You are now connected to a powerful gateway of resources that were carefully selected and organized to facilitate inquiry, discovery and delivery of information at KU and beyond.

As we embark on this new semester, I am pleased to share with you news of several new projects within the libraries. Each was completed with our patrons in mind, aimed at improving your experience within the physical or virtual space of the libraries.

As you may have already noticed, we have recently unveiled a newly redesigned homepage (see www.lib.ku.edu). The most visible change to the site is the addition of search tools on the main page, allowing you to search several commonly used databases simultaneously.

Should you find yourself far from your computer, access to informative librarians is only a phone call—and now even a text message—away. Our expanded texting service through Ask a Librarian allows you to ask librarians for help by sending a text message with a query.

No doubt, it is hard to replicate the in-person experience of walking through the doors of one of our six libraries on the Lawrence campus. In fact, if you have visited Watson Library recently, you may have noticed a new service desk has just been installed. The desk replaced the former temporary desk on the main level of the library. This is the first phase in a concerted effort to improve staff visibility and create a warmer, more welcoming environment for library patrons.

We want to be an active partner in your teaching, research and learning experience, and I invite you to contact us with any questions.

For more information about KU Libraries see www.lib.ku.edu.

lorraine j. haricombe
Dean of Libraries