The Albert B. Alkek Library is the architectural centerpiece and intellectual hub of the

Texas State University Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

San Marcos campus. It offers library patrons the opportunity to explore, create and discover in an expansive seven-story building that is packed with resources, technology and spaces for quiet or collaborative research and study. The

Wittliff Collections The Wittliff Collections, located on the seventh floor of the Albert B. Alkek Library at Texas State University, was founded by William D. Wittliff in 1987. The Wittliff Collections include the Southwestern Writers Collection and the Southwester ...

of Southwestern Writers and Southwestern & Mexican Photography and Texas Music is located on the seventh floor of the Alkek Library. Committed to preserving the creative legacy of the Southwest to instruct and inspire future generations, The Wittliff's cultural pillars provide the keystone for discovery of the region's heritage through thousands of archival treasures. The university's library was named, in 1991, for oilman, rancher, and philanthropist, Albert B. Alkek. The Albert B. Alkek Library serves as the main, central

academic library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic librar ...

supporting the Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) community. As a storehouse for United States and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

government documents, the library receives a large number of government publications from the state and 60% of all federal publications. The mission of the library, as stated by University Officials, "is to advance the teaching and research mission of the University and support students, faculty, staff and the greater community by providing patron‐centered services, comprehensive and diverse collections, individual and collaborative learning environments, innovative technologies, and opportunities to explore, create and discover." Among the Library's seven floors, students encounter a huge volume of research materials, printed texts, audio-visual materials, and creative technology resources. The Library encompasses niche collections which are rare to the University. These holdings include The

housed on the Library's seventh floor, the ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

'' archives, major work of significant writers such as

Cormac McCarthy Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr., July 20, 1933) is an American writer who has written twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays and three short stories, spanning the Western and post-apocalyptic genres. He is known for his gr ...

Sandra Cisneros Sandra Cisneros (born December 20, 1954) is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel, ''The House on Mango Street'' (1983), and her subsequent short story collection, ''Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories'' (1991). Her work ex ...

and

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

, and the ''

Lonesome Dove ''Lonesome Dove'' is a 1985 Western novel by American writer Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the ''Lonesome Dove'' series, but the third installment in the series chronologically. The story revolves around the relationships b ...

'' collection.

Accessing the Library

Th
library's online catalog
allows anyone to locate books, DVDs, journal holdings or other material. Library materials are in many cases accessible to the general public. Many Texas residents (not just Texas State students, faculty, and staff) are able to check out materials through th

program. Access t
e-books
o
databases
is limited to current Texas State students, staff and faculty. Creative technologies are located on the 1st floor and assist faculty and students with audio and video production and editing; GIS and geospatial applications; virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, 3D printing and maker space fabrications; and 2D and 3D content creation.

References

External links

Alkek Library
Buildings and structures in San Marcos, Texas Texas State University Libraries in Hays County, Texas {{Texas-stub