SEC University Libraries Commit to Enhanced Resource Sharing

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2016) To support scholarly research efforts within the Southeastern Conference (SEC), library deans from all SEC member universities, including the University of Kentucky, 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, Alabama, 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.

"UK Libraries is pleased to be collaborating with our SEC partners.  By working together, we can make all SEC research libraries better resources for our students, faculty and researchers," said Terry Birdwhistell, dean of UK Libraries and William T. Young Endowed Chair.

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 SEC.

As the premier research library in the Commonwealth, UK Libraries provides ever-expanding access to quality information resources, services and programs. UK Libraries locations include the William T. Young Library, the Agricultural Information Center, the Hunter M. Adams College of Design Library, the Education Library, the John A. Morris Library (Gluck Equine Research Center), the Kentucky Transportation Center Library, the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center, the Medical Center Library, the Science and Engineering Library and the Special Collections Research Center.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu