Dean's Welcome

Welcome to Raynor Memorial Libraries, a place where people, technology, and the printed word come together in a vibrant atmosphere that advances learning and discovery. A place where you can access a vast array of global resources—both print and online—that bring scholarly information to your desktop. A place where expert staff are eager to help you find what you need, whether it’s a peer-reviewed article from an online journal, a print book on the shelf, or a video clip from our growing media collection. A place built not only for study and learning, but also for conversation and collaboration.

From the moment you enter the library, whether in person or via our Web gateway, opportunities open up before you. Use MARQCAT, our online catalog, to locate library resources in all formats or take advantage of one of the many ways to ask for assistance: in person, by phone, e-mail, IM, or text message. Dig into the unique materials in Special Collections, many of which are digitized and available in e-Archives@Marquette. Meet a friend for a cup of coffee at Brew @ the Bridge, or reserve one of our group study rooms to work on a collaborative project. Set up an appointment with a librarian who specializes in your subject area and learn new research strategies. Explore our e-Publications@Marquette site where the intellectual output of the university is gathered into one impressive collection.

Promoting the free exchange of information to advance research and discovery is what we’re all about. If you’re a faculty member, you can work with a subject librarian to integrate effective research skills and strategies into your courses through in-class sessions, assignments, resource lists, tutorials or online learning objects. Our state-of-the-art classrooms facilitate hands-on learning to foster and develop sound research practices. If the resource you need isn't available on campus, our interlibrary loan service can access materials from institutions from around the world, or you can suggest new titles to add to our collections. We encourage open discussion and our conference center is available for all campus groups to convene programs and seminars of interest to all throughout the campus community.

Raynor Memorial Libraries are a focal point of campus life and a contributing partner in advancing the intellectual lives of our students and providing faculty with resources and services to support their teaching and research. We are committed to fostering collaborative initiatives in the name of discovery, and providing the tools necessary for independent exploration by the Marquette community. As we envision the future, we are focused on meeting the rising information needs of higher learning and scholarship, and offering access to new technologies and resources as they appear. The knowledge students acquire while with us will be the foundation for their future lives as thoughtful, responsible citizens of the larger world.

It is our hope that access to a vast array of resources coupled with the expertise of an outstanding staff will further enable students to “Be The Difference” in the world.

Janice Welburn
Dean, University Libraries
janice.welburn@marquette.edu