About the Libraries

The mission of the Libraries is to promote learning, inspire discovery, and connect with our communities. To achieve our mission we:

• Deliver resources for teaching, learning, and research
• Provide expert information and instructional services
• Develop innovative physical and virtual spaces
• Strengthen existing partnerships and seek new collaborations.

The Libraries include Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Library and the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library on the 5th floor of Briscoe Library.

Learn about our Library Policies.

Library Divisions

Office of the Director

The Office of the Executive Director of Libraries, headed by Pat Hawthorne, is responsible for overall planning, budget and personnel administration, building maintenance, staff development, and official communication with UT Health San Antonio and external institutions and organizations.

Resource Management

The purpose of the Resource Management division, led by Andrea N. Schorr, MSIS, is to manage and develop services and resources that support the teaching, learning and research needs of the UT Health San Antonio community. The Resource Management division oversees three main service areas within the library: Collection Development, Interlibrary Loan, and Special Collections.

Collection Development services include the acquisition, maintenance, and assessment of print and electronic collections, licensing, cataloging, course reserves, and the digital archive.

Interlibrary Loan/Borrowing services provide delivery of articles and books that are not in the library collection by requesting them from another library. In addition, Interlibrary Loan also fulfills requests from other libraries for items that are in the UT Health San Antonio collection.

Special Collections services provide access to a unique set of historical works in the P.I. Nixon Historical Library, which include rare books and various local historical documents. The University Archives and Records Management program function to preserve the history of the institution and provide guidance on the retention of campus records.

Library Liaisons

The liaison librarians, led by Chris Gaspard, MSLS, serve as a single point of contact at each school for library instruction and research services. Liaisons work with the faculty or program directors to plan and develop curriculum-integrated courses on use of library databases, evidence-based practice health information, and citation management. They participate on curriculum committees as well as other campus groups. The liaison librarians participate in systematic reviews, and provide reference services and customized instruction. Liaisons also help to expand utilization of library services, initiatives and innovations among the various user groups within the UT Health San Antonio campus and to promote awareness of the library and its resources to the broader health science center community.

Committees

The university-wide Library Committee meets quarterly to address library service issues from the users’ perspective and works with library administration to get input from faculty, students, and staff concerning proposed changes in library policies and practices. Faculty who serve on this committee have a “global perspective” about services the library may be willing to provide and become involved in committee projects.

The Collection Development Committee is composed of Resource Management librarians and representatives from each of the library divisions. Resource Management librarians are primarily responsible for collection assessment, access, discovery, selection criteria, cost analysis, consortia activities, and policies and procedures.

The Marketing Working Group develops expertise and ideas to assist the various components of the library in promoting products and services and collaborates with other library divisions to determine appropriate and relevant messages. It coordinates Library programming and communications to engage faculty, staff, students, and researchers with library resources and services and promotes effective access to quality health science information to the broader community.