Excellence @ the Libraries

The Libraries provide access to thousands of journals, newspapers, encyclopedias, statistics, and sci-tech databases, with a focus on full-text resources. Our web site also offers forms for services, such as renewing books, requesting interlibrary loan materials, asking reference questions, and consulting with a librarian.

Instant Librarian

Brief reference questions are "instantly" answered by professional staff via simultaneous online "chat". The service is offered during the Fall and Spring semesters and is available to anyone. The number of queries originating at UB are consistantly on the rise, and international visitors often log on to Instant Librarian's chatroom.

Digital Collections

Digital collections are materials that exist in a cohesive group and then made available online to the world, a university community or a smaller group. The materials within a collection can be one of a variety of formats – 3D objects, photographs, slides, video, audio, etc. Collections are chosen from a number of sources, including UB Special Collections and Archives, the UB Libraries, and faculty and departmental holdings.

Information Literacy

The Libraries promote the development of information literacy and research skills among UB students through a strong array of instructional and workshop programs, and the creation of web-based resources including the required Library Skills Workbook and the Research Tips website.

Frank Lloyd Wright and Darwin D. Martin

The UB Libraries join the Buffalo and Western New York communities in an extensive ongoing restoration program to return the landmark Darwin D. Martin House, and the Martin's summer home, Graycliff, to their original magnificence. The University Archives holds a collection of correspondence between Wright and Martin, as well as photographs, plans, artifacts, and other materials. This collection is an essential component of the restoration activities. The Frank Lloyd Wright Resource Room was recently created by the University Archives for the use of restoration personnel. When restoration is complete, the two homes will be architectural wonders, attracting countless visitors and scholars to the Buffalo area, which also boasts numerous other Wright structures.

Selected Heritage Collections

The University Libraries preserve, organize, and make accessible collections of cultural significance and enduring research interest. These treasures form the foundation of our identity and stature: