Everything is Interrelated: Alexander von Humboldt and Our Nineteenth-Century German Connections

September 1, 2009 through January 9, 2010
The University of Texas at Arlington Library, Sixth Floor Special Collections

In conjunction with the Texas Map Society's Fall Meeting on October 3, 2009, The University of Texas at Arlington Library Special Collections commemorates the 150th anniversary of the death of Alexander von Humboldt by celebrating this remarkable man whose influence dominated United States' exploration and cartography for more than half a century between the time of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and the American Civil War.  Considered by some to be the last Renaissance man, Alexander von Humboldt possessed a brilliant capacity to promote his own research, to cultivate his own persona, and to connect peoples, places, things, facts, and ideas.  For him everything was interrelated.  This exhibit, drawn from UT Arlington Library's Special Collections, Southern Methodist University's  DeGolyer Library, and other collections, focuses not only upon many of Humboldt's own major publications, but also examines original works of the American Southwest, Mexico, and Texas by nineteenth-century German authors, cartographers, artists, and printmakers for evidence of direct connections with Humboldt and/or his ideas. Highlights include a rare manuscript copy of Humboldt's map of New Spain, nineteenth-century German hand atlases with thematic maps of the United States, Texas, and Mexico, and printed panoramic views depicting the valley of the Humboldt River in Nevada and the German settlement of New Braunfels in Texas.

Popular Audio Books

"Popular Audio Books" are here!
The UTA Central Library is now offering "Audio Books" located on the 2nd floor in the "Popular Reading" area.
We have contracted with the same company who provide the "Popular Reading Books", McNaughton/Brodart.
This is a great way to offer a continually rotating collection of the hottest audio book titles at the height of their popularity.

Check out period- 3 weeks (same as "Popular Reading" books)
Some are "abridged" and some "unabridged" versions
All are in c.d. format

So if you are a commuter, traveler, or someone who just enjoys the audio delivery of a book, we can easily meet your listening needs.

Time Frames

Since 2003, the treasures of Special Collections have been highlighted in a weekly feature in the Sunday edition of the Arlington Star-Telegram. Time Frames regularly spotlights a photograph, map, or document drawn from a broad spectrum of subjects in our extensive collections of the history of Arlington, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Texas, Mexico and the greater Southwest. And now with "Time Frames Online" (TFO) you have an opportunity to view selected Time Frames features as a vodcast! Visit now

Check Out our Laptops

Laptop computers are available for UTA faculty, staff, and student to check out at the Central Library Circulation Desk. They can be borrowed for a 24 hour period and are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Find out more about this service.

Off-Campus Access to Library Resources

Now, for UTA students, faculty, and staff, using the UTA Libraries' electronic resources from off-campus is easier than ever -- all you need is your UTA NT computer account username and password. More information can be found at the UTA Libraries' Online Access information page. For more information, contact Digital Library Services at libraryweb@uta.edu.

Popular Fiction and Nonfiction available in McNaughton Collection

Life just got easier for those of us who had a two-library habit: UTA Libraries for academic materials, and the municipal public library for popular books. After a hiatus of many years, the UTA Libraries are once again adding popular fiction and nonfiction to the shelves.

Starting in January 2003, the McNaughton popular reading collection resides on the north end of the Central Library s second floor, in front of the entrance to the Multicultural Collection. There, you will find shelves with books in their original dust jackets. Be prepared to be lured to the books by their authors names as much as by the inviting colors, intriguing fonts and artwork or cover photos of the authors or subjects. These books are selected from various popular book review sources such as THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

To find the collection online, go to the new books page in the UTA Library Catalog where you can click on "Popular Reading." The books come in once a month, so a search of the past 4 weeks will reveal the newest books in the collection.