While the College of Architecture and Design building, which houses the Architecture, Design, and Art Library, remains closed, the library staff will distribute physical library materials to University of Houston students and employees by mail and scanned library materials by email. UH patrons may contact archlib@uh.edu to request materials from the collection. Patrons not affiliated with the University of Houston should request materials from their home institution or public library.
All books borrowed from the Architecture, Art, and Design Library, as well as other central campus libraries have been renewed until the end of the summer semester. You can log into your account to check due dates. Click on the My Account link in the upper right hand of the website. If you find any of your books are overdue, email the library staff at archlib@uh.edu to request a renewal.
You may return library materials by mail at:
UH Libraries
ATTN: IAS dept.
4333 University Drive
Houston, TX 77204-2000
You may also place library materials in the book drop between the Student Center and the M.D. Anderson Library on University Drive.
The College of Architecture and Design Building is now closed to students and visitors, so the Architecture, Design, and Art Library will provide services remotely until the building reopens.
BORROWING
All library materials loaned to students, adjunct faculty members, and external borrowers have already been renewed through 5/31. All library materials loaned to full-time faculty members will be automatically renewed in April, as usual
Materials may be returned to the drop box located in front of the M.D. Anderson Library.
COLLECTION SERVICES
Our primary video streaming service, Kanopy, is currently slow because of its unusually high usage, but they are working to restore service. We also have other platforms that stream video. Academic Video Online, AVON, and Credo’s Complete Core Collection may have content you can use. See list at https://guides.lib.uh.edu/az.php?t=23740
Content in electronic databases (articles, maps, materials, reference materials) are available via links on the library website.
RESEARCH SERVICES
The library staff will continue to provide reference and research consultations via email or phone. You may contact them directly, or by using the department email, archlib@uh.edu.
Online research guides are available at guides.libraries.uh.edu. Search for these guides:
• Architecture resources
• Art resources
• Industrial design
• Online information literacy lessons
• Research instruction videos
Please know that we are already working with a smaller than usual staff. We can only provide scanning and consultation services between 8-5 on weekdays, at this time.
The Architecture, Design and Art Library has developed an online collection of interviews called Building Houston, which documents the oral history of Houston’s built environment, as told by the people who impacted it. Architects, developers, planners, scholars, philanthropists, and community leaders discuss their work and its relationship to Houston’s urban fabric in this online collection. Each subject is interviewed by a scholar or colleague who frames the discussion and provides context. Ten recordings made earlier this year are now available in the UH Libraries’ audio/video repository. Click on the link to see interviews with Leslie K. Elkins, Natalye Appel, James B. Thomas and others.
By selecting a language from the drop down menu at the bottom of the Architecture, Design, and Art Library’s page, users can now translate this site into 80 different languages.
The William R. Jenkins Architecture, Design, and Art Library is pleased to present Play and Process by student artist Felicia Leyva. The opening reception will be held on Friday, August 3, with light refreshments. The exhibit will be on display through October, and is free and open to the public.
Leyva is a sculpture BFA student at the University of Houston. While she has experimented with several mediums, her work mainly focuses on her increasing interest in fiber arts. Known for her fun and colorful style, she enjoys bringing new life to everyday soft materials like yarn, foam, and felt. Her work has been exhibited at Blaffer Art Museum’s Student Exhibition and UH Biannual Art Show on campus grounds. As she continues her creative journey, she hopes to further blur the line between craft and fine art.
Artist’s statement:
I make art because I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. It’s a great part of who I am. When I go days without making something, I feel almost sick and weighed down. The process of making art is my way of clearing out my mind and letting go of frustrations. Art is very therapeutic and as a person who internalizes things, I find much relief in it.
I’m geared towards making playful, lighthearted art because it reminds me of easier times as a child. I feel as though somewhere down the line of growing up, my life picked up a lot of anger and pain. I’ve been trying to cancel out these negative feelings with bright, colorful, artworks. I think I’m trying to create a fun and beautiful world to live in. One that makes myself and others feel happy.
I was introduced to the world of fiber arts about a year ago and fell in love with it. Fibers are the best medium for producing inviting, comforting textures. There is something magical about creating work that entices others to reach out and touch them. I have never minded if people touch my work. I actually encourage it because then you are no longer simply viewing but experiencing the piece. Through touch, I believe that you can connect with my artwork and ultimately, myself.
A newly digitized and accessible collection focusing on Houston’s Riverside Terrace has been added to the UH Libraries Audio/Video Repository.
The collection features raw footage captured for the production of the 1987 documentary This Is Our Home, It Is Not For Sale by Jon Schwartz. The searchable and viewable clips comprise over 110 interviews with former residents, city council members, former University of Houston faculty, and other community leaders discussing the evolution of Riverside Terrace amid urban development, expansion of neighboring institutions, and changes in demographics during the 1950s and 60s. The firsthand perspectives of interviewees collectively provide a fascinating and honest narrative about race and real estate in mid-century Houston.
The complete documentary is available to watch in the UH Special Collections Reading Room. In addition, the papers of filmmaker Jon Schwartz are preserved and accessible in the Reading Room. This collection covers the full scope of records related to the production of the documentary. Interviews from the collection were digitized with the generous support of an Institute of Museum and Library Services TexTreasures grant, administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.