Post date: May 2, 2023

The University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno has been invited to join the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA). The GWLA membership approved this action through a ballot proposal conducted during March 2023. 

GWLA is a dynamic, effective, project‐oriented consortium of research libraries headquartered in Missouri. Its member institutions are predominantly in the central and western United States. GWLA is recognized nationally as a leader in the transformation of scholarly communications and a facilitator in the application of new information technologies. 

“We are very excited to welcome the University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno as our newest member!” GWLA Executive Director, Joni Blake said. “With the addition of the University Libraries, GWLA members now comprise 40 research libraries across 19 states. The University Libraries have a talented and enthusiastic staff, wonderful special collections, and amazing makerspaces.  We look forward to working with the Libraries on a broad range of initiatives and projects.” 

To be considered for GWLA membership, an applicant library must be classified as a Research University (High Research Activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, have distinctive collections and services that add value to the Alliance, and meet quantitative measures related to the library’s materials budget and ratio of students to library faculty and staff. 

GWLA Past-Chair, Michael Levine-Clark noted that he “was particularly impressed by the @One Digital Media and Technology Center, which provides students and community members the opportunity to work with experts on high-end audio and video production. I am sure that GWLA members will be able to learn a lot from our colleagues at the Libraries.” 

GWLA membership will bring University of Nevada, Reno faculty, researchers and students faster access to research collections complementing and helping to enhance the Libraries’ own collections. 

“I am honored that members voted to grant the University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno admission into the Alliance,” Catherine Cardwell, dean, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno said. “We look forward to contributing to a group of engaged, future-focused partners who are redefining the work of research libraries.” 

Under the leadership of University President Brian Sandoval and Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson, the University of Nevada, Reno boasts a student body population of nearly 21,000 students, 13 colleges and schools, 40 academic departments and more than 460 programs. 

The University is embarking on earning the Minority-Serving Institution designation from the U. S. Department of Education.  Earning this designation will help the institution better serve the needs of all students and demonstrates a commitment to closing the opportunity and equity gaps in higher education. 

Additionally, one of the University’s aspirational goals is to build on its Carnegie status and position the University so that it is on par with the public, land-grant members of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Working toward this and other designations demonstrates the University’s continued commitment to its vision – to educate and graduate the best-prepared, confident leaders; to be a nexus for research; and to serve as a catalyst for the betterment of our society. 

“Membership in GWLA will promote student success, opportunities for cross-institutional projects with other research universities, and effective solutions that address scholarly communications challenges,” University of Nevada, Reno Executive Vice President and Provost Jeff Thompson said.  “The University Libraries play a central role in Wolf Pack Rising, the University of Nevada, Reno’s five-year (2023 – 2027) strategic plan.” 

In 2022, the University Libraries helped enhance teaching, learning and discovery by providing nearly 11,000 individual help sessions in person and remotely across all departments; giving 630 in-person, online or asynchronous presentations to 13,500 people; managing 12.4 million digital objects; welcoming 1.3 million users to its website where more than 4.2 million pageviews; providing access to 1.1 million e-books and 274,415 streaming videos, and much more.

###

The Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA) is a consortium of research libraries predominately located in the central and western United States. GWLA is a dynamic, effective, project‐oriented consortium, nationally recognized as a leader in the transformation of scholarly communications, and a facilitator in the application of new information technologies. For additional information, visit the GWLA website or follow GWLA on Facebook. 

About the University Libraries at the University of Nevada, Reno 

The University Libraries embrace intellectual inquiry and innovation, nurture the production of new knowledge, and foster excellence in learning, teaching and research. During each academic year, the Libraries welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors across its network of four libraries: the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, the DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library, the Savitt Medical Library and the Prim Library at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. Visitors checked-out more than 80,000 items and completed more than two million database searches.