The Lied Library building (pronounced LEED) is located on the University of Nevada's Las Vegas (UNLV) campus in Paradise, Nevada. At 5 stories high and 302,000 square feet (28,100 m), it is the largest building on the campus. The Architect of Record was Welles Pugsley Architects. It first opened on January 8, 2001. UNLV Libraries, established in 1957, includes other campus libraries: the Architecture Studies Library, Health Sciences Library, Teacher Development & Resources Library, and UNLV Music Library. UNLV Libraries has a collection of over one million volumes, access to over 20,000 online and print journals, and over 2 million additional resources of various media such as microfilm, DVDs, and government publications.

The Lied Automated Storage and Retrieval (LASR) unit in Lied Library uses industrial automated materials handling technologies. Three computer-controlled cranes provide access to bins full of stored materials. Library patrons access stored materials through the library catalog. The LASR operator receives the electronic request and activates the appropriate crane to retrieve the materials. LASR is designed to store approximately 600,000 volumes and can be expanded to handle an additional 600,000 volumes. Currently items such as older bound periodicals, lesser-used government publications, and microforms are stored in LASR.

The Media and Computer Services Department in Lied Library provides viewing and listening capabilities for the media collection via an integrated video network system (Safari). This system allows the delivery of analog and digital media to library carrels, preview rooms, multimedia PCs, library classrooms, and conference rooms. This system frees the user from having to move from machine to machine and from physically handling all the equipment and materials. It links beyond Lied Library and connects with selected branch libraries, conference rooms, and campus classrooms.

Lied Library, Teacher Development, Resource Library, and the Architecture Studies Library have implemented a collection management system using radio frequency identification (RFID) to allow staff to track, identify, and control library material. The Digital ID technology is used in the Libraries' self-checkout stations and in the staff workstations to handle borrowing transactions. A hand held scanner is used by staff to rapidly check shelf order, to search for missing items, to perform inventories, and to record in-house use of most items.

Special Collections and Archives houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of gaming materials, including books, periodicals, visual materials and oral histories. The collection spans the history of gaming since the 16th century and focuses on gaming in Las Vegas and around the world. Resources include manuscripts dating back to the 16th century that trace the development of games, as well as many editions of Edmund Hoyle's games, from his original 1742 treatise on whist, to the New Modern Hoyle.

The collection houses some of the corporate archives from some of the largest gaming corporations in the world, including Harrah’s, MGM, Boyd Gaming, and Binion’s Horseshoe. The collection also houses architectural drawings of current, past and never-built casinos, and the corporate papers of the iconic Las Vegas neon signs, most of which were built by the Young Electric Sign Company. The company’s papers include sketches, designs and photographs of many of these signs, many of which can be found at the Neon Museum, Las Vegas.

The collection serves researchers, those interested in the history of gaming, and the Las Vegas gaming business community. It provides extensive data collection and analysis used by many gaming executives.

• UNLV Libraries webpage
• UNLV Digital Collections

• Starkweather, Wendy. University Libraries Fact Sheet. University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University Libraries. Last updated: Sept 7, 2005. Accessed: June 4, 2007.
• Chung, Su Kim. UNLV Libraries - A Brief History Accessed: June 4, 2007.

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