We are pleased to share the Fall 2023 University Libraries newsletter with you. We are a student-centric organization and as you will see, students are at the heart of our endeavors to provide resources, spaces and tools to help them excel in their studies. We value student input and the opportunity to partner with them in creating innovative and welcoming learning environments.

We welcome your feedback as well. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions and suggestions.

Earnstein Dukes, Dean

Texas Tech University Libraries

Beneficiary Designation

A beneficiary designation is a way to specify who will receive your assets. It is a separate process from creating a will. It is important to make sure that your beneficiary designations are up-to-date and consistent with your overall estate plan.

What assets can have beneficiary designations? There are many, including:

• Life insurance policies
• Retirement accounts (such as 401(k)s and IRA(s)
• Annuities
• Bank accounts and investment accounts with transfer on death (TOD) or pay on death (POD) designations

How do I designate a beneficiary?

1. To designate a beneficiary of your retirement plan, insurance policy or bank account, contact the appropriate administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form, or simply download a form from your provider’s website.
2. Decide what percentage of your gift (1 to 100) you would like the Texas Tech Foundation, Inc to benefit the University Libraries and name us, along with the percentage you choose on the beneficiary form. Return the completed form.
3. Contact Brad Davis at 806-834-8225 or brad.davis@ttu.edu to let us know your goals for the gift so we can ensure it is used as you intend and complete a Matador Society Form (very easy).

Information for beneficiary form:

Legal name: Texas Tech Foundation, Inc.

Address:1508 Knoxville Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409

Federal tax ID number: 75-6043842

Conclusion

Beneficiary designation is an important part of estate planning and an easy way to give. See chart below for an example of a life insurance designation.

Brad Davis

Associate Director, Development

By Marcos Rubio

The student assistants from the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library (SWC/SCL) over the years have pursued many different career paths and used the seemingly niche collections to parallel and nurture their studies and endeavors. Some parallels are obvious in the case of history majors or agricultural careers right here in Lubbock. However, for one student, it goes even further, taking inspiration all the way to Italy into the world of opera.

Read the full story here.

Lynn Whitfield has worked an an archivist with the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University for 25 years. Learn more.

Learn more about the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library.

The libraries feature 22 new digital displays throughout the University Library, Architecture Library and Peters Family Legacy Library showcasing services, events, videos and photographs. The University Library also boasts three interactive map displays on the east and west ground floor.

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board presented the Archival Award of Excellence to Robert Weaver, assistant archivist at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. The board presented the David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service to Monte Monroe, archivist at the SWC/SCL.

Read the full story here.

Kurt Caswell will wrap up the fall speaker series for the Sowell Family Collection in Literature, Community & the Natural World. He will read from his book, “Iceland Summer: Travels along the Ring Road.” Previous speakers for fall were David James Duncan who read from his book “Sun House,” and Sarah Viren who read from the memoir “To Name the Bigger Lie.”

The University Libraries now offer Wellbeing Collection items that students, staff and faculty can check out at the following locations:

• University Library - Dynamic Media Services (2nd floor east)
• Architecture Library - Service Desk
• Peters Family Legacy Library - Service Desk

New furniture was installed in the northwest corner of the library, bringing students additional comfortable spaces to study.

The Research Hub, alongside the Lubbock Public Library, hosted welcome events with coloring, legos and board games for new students in September, drawing close to 1,000 students.

Girls Who Code summer camp is a collaboration between the University Libraries and STEM CORE to teach girls valuable computer science skills including programming, AI and web security.

The Library hosted a display to celebrate the lives of lost loved ones on Dia de los Muertos.

Fall 2023 Trivia Night during Red Raider Welcome Week at the University Library.

By Julie Barnett

The Southwest Collection/Special Collection Library boasts the largest archive of digital newspapers from West Texas, and with recent key acquisitions, that number continues to climb.

Read the full story here.

The Makerspace at the University Library offers resources for students, faculty and staff for projects ranging from sewing to coding to building a prosthetic hand using 3D printers.

Thanks to a generous Library donor, students now have more access to AC/DC power sources with over 275 battery-powered charging stations.

By Brad Davis

Many alumni want to continue to use the University Library’s research resources after they graduate. Unfortunately, due to contracts with vendors, only current students, faculty and staff have access to the full range of resources. However, alumni can still use the library’s OneSearch tool to find the materials they need.

Read the full story here.

The University Libraries’ Document Delivery team provides resources anytime, anywhere. Patrons can request items held at the libraries. If we don’t have it, we’ll get it via interlibrary loan by borrowing from libraries around the world. The service is fast and free.

The Texas Tech University Libraries is one of the most utilized and important resources on campus. The University Libraries provides students with access to knowledge and information that they would not otherwise have. It is also a place where students can come to study, relax and escape the stresses of university life.

As the cost of tuition has risen over the past two decades and the economy fluctuates, the University Libraries and the university itself are increasingly relying on alumni donations to maintain operations and to provide excellence to our students. For many alumni, monthly giving is the most effective way to show their support, and monthly pledges are an easy and convenient way for alumni to continuously support the Libraries. Even a small monthly pledge can make a huge difference to our students.

Your monthly pledge to the University Libraries provides a reliable and consistent source of funding that allows Tech to maintain high standards of excellence and continue to offer the world-class education that you received when you were a student here. In addition, your monthly gift allows us to plan ahead and make long-term investments in our research resources, technologies and study areas.

Please make a commitment to give today and help us to continue to shape the future of the Texas Tech University Libraries and Texas Tech University. The University Libraries are a vital part of the university experience, and your donation will make a difference in the lives of countless students.

It's easy to make a monthly pledge to the University Libraries! Just follow the following directions:

Online Pledge Instructions:

• Visit https://bit.ly/ttulibrarygifts
• Select one of the University Libraries designations, example “Southwest Collection Fund for Excellence.”
• Type in your Gift Amount in the specified box. (If you choose to make a recurring gift (pledge), this is the amount that will be charged each period.)
• If you want to make a recurring gift and not a one-time donation, check the Recurring Gift box.
• From this window, select the Frequency of Gift. Choose your payment date from the options (the current date, the 1st of the month, or the 15th of the month). Choose your gift frequency (either monthly, quarterly, twice a year, or yearly)
• After this, you have the option to specify if you would like to receive notifications regarding when each payment will be sent (before being charged).
• From here, you enter your personal information and specify whether your gift is a tribute, joint gift, or part of a company match program, and click on the Next button.

If you would prefer help to walk you through the process, or if you have any further questions, please reach out to Krystal Baker (krystal.baker@ttu.edu or 806-834-4317) or to me.

Thank you in advance for your support of Texas Tech University and the University Libraries!

Strive for Honor,

Brad Davis

brad.davis@ttu.edu

806-834-8225 office

Editor: Julie Barnett

Photographers: Ryan Burns & Marcos Rubio

Contributors: Krystal Baker & Brad Davis

Designer: Katie Miller