University Library System
The University Library System (ULS) is the University of Pittsburgh's largest library organization and is administered by the Hillman University Librarian and Director, ULS. The organization in its current form dates back to 1982, when the University combined the administration of its libraries for the Graduate Schools of Business, Public and International Affairs, and the School of Library and Information Sciences with that of the Hillman Library and its branches. From the early 1980s the library system adopted many new services and resources alongside the evolution of computer technology including, most notably, the installation and unveiling of its first online catalog based on the NOTIS integrated library system.
In addition to the Hillman Library, the ULS includes the following libraries and collections on the Pittsburgh campus:
- Allegheny Observatory Library
- Archives Service Center
- Center for American Music
- Chemistry Library
- Bevier Engineering Library
- Frick Fine Arts Library
- Information Sciences Library
- Katz Graduate School of Business Library
- Langley Library (biological sciences, behavioral neuroscience)
- Library Resource Facility
- Music Library
The Library Resource Facility, located three miles from the heart of the Pittsburgh campus, houses many of the ULS' back-office operations in addition to the Archives Service Center and the Library Collections Storage Unit, a high-density book storage facility with a capacity of 2.7 million volumes. The libraries on the University's four regional campuses at Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown, and Titusville also belong to the ULS.
A member of the Association of Research Libraries, the ULS ranks 23rd out of the ARL's 126 member libraries, placing it in the top 20% of North America's largest academic libraries. The ULS has been commended for its use of technology, including the digitization of its unique collection and improving the accessibility of its online resources. Duane Webster, executive director emeritus of the Association of Research Libraries, notes that the ULS has "transformed not only school's library but also the future of research libraries." The ULS has also been noted for its publication of new digital content in its D-Scribe Digital Publishing program.
The ULS partners with other University of Pittsburgh libraries including the Barco Law Library and the Health Sciences Library System, both located on the Pittsburgh campus. The ULS shares a single online system with these partner libraries, collaborates with them to provide facilitated access to all collections, and cooperates on other projects to serve the University.
Read more about this topic: Hillman Library
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