University of Texas at San Antonio Opens Nation’s First Completely Bookless Library on a University Campus

Bookless Satellite Library Will Serve Science and Engineering Students

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) announced today that it has opened its Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library, the nation’s first completely bookless brick-and-mortar library on a college or university campus. The 80-person capacity library, which caters to UTSA’s College of Sciences and College of Engineering students, is a satellite to the university’s larger John Peace Library.

“As our campus becomes a national research university, it is important that we continue to create communities that engage students”

Electronic research is central to UTSA’s AET Library. Instead of storing printed volumes, the library offers students a rapidly growing collection of electronic resources including 425,000 e-books and 18,000 e-journal subscriptions. Skilled science and engineering librarians are available during library hours to help students who need research assistance.

UTSA’s electronic library is quickly catching on with students, who are finding that library staff is more available to assist them now that it doesn’t have to circulate and re-shelf books. The publications students want to read are also more accessible, because the online format allows many students to simultaneously access the same volume.

The trend to move higher education library collections online began in October 2000, when Kansas State University opened its Fiedler Engineering Library. The branch library’s collection is completely electronic, with the exception of a series of reference books and a few journals that are unavailable electronically. Earlier this year, Stanford University continued the trend when it removed all but 10,000 printed volumes from its Engineering Library.

UTSA designed its bookless library to engage students in an online format within a contemporary new space. The library features ultra modern furniture and space age décor as well as 10 desktop computers, a printer, a scanner and five large LCD screens. To support student study sessions and spontaneous collaboration, the library also offers a series of group study niches and three group study rooms outfitted with whiteboards. The spaces reflect an emphasis on teamwork, communications and problem solving, skills integral to the success of professional engineers and scientists.

“As our campus becomes a national research university, it is important that we continue to create communities that engage students,” said Krisellen Maloney, dean of libraries. “In this library, we encourage collaboration. We want to hear our students talking and solving problems together. This is the beginning of their training as professional engineers and scientists.”

With the eLibrary now open, UTSA is exploring ways to take the bookless concept even further. In the next few months, it expects to start providing pre-loaded collections of eBooks on eReader devices like the iPad or Kindle for students to check out and take home.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the second largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a national research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA serves nearly 29,000 students in 64 bachelor’s, 49 master’s and 21 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond. More information online at www.utsa.edu/today.