Dean’s Letter
This has been a landmark year for University of Houston Libraries. That momentum will continue into 2027.
This year, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the MD Anderson Library, a milestone that invited us to honor our history while boldly imagining our future. That future is the Reimagined Library, our vision for creating modern, vibrant, and inspiring spaces and services that meet the evolving needs of UH students, faculty, researchers, and scholars.
The timing could not be more significant. As the University prepares for its Centennial celebration in 2027, the Libraries is helping tell the story of the remarkable growth and success of UH through an exhibit supported by the UH Office of the President, our largest to date. Together, these milestones have encouraged us to reflect not only on where we have been, but also on where we must go.
We are doing so at a moment of profound change in the information landscape. Generative artificial intelligence is transforming how we search, create, evaluate, and communicate information. In this environment, the role of the academic library is more imperative than ever.
The foundation of our Reimagined Library vision begins with a thoughtful new approach to managing our print collections. As use of general print collections continues to decline across disciplines, we are exploring collaborative stewardship models at the state and national levels. These efforts will help us use space more strategically while ensuring continued access to scholarly resources. They will also allow us to create more visible, engaging environments for high-use collections, learning, collaboration, and discovery.
At the same time, we are expanding access to our distinctive special collections and archives while strengthening our commitment to information literacy. Programs such as Historian’s Craft demonstrate how students can engage with primary sources and critically evaluate evidence — skills that are increasingly essential in an age when information is often curated, filtered, and generated by technology.
These competencies also support the growing fields of digital scholarship and digital humanities. Through our Digital Humanities Core, we help students and faculty explore the full lifecycle of digital projects, enabling new forms of research, creativity, and knowledge production.
As a Tier One research library, we also have a responsibility to preserve knowledge for future generations. This issue highlights the careful, specialized preservation work that protects our collections while creating opportunities for expanded access and engagement.
Many of our supporters joined us for our premier 75th anniversary celebration and experienced firsthand our history, our impact, and our vision for the future. If you were unable to attend, I invite you to explore the achievements and stories featured in this issue. As you do, I hope you will join us on this exciting journey as we reimagine the future of UH Libraries together.
Warm regards,
Christina H. Gola
Dean, University of Houston Libraries