University Communications Media contact:
K.C. Scharnberg
UTSA Communications
210-458-7555
kc.scharnberg@utsa.edu
Nation’s First Bookless Library on College Campus is Thriving
Science and engineering library at UTSA serves as new model for world’s academic libraries
SAN ANTONIO, Mar. 25, 2013 – Three years since it opened, the nation’s first completely bookless
library on a college campus is thriving. The Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library at The
University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) caters to the research needs of its College of Sciences and
College of Engineering and has become an essential resource for its students and faculty. Learn more
at http://bit.ly/ZO5tIr.
The library has served more than 161,000 students and faculty since it opened its doors on the UTSA
Main Campus in March 2010. On average, it welcomes 1,900 visitors per week.
Designed to engage students in an online format, the AET Library features 10 desktop computers, a
printer, scanner and five large LCD screens. Group study niches and three study rooms are outfitted
with whiteboards and glass walls on which students can write, encouraging teamwork, communication
and problem solving skills integral to the success of professional engineers and scientists.
“This isn’t like an ordinary library where you’re expected to be quiet and stick to yourself,” said David
Cruz, a junior mechanical engineering student. “The fact that we can write on the walls and have
immediate access to tons of scientific materials makes it the perfect place to work on projects and solve
problems as a group.”
The AET Library subscribes to 50,000 e-journals and 470 databases providing UTSA students and
faculty with full-text access to millions of articles, data sets, videos and more. They are accessible from
any computer, tablet or smartphone with internet access.
With more than one million e-books available to UTSA students for checkout, library officials report that
e-book circulation was just over 500,000 in 2012. E-readers that are pre-loaded with several popular
and research STEM titles are available for checkout.
“This library has made a tremendous impact on the research and academic success of our science and
engineering community and serves as a model for student engagement,” said Krisellen Maloney, UTSA
dean of libraries. “As UTSA becomes a national research university, we strive to create spaces where
students and faculty have access to the academic resources they need in an environment that is
designed for collaboration.”
One UTSA Circle • San Antonio, Texas 78249 • (210) 458-­‐7584 • (210) 458-­‐4552 fax • christi.fish@utsa.edu University Communications Librarians with expertise in engineering and science are on-call for reference and research
consultations, strengthening connections with UTSA students and faculty. In addition, the AET Library
has a dedicated staff of science and engineering student library assistants who are trained to answer
reference questions and assist with locating specialized books, articles and reports online.
To learn more about the AET Library at UTSA, visit http://bit.ly/ZO5tIr.
UTSA serves nearly 31,000 students in 135 degree programs and aims to be a national research
university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global
environment. Visit www.utsa.edu.
One UTSA Circle • San Antonio, Texas 78249 • (210) 458-­‐7584 • (210) 458-­‐4552 fax • christi.fish@utsa.edu