the first floor of the Library's main wing. The collection consists of general and specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, and biographical sources. The Reference Collection also includes government reference sources, indexes and abstracts, telephone directories, and a map collection containing more than 14,000 items. Items do not circulate. The Reference Department's Subject Guides provide access to online and print resources on a variety of topics.

The Reserves Division, located on the first floor of the Library's main wing, contains current reserve materials, including library books, photocopies, personal books, and some types of audio-visual materials on reserve for courses. The Reserve Division also houses the Library's collection of audio-visual materials, consisting primarily of disc recordings, cassettes, and compact discs. The focus of this collection is on spoken-word recordings and music. Reserve Section holdings are listed in the Library Catalog.

Special Collections and University Archives

The University Archives and Manuscripts is located in the same area as the Special Collections and Rare Books on the second floor of the Library's main wing. Many of the materials housed in the Archives do not appear in the Library Catalog. Records of the past Chancellors, a collection of over 50,000 images dating from the 1890s, and University and student publications are among the two million items preserved in the Archives. The Archives also contain faculty papers, private manuscript collections, such as the Joseph M. Bryan Archives, and records of several campus organizations. Papers and records in University Archives are increasingly available via the Library Catalog.

The Women Veterans Historical Project [Women Veterans Historical Project [http://library.uncg.edu/depts/archives/veterans/] ] , developed and maintained by the University Archives, is a research collection for scholars of military history as well as women's studies. [University Libraries homepage [http://library.uncg.edu] ]

References