Director's Welcome

A message from our Library Director

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire McIntyre Library, a dynamic research environment dedicated to providing high quality resources and services to all users. Our collections consist of over 500,000 books, all of which may be searched from these pages using our online catalog, along with a dizzying array of electronic periodical indexes and other online resources, many of which offer full text access. All are purchased in consultation with academic faculty to ensure that they serve the research needs of our students. Our collection is supplemented by resources purchased with the help of the University of Wisconsin system, and services such as universal borrowing and interlibrary loan provide access to a world of additional information.

The McIntyre Library is more than just a collection of books. We are the campus' intellectual center, offering materials and experiences meant to stimulate discussion and learning. We offer art exhibits and public programming. Our Special Collections & Archives department is the caretaker of the campus' historical consciousness and an access point to the history of the Eau Claire community. Our recent construction project to move the department to a more prominent location in the library building demonstrates our pride in this role. Finally, we are a campus social center. Students come to the library to engage in intellectual discourse with fellow students, and we accommodate this need by offering a variety of study spaces, from more traditional study carrels to comfy upholstered furniture.

In response to our students' technology needs, we offer more computers and labs than any other building on campus, and wireless access for those who wish to use their own technology. Students can borrow laptops, digital cameras and video cameras from the library to use in support of their course assignments. Finally, we provide a variety of technologically-enabled meeting rooms for group work.

Our most important role is encouraging lifelong learning and the development of research skills. We do this through instruction in academic courses and at the reference desk where we answer queries and assist users in finding materials at the point of need.

In fulfilling all of these roles, our main focus is you, whether you are a student, faculty member, staff member, or member of the Eau Claire community. We want you to have access to the information you need, when and where you need it. We urge you to tell us what you think and to share suggestions of how we might make your research lives better. Use the online web form or e-mail me directly.

So come, visit us in person or online. We're here to help you succeed.

Chris Cox (coxcn@uwec.edu)
Director of Libraries
November, 2006