Library History
Milestones in the History of the Shelton State Libraries
Fall 1975
Brewer State Junior College, based in Fayette, AL, opened a branch campus in Tuscaloosa, with 3 full-time faculty, 1 full-time branch librarian (responsible to the library director on main campus), and 800 FTE students. Campus opened in old elementary school building on Greensboro Avenue. Library consisted of 2 classrooms opened with separating wall removed, homemade bookshelves, duplicates and Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. Library staff in Tuscaloosa also included one part-time librarian who worked evenings.
Summer 1977
Tuscaloosa Campus of Brewer State expanded and moved to Skyland Boulevard into renovated strip mall. Library was located in center of building, surrounded by classrooms. Library Director and clerk hired in addition to branch librarian, who moved to AV/library position. Full-time faculty and college employees increased and enrollment increased to around 2000 FTE.
January 1, 1979
Tuscaloosa Campus was separated from Brewer State and merged with Shelton State Technical College, established in Tuscaloosa in 1952, to become Shelton State Community College. Library staff was increased and new emphasis was placed on collection building in order to ensure accreditation with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Book budget increased substantially for several years.
Fall 1981
Library services extended to Technical Campus (Fifteenth Street) of Shelton State, which had no central library services. Prior to this change, instructional support materials were housed only in shops or departments in various buildings on campus. Although this practice continued until the campus closed in 1996, a small reference library was established on the Technical Campus (located on Fifteenth Street). This library was housed in the old bomb shelter underneath the AC/Refrigeration shop. Staffing included 2 full-time clerks, with management and assistance provided by librarians from main campus as needed. The primary role of this library was to provide basic reference materials, to support the nursing programs (which used traditional library services), and to handle ordering of instructional materials for other programs on that campus.
1986
Shelton State's library entered into full membership in SOLINET and OCLC and began generating catalog holdings records in electronic format.
1993-94
Shelton State’s library collections underwent retrospective conversion and preparation to automate with a Dynix Library System. With no prior experience or expertise with automated systems and no institutional assistance from outside the library staff, the library barcoded 30,000 volumes, converted records, and implemented the Dynix system (which officially went online Fall 1994). Simple e-mail among library staff was included in the Dynix system. Shelton State began planning for new campus.
1994
C.A. Fredd State Technical College (HBCU) merged with Shelton State. In anticipation of the new campus and other organizational changes (chiefly the expansion of the nursing program on the Skyland Campus), the library on the technical campus closed. Its resources were divided between main library and new Fredd Campus Branch Library. The Fredd branch included 2 classrooms, with an adjoining office. One full-time clerk was assigned to this facility. Library management covered all library services, regardless of location. Librarians and other staff members provided services as needed between the two campuses. The Dynix system was extended by telephone line to the Fredd Campus.
1995
Three PCs with dial-up connections through local, commercial IP were installed on main campus on Skyland Boulevard served as the library's first Internet connections. Planning continued for the new campus library.
1996
Plans were finalized for the new campus library and plans were made for moving the library and its collections. Building was completed for Phase I on the new campus. The Technical Campus closed and moved to the new campus.
1997
Media scheduling module was added to Shelby (online system). For Spring Semester 1997, most classes from the Skyland Campus were moved to the new campus. The library moved the AV department to the new campus but all other services remained on the Skyland Campus.
August 1997
The main library on the Skyland Campus closed and prepared for the move to the new campus. Because of moving schedules, etc., the decision was made to retain the AV office in its location in classrooms on the new campus and to establish a copy center and Reserves room in the faculty offices next to the new library for the beginning of the fall semester 1997. Moving was completed and the library opened its doors at the end of August, 2 weeks after the semester began on the new campus and one day earlier than expected. AV and reserves were re-established within the new library. Library staff was instrumental in establishing college wide networking and full access to the Internet/World Wide Web through the Alabama Supercomputer Authority on both campuses.
May 27, 1998
The new campus library was dedicated and named the Karen Phifer Brooks and Susan Phifer Cork Library (Brooks-Cork Library). Library History: Brooks-Cork Library (Mar 1998)
December 21, 1998
The Kiwanis Room was dedicated on December 21, 1998. The Kiwanis Club of Tuscaloosa committed to providing a gift of $10,000 over 3 years to furnish the Kiwanis Conference Room and three additional group study rooms, and upgrade library computer hardware.
June 2000
The Dynix library system, purchased by epixTech, was upgraded to WebPAC, a webbed catalog, with 12 public workstations. All library staff members had PC access to Dynix and the Web, as did almost all college employees.
February 2001
3M security system was installed in Martin Campus library, with door counters and voice message system; over 2500 users were counted during the first week of installation.
Fall 2002
WebPac was upgraded to iPAC, with enriched content and other specialized features to provide enhanced services to library users. Plans were made to migrate from Dynix (classic) to Horizon Integrated Library System.
March 2004
Cy-Bucs, "information services in a relaxed environment," opened in Room 2413 on the Martin Campus, serving as an extension of the Brooks-Cork Library. Cy-Bucs offered packaged beverages and snacks in a lab environment, with 12 computers, booths, and a networked laser printer. Student contributions included selection of name, design and construction of aluminum sign, design and installation of computer background, and marketing plan. The lab was open for 21 hours each week. First week door count was 506 persons. Spring semester door count on May 6 was 3,125 persons, an average of 520 persons per week.
Spring/Summer 2004
Brooks-Cork Library migrated to Horizon Integrated System (with cataloging, academic reserves, media scheduling, and administrative components); Horizon Information Portal (HIP) replaced iPAC as public catalog interface. Library was managed with services through more than 100 computer workstations at the Martin Campus, the Fredd Campus, and electronic classroom, and Cy-Bucs.
The door count at the Main Library for academic year 2003-2004 (Sep.-Aug.) was 176,238 persons. The breakdown was: Fall semester of 2003: 74,265. Spring semester of 2004: 70,946.
Summer term for 2004: 31,027. The C.A. Fredd Library door count for the academic year was 15,672 persons.
Spring/Summer 2005
The Fredd Campus Branch Library was temporarily relocated to the Cafetorium during renovation of the Administration Building. Upon completion of renovation in 2006, the branch library returned to the Administration Building in a new section, refurbished with new shelving.
The door count for the Main Library for the 2004-2005 (Sep.-Aug.) academic year was 175,075 persons. The C.A. Fredd Library door count for the academic year was 11,680 persons (through April 2005). The Library moved and did not reinstall the door counter.
May 2006
The Fredd Campus Branch Library was officially named the Louise Boyd Lewis Library on May 4, 2006, as part of the Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of the C.A. Fredd Campus. A special celebration in honor of its namesake was held in July 2006. The official designation of college libraries became "Shelton State Libraries."
Summer/Fall 2006
Web Reporter and acquisitions functions were added to the Horizon Integrated Library System. Supervision of Cy-Bucs was moved to the office of the Dean of Student Services and no longer a library function.
Fall 2007
The door count for the Main Library for the 2006-2007 academic year was 174,678 persons.
The door count for the C.A. Fredd Library for the 2006-2007 academic year was 15,600 persons.
Fall 2008
Microfilm subscriptions were cancelled and electronic formats were embraced as the most effective means of providing current information for Shelton State students.
Spring/Summer 2009
The Shelton State Libraries migrated from SirsiDynix Horizon to Innovative Interfaces Millennium catalog with user-friendly access and features for Twenty-First Century students.
Fall 2009
The Shelton State Libraries added Encore Discovery Platform, with advanced search features, to Millennium, reinstating content and consolidated searching components.
The Marquis reference book, Who’s Who in America 2010, was published and included an article on Library Director, Debbie Grimes.
April 27 2011
Tuscaloosa was hit with a devastating tornado at 5:00 p.m. College and Library were closed for several days, then Library was open for limited hours for a week.
Summer 2011
Microfilm and periodical backfiles were eliminated for all but the current year. All bound volumes, except for and long run of National Geographic and Life, were eliminated. Only the New York Times was retained in microfilm format as a contemporaneous resource. A re-carpeting project changed the color scheme of the Brooks-Cork Library on the Martin Campus.
Spring 2012
The Library’s collection of OverDrive electronic books go live (are available) to students on February 14.
Fall 2012
The door count showed 176,421 students coming in the library during the last academic year. This was an increase of 18,464 students over the previous year.
New spotlighting was added to the Library Gallery on October 24-25.
A $1 million renovation of the College Atrium was completed in 7 months (May 7-November 28), and officially opened to students on Thursday, November 29.
The first phase of the Shelton State Archives went online to the general public on December 4. This concluded 4 months of work by Library staff members to get the entire file of 172 issues of the college’s historic newspaper, The Shelton State Courier, for the years 1997-2009, online and accessible to researchers. The Archives included an online Index to articles in the newspaper.
Summer 2013
15 August 2013: Library catalog is upgraded to Sierra by Innovative Interfaces.
January 2015
Formalized Library Instruction Program for credit ends. No further LBS 101 or LBS 102 classes are taught. Library tours and presentations to classes by librarians continue.
Fall 2015
Library budget is cut by 40%. This results in massive cancellations of book orders, standing book orders, and periodical subscriptions. This is the budget for 2015-2016.
Summer 2016
Library Director's position is posted for advertisement on August 19, and the application deadline is September 9. Shelton State has had interim library directors for 4 years (since September 1, 2012).
Fall 2016
After maintaining library hours until 10:00 on Monday - Thursday nights for several decades, the Brooks-Cork (Main) Library hours are changed to Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Friday 8:00 - 12:00 noon. Hours at the Louise Lewis Library at the C.A. Fredd Campus are Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Louise Lewis Library is closed on Friday.
Fall 2016
Austere 40% reduction in Library budget continues. There is little or no money for book orders and periodical subscriptions. This is the budget for 2016-2017.
Summer 2017
Library hours for the Louise Lewis Library at the C.A. Fredd Campus are changed to Monday - Thursday 7:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. The Louise Lewis Library is closed on Friday.
August 23 2017
Library discontinues the use of Library Cards. The new policy is that a student must present a valid I.D. and give their student number to use reserve materials or to borrow books.
August 2017
After serving for 28 years on the Shelton State Libraries staff, Jean Mack retires on August 31 2017.
March 2018
The college rejects all applicants for the Library Director's position. A fifth posting of the position will be done at a later date. July 2018 will mark 6 years since the last full-time Library Director retired.
April 2018
New student printing system for the college. First two printers were delivered to the C.A. Fredd Library on April 16 and installed on April 23-24. Service began on April 24 2018. Library personnel no longer schedules use of the Kiwanis room in the library. The room must now be reserved through the Events Office.
May 2018
New printing service begins at the Brooks-Cork Library (Martin Campus Library).
September 2018
Fifty new computers for student use are installed in the Martin Campus Library (replacing fifty older model computers) on September 10-18.
November 2018
New outside Book Drop is put into service near Bean-Brown Theatre hallway entrance.
December 2018
The former job position of Director of Libraries has been eliminated. In its place is the designation of one of the librarians as the "Head" Librarian. This is a one year appointment.
January 2019
Printed periodicals subscriptions (magazines, journals) are reduced to 35. Many periodical shelves are empty. Changes are made in favor of periodicals with online access.
May 2019
The Library will no longer charge fines on overdue books.
September 2019
C.A. Fredd Campus Library closes due to concerns about HVAC system and air quality for Building 100 and the Library. Evidence of mold and mildew is found in the Library.
October 2019
Library budget for 2019-2020 is cut 20%.
March 2020
Mar 16 2020. Spring Break Week. College and Library close due to the Covid-19 pandemic threat.
May 2020
May 13 2020. Library employees return to work and Main Library opens under Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions. See COVID-19 Reopening Plan: Library Guidelines (2020-05-12).
May 27 2020. Large clear plexi-glass panels are installed at the service desks in the library—2 large panels hung from the ceiling on chains at the front service desk, and 2 panels at the Reserves Desk.
January 2021
January 20 2021. New OCLC Library System, including new catalog, goes live.