About

About the University Libraries

Learn more about our goals, missions, and accomplishments

Examples of our mission at work

Screenshot of the Hidden Cave virtual museum showing artifacts and a screen with a related interview.

Creating unique VR experiences

The Libraries’ @One Digital Media Team partnered with the Director of the Churchill County Library to design and develop a VR-based, immersive and accessible experience highlighting the wonders of Hidden Cave. The VR experience puts users in the shoes of Indigenous people who have used Hidden Cave for thousands of years. The project was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records.

Members of the digitization team working in the Libraries lab.

Digitizing significant historical collections

The Libraries recently added 62 historic snow sample notebooks from the James Edward Church Papers to its online Digital Archive. The earliest of these materials date back to 1907 and capture Church’s groundbreaking work sampling snow in the Sierra Nevada. At the Libraries, we hold Dr. Church’s papers, including the records he generated during his groundbreaking snow studies. Up until now, these materials have been available only for viewing onsite. This project expands the reach of his work, exposes the longitudinal data sources held in the archives, and presents his records and journals for renewed study and worldwide access.

Attendees to the Western Shoshone Collection event exploring materials in the Special Collections reading room.

Providing leadership for Protocols for Native American Archival Materials Alignment (PNAAM)

PNAAM is an established set of ethical guidelines for stewarding Indigenous materials held by non-tribal archives. The Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) department is actively undertaking a project to align itself with these protocols. SCUA faculty and staff are identifying tribal affiliations and potentially culturally sensitive materials in our archival collections.

Student interns working with historic materials in the Basque Library

Participating in the Basque Training Program

The Libraries’ Jon Bilbao Basque Library, along with the College of Liberal Arts’ Center for Basque Studies, recently welcomed three graduates from the University of the Basque Country to the United States. The graduates visited the University for six months as they worked to complete professional internships with the Basque Library and the Center as part of the Basque Country’s highly competitive Global Training Program.