August 23, 2016

SEC University Libraries Commit To Enhanced Resource Sharing

SEC university libraries collectively house nearly 60 million volumes

By: Bryant Welbourne
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

To support scholarly research efforts within the Southeastern Conference, library deans from all SEC member universities have committed to sharing in new ways their respective institutional collections with other conference schools, effective immediately.

“Individually, SEC university libraries have strong collections of national distinction with unique strengths and areas of emphasis,” said David Carlson, Dean of University Libraries at Texas A&M University. “As strong as our individual libraries are, however, none of us are as strong as we are together. This SEC library sharing agreement allows the users of the SEC libraries – our faculty, staff and students – to find and use materials as if our libraries were a single, unified collection.”

During a recent meeting of SEC library deans at the SEC office in Birmingham, Ala., the group discussed ways their universities could collaborate beyond existing practices, such as the Interlibrary Loan Code. As a result, this agreement gives individuals access to print and digital resources at other conference university libraries upon request, and at no charge. SEC requests will be given priority, and loan periods will match what the lending library allows for its local undergraduate students.

“The library sharing agreement will provide all SEC students and faculty with unprecedented access to the wealth of information available within our 14 research universities,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “It will serve as a bridge between each SEC campus in a unique way, and I commend the deans of our libraries for their commitment to SEC-wide collaboration in this important area.”

While SEC university libraries collectively house nearly 60 million volumes, each university has one-of-a-kind collections that will now be available to all SEC faculty, staff and students.

“I am delighted this agreement will allow us to fully tap into the rich resources of the SEC libraries and to more robustly share Auburn’s to the benefit of all of the scholars, researchers and students in the SEC,” said Bonnie MacEwan, Dean of Libraries at Auburn University.

This most recent initiative is one of several collaborative efforts in the SEC. The SEC Faculty Travel Program supports faculty travel between SEC universities in the areas of research and the arts. Also, SEC students may access education abroad programs offered at any SEC university via a cooperative agreement. Each of these initiatives is administered by SECU, the academic initiative of the Southeastern Conference.