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\nWalter Rowe, University Librarian, spent some time fixing security strips to the library\u2019s volumes, remembering, \u201cBack then, strips weren\u2019t like they are now, they\u2019d cut you.\u00a0 I was always bleeding.\u201d\u00a0 Looking back, Rowe is surprised by the lack of technology in the old library.\u00a0 \u201cI thought it was neat we had print-outs. I thought I was a big computer guy because I could type a key punch card.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Manual check-out procedures gave way to a library punch card system designed by IBM. Not only was the punch card system unwieldy, it was exceptionally loud. Rowe recalled the \u201ctrip-hammer key-punch machines. Those things were awful.\u201d A test revealed that the machine emitted almost ninety decibels of machine-gun sound when operating. \u201cYou\u2019d leave at the end of the day and have a headache.\u201d Special Collections\u2019 Paul Camp had another take on the machine, \u201cIt was miraculous, wonderful.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
In 1982, USF tested the LAMBDA (Local Access to and Management of Bibliographic Data and Authorities) system, along with several other state institutions. The computerized system was \u201cdesigned for sophisticated searches of material,\u201d according to USF library assistant director of technical services Art Kechersid. Four years later, i<\/span>n 1986, the Florida State Legislature selected the Library User Information Service (LUIS), an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) developed at Northwestern University in 1980 as an electronic patron interface to the real-time circulation module NOTIS (Specht, 2017), to computerize access to the collections of the State University Libraries. The decision at state level began a conversion process that required USF Tampa Library personnel to bar-code 450,000 volumes (Huse, 2005). University libraries in Florida were among the early adopters of NOTIS and LUIS, embracing the new system before NOTIS became a for-profit organization at Northwestern in 1987 (Specht, 2017).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nJohn Keeth, University Librarian, recalled early days of technology adoption, \u201cWe had one computer for the whole department.\u00a0 Art Ketchersid, who was assistant director, used to always be talking about, \u2018One of these days everyone\u2019s going to have a computer at their desk,\u2019 and we just laughed. To us, that was completely unrealistic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2025\/02\/libLUIS-ins-lib.jpg” alt=”Card Catalog Drawer filled with flowers as a memorial.” title_text=”libLUIS-ins-lib” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”58%” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”|3px||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”216,395,393,220″ show_title_and_caption=”off” show_pagination=”off” zoom_icon_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” hover_overlay_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” height=”160px” custom_margin=”15px||-8px|||” custom_padding=”||92px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Didact Gothic||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” min_height=”270.6px” custom_margin=”21px||20px|||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Websites for use by the general public and search engines to help navigate a growing collection on internet content first began to emerge around 1993 (History of the Web, n.d.; (History of the World Wide Web, 2024). By this time USF Libraries were doing email reference service to improve remote access to library collections and services (Frank, 1998). In 1995, the Tampa library charged a Virtual Library Planning Committee with the development of a plan for a virtual library. That team became an implementation team in 1997, enacting a plan to purchase online databases and cross platform search services (Metz-Wiseman, M. et al., 1999). The Implementation team also kickstarted the digitization of Special Collections, receiving an award from USF Foundation to facilitate the work, and then a $3 million donation from A. Bayard Angle to ensure that the USF Libraries \u201cstay on the cutting edge of technology\u201d (Huse, 2005).<\/p>\n
Also in 1997, the USF Tampa Campus library was awarded a grant to become a distanced learning and reference referral center for the state, supporting students and faculty in their distanced coursework via a variety of methods, including email, telephone hotlines, online instruction tools, course reserves, interlibrary loan, and electronic resources (Huse, 2005; University of South Florida Tampa Campus Awarded Grant, 1997; Metz-Wisemen, et al., 1996).<\/p>\n
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Part of staying on the cutting edge of technology is always assessing, re-evaluating, and constantly improving what\u2019s been done. The USF Libraries have been quick adopters of new technologies aimed and improving libraries services, like online interlibrary loan request managements systems, integrated collections searches, and online archival management systems. Three years after it was unveiled, the original 1995 website for the Libraries was aging. In 1999 Libraries\u2019 faculty undertook usability testing to understand what USF faculty and students needed from the website with the aim of improving access to electronic resources, library collections, and services (Allen, 2002). Under the oversight of communication managers and webmasters the Libraries\u2019 website has since undergone several overhauls.<\/p>\n
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When a prebuilt solution couldn\u2019t be found to suit the needs of the Libraries and its users, then new solutions were made.\u00a0 In 2008, based on a report from a Digital Collections Task Force, the Libraries undertook to create their own solution to providing a cross platform search between Libraries digital collections (Greenberg, Lewis, & Bernardy, 2010).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The Libraries has also sought to stay on the cutting edge of research needs at USF.\u00a0 When interdisciplinary use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) grew by 1999, the Libraries established a Geographic Information Systems Research and Data Center within the environment of the evolving \u201cvirtual library\u201d (Abresch, 2003).\u00a0 When scholars on campus began considering Open Access (OA) publication as a method to both improve the impact and reach of disciplinary scholarship and to provide common spaces of discourse for niche disciplinary specialties, the USF Libraries began publishing its first OA journal in 2007:\u00a0 <\/span>Numeracy<\/span><\/i> (Borchert & Fielding, 2014).\u00a0 By 2009, the USF Libraries had begun expanding its support of OA publication and self-archiving by expanding the OA journal platform to a full digital institutional repository (Borchert & Fielding, 2014).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Today, the University of South Florida Libraries continue to support research at USF through reassessing and improving, collaboration across units on campus, launching new initiatives, developing targeted collection plans, and building online research portals and information resources.\u00a0 For example, the Florida Environment and Natural History (FLENH) initiative<\/a><\/span> brings accessible, data-driven, research materials to students and scientists at USF, and around the world.\u00a0 USF Libraries Workshops for Researchers<\/span><\/a> delivers instructions on a range of tools and topics from Libraries’ experts and guest speakers in support of the research activities of all disciplines. Digital Commons @ USF<\/a><\/span> combines the Institutional Repository, collecting USF created scholarship and research activities, with Digital Collections scanned and made accessible from USF Libraries’ Special Collections<\/a><\/span>. In 2024, the USF Libraries launched the Broader Impacts Team initiative<\/a><\/span> that collaborates with faculty to improve the impact and success of grant proposals by coordinating specialized services and expertise to find custom solutions and enhance the impact of and public engagement with research projects
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References<\/h3>\n
Abresch, J. (2003). Geographic Information Systems Research and Data Centers. In Building a Virtual Library (pp. 52\u201364).<\/p>\n
Allen, M. (2002). A case study of the usability testing of the University of South Florida’s virtual library interface design. Online Information Review, 26(1), 40-53. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/14684520210418374<\/p>\n
Borchert, C. A., & Fielding, J. (2014). Scholar Commons @ USF: Sharing Knowledge Worldwide. The Serials Librarian, 66(1\u20134), 161\u2013173. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/0361526X.2014.879638<\/p>\n
Frank, I. (1998) E-mail reference Service at the University of South Florida: A well-kept secret. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. 17(1). 10.1086\/adx.17.1.27948927<\/p>\n
Greenberg, M., Lewis, B. I., & Bernardy, R. Jr. (2010). “CORAL: USF Libraries Digital Collections Prospectus” Available at: http:\/\/works.bepress.com\/markigreenberg\/9\/<\/p>\n
The History of the Web. (n.d.). Timeline. https:\/\/thehistoryoftheweb.com\/timeline\/<\/p>\n
History of the World Wide Web. (2024). Wikipedia. https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_the_World_Wide_Web<\/p>\n
Huse, A. (2005) Chronology of the University of South Florida. https:\/\/works.bepress.com\/andrew_huse\/1\/<\/p>\n
Lewis, B. & Greenberg, M. (2011) Change or Perish: Implementing Aeon in the University of South Florida Tampa Library\u2019s Special Collections. The Oracle: Semiannual advice and good tidings from Atlas Systems. https:\/\/cedar.wwu.edu\/library_facpubs\/40<\/p>\n
Metz-Wiseman, M., Neville, T., Hanson, A., Grohs, K., Silver, S., Sanchez, E., & Doherty, M. (1999). Building a virtual library: How the University of South Florida Libraries did it. College & Research Libraries News, 60(4), 267-270. doi:https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5860\/crln.60.4.267<\/p>\n
Metz-Wiseman, M., Silver, S. Hanson, A., Johnston, J., Grohs, K., Neville, T., Sanchez, E. & Gray, C. (1996). The USF Libraries Virtual Library Project: A blueprint for development. Washington, D.C., ERIC. ED418704. http:\/\/eric.ed.gov\/?id=ED418704<\/p>\n
Specht, J. (2017). The NOTIS History Webpage. Library Technology Guides. https:\/\/librarytechnology.org\/history\/notis\/<\/p>\n
The university of south Florida Tampa campus library awarded grant. Information Outlook. 1997;1(12):8.\u202fhttps:\/\/www.proquest.com\/trade-journals\/university-south-florida-tampa-campus-library\/docview\/197378609\/se-2?accountid=14745<\/p>\n
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Always InnovatingResearch and Innovation Walter Rowe, University Librarian, spent some time fixing security strips to the library\u2019s volumes, remembering, \u201cBack then, strips weren\u2019t like they are now, they\u2019d cut you.\u00a0 I was always bleeding.\u201d\u00a0 Looking back, Rowe is surprised by the lack of technology in the old library.\u00a0 \u201cI thought it was neat we had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":28,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-39","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":460,"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39\/revisions\/460"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lib.usf.edu\/library50thanniversary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}