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 Courtesy Steve Harmon,

Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library offers an array of academic services and materials that meet informational needs of TAMIU students, faculty, and staff and the community at large. 

The mission of the Killam Library service is to achieve collection development, maintenance and preservation, library assistance and instruction, circulation, library technology infrastructure, and interlibrary services. 

The Library offers numerous services for university students, faculty, staff, and off-campus visitors.  Through cooperative library programs, the Library is able to serve the academic community at local, state, and regional levels.  The Library enhances the availability of resources to the University community through the combination of locally owned collections and access to off-site informationresources.

“Technology has changed the way we do things, more and more material is available,” said Douglas Ferrier, director, Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, “The Library is moving in the direction of emphasizing electronic versions.”

Currently, the Library has access to more than 200 different online full text databases, including the Britannica online, Grove Art and Music online, and the Congressional Quarterly Almanac, a fundamental resource for information on Congress and government. 

“TAMIU is bringing the Killam Library to the next level by offering a variety of research resources,” said Rogelio Hinojosa, Killam Library Acquisitions librarian. “These research resources are available to all visitors in-house, while TAMIU students, faculty, and staff can access them at anytime, anywhere,” Hinojosa explained.

“When looking up a particular topic on one of these newly available reference databases, visitors are connected to a variety of information and linked toother sites featuring articles, bios, quotes, videos, and much more. The information is constantly updated because of the Library’s subscription to these reference databases,” noted Ferrier.

Growing Electronic Capabilities

The Library’s book collection includes approximately 240,000 physical book volumes, and its e-book collection is rapidly growing with over 65,000 titles available to TAMIU students, faculty, and staff. Many of the e-books can be downloaded to a mobile device such as the Nook, other open format e-book readers.

“Another online service available through Killam Library is media streaming of Films on Demand”, said Hinojosa. Films on Demand gives access to over 8,000 academic videos to TAMIU students, faculty, and staff.

“There is no need to check out a DVD,” said Hinojosa, “By logging in you are linked to thousands academic videos that stream on to your computer.  It is our plan to eventually stream local content,” he observed.

Another electronic feature available to Killam Library visitors is the ability to text a call number of books found in the Library catalog.

Also available to TAMIU students, faculty and staff are interlibrary loans, a service that obtains materials from other libraries across the globe when it is unavailable in the Killam Library.

The Library’s reserve service allows students to access books and materials set aside by professors to ensure access throughout an academic semester. Faculty and students have unlimited access to interlibrary loans for the purpose ofprofessional development, instructional support or research.

The Library has also acquired EndNote, a citation software, free to all individuals affiliated with TAMIU. The campus-wide license was made possible initially by the Scholars Alliance for Learning and Teaching (SALT) grant. By offering EndNote, TAMIU is able to facilitate the writing process of academic papers and correct the use of citation standards when searching Killam Library’s online catalog and database.

Services to Community

TAMIU’s Killam Library offers a variety of services to all visitors free of charge. All visitors can access library books and other materials in open collections, receive assistance in the location of collections, reference assistance, and guest access to computers located on the first floor of the Killam Library.

As a part of its reference service, Killam Library provides individuals’ point-of-use Library instruction to members of on and off-campus groups.  Faculty may also request formal library instruction sessions for their classes.  Instruction can consist of general library orientation, detailed bibliographic instruction in a specific subject area, and demonstrations on how to use electronic databases. 

Community Card Availability

TAMIU makes available a variety of card-based services including community library member cards, a TAMIU educator courtesy card and access for patrons of other TexShare Institutions or Public libraries.

Community members can purchase TAMIU community library member cards by demonstrating local residency, being at least 18 years of age, filling out an applicationform, and paying $25 for a card valid for one year. Cardholders are also eligible for Wi-Fi access in the Library’s Starbucks Café Store.

Area educators are given a TAMIU educator courtesy card, which entitles them to circulation privileges.  Teachers, nurses, counselors and administrators of public schools in Laredo and United independent school districts are all eligible. To receive a TAMIU educator courtesy card, the educator must provide proof of employment by one of the local school districts and complete an application for a card valid for one year.

TexShare cardholders can present their card at Killam Library and use the facilities as if they were members of the TAMIU community.

Killam Library has several designated study areas located throughout the building available to TAMIU students, faculty, and staff. Photocopy and print card machines as well as microform reader-printers are available for use.  Wireless Internet access is also available with the use of a laptop, wireless card and a TAMIU email account.

Specialized Services

Services only available to TAMIU students, faculty, and staff include interlibrary loan, access to course reserve materials, and access to TAMIU licensed databases.

“By incorporating additional electronic content we are acknowledging change,” said Ferrier, “Students have changed in the way they do things and there is a great deal of material that anyone can now utilize. Technology has equalized the playing field by making these materials more readily accessible.”

For more information, visit the Library’s web site at http://library.tamiu.edu/, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, call 956.326.2400, or e-mail re**********@ta***.edu " target="_blank"> re**********@ta***.edu .