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About the Library

Library Departments

Library Administration manages the day-to-day operations of the library, including staff, services, materials, and facilities.

The Library Director's office is on the third floor across from the West Conference Room.

817-531-4821

The Circulation Department streamlines patient access to library services and materials. Located on the first floor by the main entrance, the Circulation Department assists with:

  • General library information
  • Checking library materials in & out
  • PaperCut (Print Release) Accounts
  • Student Parking Stickers
  • Course Reserves
  • TexShare Cards
  • Wesleyan ID cards

817-531-4800 | circulation@txwes.edu

The Collection Development & Acquisitions Department handles selecting new resources for the collection, relying heavily on faculty input, purchasing resources, deaquisitions processes, and handling gifts from donors. The library collection is continually built and developed to meet the present and future information needs of students and faculty. The Library adheres to the American Library Association's policies and statements on intellectual freedom including the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement.

All Texas Wesleyan community members can suggest a new resource purchase by filling out our purchasing request form. Criteria taken into consideration when making final selection decisions include the relevance of the subject matter to the collection; timeliness or permanence; authoritativeness; accuracy of information; author's reputation and significance as a writer; inclusion of the title in recognized bibliographies; price; and availability of materials on the subject.

817-531-4805 | libacq@txwes.edu

The Digital Initiatives Department oversees the digital collections at Texas Wesleyan University and houses the Digital Archive, Academic Archive, and Digital Exhibits. The Digital Initiatives Department also oversees the TXWES Makers Lab.

Digital Collections

The Digital Archive holds the digital files of the Special Collections & University Archives.

The Academic Archive is the university's institutional repository where all outstanding academic work created by our faculty, staff, and students can be accessed. 

The Digital Exhibits are a collection of exhibits showcasing special items from Texas Wesleyan University's students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community. 

817-531-4815 | academicarchive@txwes.edu

TXWES Makers Lab

The TXWES Makers Lab is located on the first floor of the Eunice & James L. West Library and is a space where the Texas Wesleyan community has the opportunity to explore, invent, collaborate, and learn.  There are several skills that can be introduced and honed through the Makers Lab, including but not limited to: 

  • collaboration and the fostering of unique ideas and relationships
  • to become well acquainted with the intricacies of concept and design
  • to utilize critical thinking skills and ingenuity to solve problems
  • to recognize what it takes for a concept to go from a draft to a finished product.

The TXWES Makers Lab's mission is  to:

  • Give users opportunities to use technologies that they would not usually have access to
  • Prepare students and the community to be able to enter the workforce with highly sought technical skills
  • Make a space that will engage users
  • Create a collaborative learning environment for various types of learners

817-531-4812 | makerslab@txwes.edu

Library Systems maintains the integrated library system (ILS), discovery service, library catalog, databases, West Library's website, and more.

Located on the 2nd floor behind the Periodicals desk.

817-531-4816 | libraryadmin@txwes.edu

The Periodicals Department maintains print and online journals, magazines, newspapers, and databases.

Services available from the library staff at the Periodicals Desk on the 2nd floor include:

  • Locating specific issues of journals or magazines.
  • Limited assistance using the PC workstations, networked printer, and photocopier.
  • Dry-erase markers and erasers are for use on whiteboards in study rooms.

817-531-4817 | periodicals@txwes.edu

The Reference Department aims to help students, faculty, and staff find information. They assist in accessing resources, offer guidance on their use, and welcome anyone to visit the reference desk during reference hours. Individual consultation sessions can be scheduled by contacting the Reference Department. 

Faculty may request instruction from librarians to speak with students about:

  • course-specific research topics
  • plagiarism 
  • citation management
  • information literacy
  • basic library skills
  • library orientation
  • how to formulate advanced searches in particular databases
  • how to frame their ideas into searchable terms and phrases

Faculty may also request the creation of research guides for their courses.

817-531-4802 | reference@txwes.edu

The Special Collections Department oversees the Special Collections & University Archives located on the third floor. The department's goals are to provide archival support to the university and fulfill the West Library's obligation to preserve rare and special materials.

Special Collections
Special Collections include rare books, manuscripts, papers, clothing, and other items of unique value and importance to studying material culture, history, literature, and other subjects. 

Some of our special collections include but are not limited to:

  • Rare Book Collection
  • Bobby Bragan Collection 
  • H. Howard Hughes Performing Arts Collection 
  • Mason Johnson Theatre Collection
  • George Anson Collection
  • Mary Apple Collection
  • Clair Ossian Egyptology Library
  • Lisenby Shakespeare Collection
  • University Permanent Art Collection

University Archives

The University Archives contains records documenting all aspects of Texas Wesleyan University from its founding in 1890 to present. The Archives preserves and makes available an assortment of materials, including original documents, photographs, newspapers, yearbooks, and artifacts. These materials document the history and legacy of the University and the surrounding Polytechnic Heights community. 

New materials are added to the archives by transferring records from university departments and acquiring selected items from donors.

817-531-4822 | specialcollections@txwes.edu

The Technical Services Department manages the collection from behind the scenes, from cataloging and preserving new library purchases to collecting inventory and repair.

Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service available to all Texas Wesleyan Community members, allowing the West Library to borrow resources from other libraries worldwide that are unavailable in our collection. This significantly grows the breadth of the resources available to students and faculty. To request an interlibrary loan, please fill out the online form.

817-531-4804 | ill@txwes.edu