At University of Houston Libraries, we’re on a journey of reinvention.

WE’RE CREATING THE FOUNDATION for a Reimagined Library, a big idea that will drive the development of modern, vibrant and inspiring spaces and services designed to meet the dynamic needs of UH students, faculty and scholars.
    Our vision is to become a research library befitting a top 50 public university — a paradigm of collaboration, community and convergence.
    What is the Reimagined Library? How will we achieve this goal?
    The Reimagined Library stewards collections through collaboration. The majority of UH Libraries’ square footage is allocated to print holdings, but our students and faculty are engaging digitally with scholarly materials. We’re rethinking how we balance print resources and space through a collections care model that expands electronic access, centers long-term preservation and protection of the scholarly record, and makes high-circulating print volumes more visible in research and engagement areas. Through partnerships across the state and the nation, we’ll explore cost- and space-efficient print collection stewardship options to facilitate a transformation with more study space and streamlined service delivery methods.
    The Reimagined Library is an engaging focal point for the UH community. The library is integral to the University experience. Students feel a sense of ownership over their library, and they deserve a space where they feel comfortable and inspired. We want to create a variety of customizable, contextual spaces that match our students’ needs in terms of how they learn, reflect and connect. Reimagined, our spaces will uphold the traditional spirit of the library alongside a bright, sleek, flexible, mobile-first design. We want to strategically center learning, research and engagement areas connected to co-curricular services, such as the micro-credential in the Digital Humanities and Teaching and Learning peer mentors, that build community among UH students and improve student success outcomes.

    The Reimagined Library facilitates convergence. Solutions to the world’s big problems originate in places of centrality. It’s going to take conversations, openness and an understanding that research, and the knowledge that comes from it, is a public good to advance humanity. We are drivers of open scholarship and connectors facilitating interdisciplinary research. Through established campus partnerships, we’re expanding awareness of what’s possible and creating opportunities for students and faculty to engage and explore potential collaborations that can yield new insights. From lectures by prominent thought leaders and scholars to exhibits featuring rare and unique archival materials to an inspiring undergraduate scholarship showcase, we’re leveraging existing synergies to discover fresh ideas.
    We’ve advanced several key initiatives and projects toward our goal of realizing the Reimagined Library vision, yet there is so much more to do. As you read the impact stories herein, I invite you to imagine future possibilities. I invite you to become a part of our Reimagined Library journey.

Warm regards,
CHRISTINA H. GOLA
Dean, University of Houston Libraries