Academic Facilities and Resources

 

The library system of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is composed of the David W. Mullins Library (the main research facility on campus) and three branch libraries: the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library, the Fine Arts Library, and the Chemistry and Physics Libraries, which are housed together temporarily during renovations of the chemistry building. The combined holdings of the libraries total over 1.7 million volumes of books and bound periodicals and over four million items in microform. The Libraries currently receive over 22,400 separate journal and serial publications. Other resources in the collections include over 24,900 audio and visual materials, and several thousand maps, electronic databases (indexes and full text), and manuscripts.

 

The University Libraries maintain membership in the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Amigos Bibliographic Council, and the state consortium ARKLink. Through OCLC, the libraries share cataloging and interlibrary loan information with thousands of libraries all over the world. The University Libraries’ holdings are cataloged in the InfoLinks system. Currently enrolled students, faculty and staff can access more than 200 reference databases, thousands of electronic journals, and InfoLinks from any computer with an Internet connection via the Libraries’ Web page, available through the University home page or directly at http://libinfo.uark.edu/.

 

The public may use materials, services, and resources of the University Libraries on-site.  Currently enrolled students, appointed faculty and staff, and approved borrowers with a valid University ID card may check out materials through the libraries’ convenient electronic checkout system.  The “view your own record” feature of this system allows patrons to check their library records, including the status of checked out items.  Materials may be renewed and requested for hold through the automated system.  Loan periods are of varying lengths as defined by circulation policies, which are available at the main Access Services Desk or through the library home page.  Items not owned by the University Libraries may be obtained through interlibrary loan by completing the online request form.  Requested items in electronic format will be sent directly to desktops; physical items will be held for pick-up at the Access Services Desk.

The Reference Department assists users in locating and using library resources. Reference librarians are ready to help students navigate InfoLinks and the numerous electronic databases. In addition, librarians offer orientation sessions and lectures on research methods to classes and groups upon request, and research consultations to individuals by appointment.

 

The University Libraries have had official United States government depository status since 1907. The Federal Depository Library Program provides free public access to U.S. government information by distributing information products from Federal agencies to depository libraries throughout the nation. Titles are distributed in paper, microfiche, or electronic (Internet, CD-ROM, DVD) formats and are arranged according to the Superintendent of Documents classification numbering system (SuDoc). The Government Documents Department has also been a depository for Arkansas state publications since 1993. The Department manages the University Libraries’ maps collection and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) program, including a public GIS workstation equipped with ArcGIS Desktop Suite.

 

The Libraries’ Special Collections acquires and preserves material for research in the history, literature, and culture of Arkansas and surrounding regions. Researchers have access to a rich assortment of books, pamphlets, periodicals, photographs, maps, and original manuscript collections to support their work.

 

For information concerning collections and services, as well as information on viewing rooms, reserve reading policies, carrel space for graduate students, computer laptop loans for in-house use, group study rooms, and book and journal ordering procedures, please inquire at (479) 575-4104. For inquiries regarding seminar rooms, faculty studies, gifts and donations, or any other library matter, please contact the Dean’s Office at (479) 575-6702.

 

 

The Quality Writing Center, established in 1984, provides an array of services to the University of Arkansas community. The center’s primary focus is one-on-one tutorials with students, faculty, and staff who want to improve their writing in projects such as freshman essays, technical reports, research papers, theses and dissertations, or articles for publication. In addition to face-to-face tutorials, consultants offer online tutorials at http://www.uark.edu/write/.

 

QWC faculty and graduate tutors work with writers on various matters, including brainstorming, organization, transitions, style formats, revision and editing strategies, usage, grammar, and punctuation. During these sessions, consultants ask and answer questions, give reader responses, and help writers take charge of their writing.

 

The center also assists faculty in planning and evaluating writing assignments and provides clients with assignments, models, articles, and books for them to consult. In addition, center faculty collaborate with classroom faculty in workshops on writing. Besides working with faculty and the general student body, the center also helps students for whom English is a second language (ESL); books and handouts are available to review standard English, and the consultants explain the subtleties of writing assignments to the clients. The center also provides help to non-traditional students who may need to review writing and grammar skills and who may need personalized help to regain confidence in writing. For students writing editorials, petitions, resumes, job applications, or essays for scholarships and medical or graduate schools, the center offers tutorials and provides resource books.

 

To assist in the writing process, the center has a computer lab where writers may research the Internet, access library resources, write, and easily revise their work after tutorials. Patrons may visit our centers in Kimpel Hall and in the Enhanced Learning Center or access our online services and writing resources at http://www.uark.edu/write/.

 

 

The department of Computing Services supports research, academic, and administrative computing activity on the UA campus. Computer operations are maintained to provide access to computing facilities and resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A variety of host systems and servers are available for academic use. The primary mail and messaging server on campus is mail.uark.edu. E-mail is browser-based and can be checked from any computer with an Internet connection by going to http://mail.uark.edu/.  In addition, users can choose to use e-mail clients such as Outlook or Eudora, both of which are supported. The primary server for academic and research computing is comp.uark.edu, a Sun Enterprise 6500, using the Unix operating system Solaris. Comp supports statistical packages (SAS, SPSS, MATLAB), programming languages (C, C++, FORTRAN, Pascal), e-mail software (Pine), and other Internet applications. Personal home pages may also be developed on the comp server. All students are automatically assigned accounts on mail.uark.edu and comp.uark.edu, and Active Directory, which allows students, staff, and faculty access to computers in the General Access Computing Labs.

 

A variety of other servers provide support for both administrative and academic computing. These include an IBM 9672 Model RB5 mainframe for administrative computing for campus student information, human resources, and business processing systems; data warehousing; Web services; and file and print services, among others. Some departments participate in Computing Services’ Intel-based file services, allowing them access PC and Mac-based software through these servers. Additionally, the General Access Computer Labs maintain software via networked servers, allowing access to the same products in multiple labs. Faculty may also access the administrative computing systems for advising purposes, roster generation, and grade reporting. Host peripherals include disk storage, tape systems, and laser printing.

 

UARKnet, the campus backbone network, is managed by Computing Services. This network enables communication among networks, computers, and servers on campus, as well as on the Internet and Internet2, of which the University is a member site. Virtually all departments, as well as all laboratories, are connected to the campus network. Network access is also available via dial-up modem connections. Dial-up access requires an ID and password, and students have access to a “student only” pool.

 

The General Access Computer Labs offer approximately 300 network-attached PC and Mac computers for use by University students, faculty, and staff. These labs are located in the Arkansas Union, Administrative Services Building, Sam Walton College of Business Building, Mullins Library, and the Enhanced Learning Center located in Gregson Hall. The labs offer day, evening, and weekend hours. In addition to being Internet-connected, a variety of products are installed on these machines, including Internet browsers (Netscape and Internet Explorer), word processors (MS Word and WordPerfect), databases (MS Access), and spreadsheet programs (MS Excel).

Laser printing is available from all supported software. Scanning facilities are available in the Administrative Services Building and the Arkansas Union labs, and color printing is available in the Union. Laptops are available for check-out in Mullins Library and at the Student Technology Center, located in the Arkansas Union. These laptops can be used standalone or with network access via the wireless network in Mullins and the Union. Personal laptops may also connect to the network through public drops located in Mullins and the Union, as well as through the campus wireless network.

 

Computing Services offers free, non-credit training courses every month on a variety of computer and Internet-based topics, including operating systems, e-mail, word processing, Web page development, presentation tools, and many others.

 

The Student Technology Center, provided by the Student Technology Fee and Computing Services, is a walk-in computing help center offering laptops and projectors for checkout, as well as high-end multimedia direction and assistance. Laptops are configured for wireless Internet access, and carrels are available with desktop computers. Laptops and desktops are loaded with advanced, multimedia software for layout, graphics design, and Web site development, which students can learn to use with assistance from staff at the STC.

 

The MultiMedia Resource Center (MMRC) provides access to and training for computers and applications that can be used to develop programs and classroom presentations. In addition, the MMRC features a training lab, including Internet-connected computers equipped for video conferencing and distance education applications. The MMRC also has presentation equipment and a portable IP-based video conferencing unit available for checkout. The Research Data Center provides researchers with assistance in data design and analysis and with support for other needs, such as training and access to numeric data and assistance in using Web-based data.

Computing Services is located in the Administrative Services Building (ADSB) at 155 Razorback Road. Computing Services specialists offer assistance with operating systems, application programs, virus scanning, modem communications, Internet tools, research projects, general troubleshooting, and more. For more information, call the Computing Services Help Desk at 479-575-2905, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and until 5 p.m. Friday, or visit the Computing Services Web site at http://www.uark.edu/campus/compserv/.

 

 

Testing Services is charged with the responsibility of administering standardized academic tests at the University of Arkansas. The office administers such national tests as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the ACT Assessment, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and CLEP exams in addition to others throughout the year. National testing companies determine testing dates and deadlines. Testing Services also offers a number of institutional tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Spoken Language Proficiency Test (SLPT), and the Math Placement Test. These tests are scheduled at various times as demand dictates. Test fees vary depending on the test.

 

To obtain a registration bulletin or information about exam dates and deadlines, please stop by 714 Hotz Hall or call 479-575-3948.