The University of Connecticut has five regional campuses (not including the Health Center and Law School):  Avery Point (Groton), Greater Hartford (West Hartford), Stamford, Torrington and Waterbury.  Campus sizes range from around 2,000 students to less than 500 students and each campus has a library managed under the umbrella of the University Libraries, based at the “mothership” in Storrs.

The academic programs at each regional campus are also quite different with Avery Point serving as the University’s federal “Sea Grant” campus, Greater Hartford being home to the prestigious School of Social Work with its doctoral program and the Department of Public Policy, Torrington serving primarily undergraduates and Stamford and Waterbury working with their mixed undergraduate and graduate offerings.  To a very large extent, the academic programs drive the nature of, and differences between, the five regional campus libraries.

The Greater Hartford Campus traces its roots back to 1939 when it became the first significant teaching location beyond the main campus.  Through the years, it has maintained its role as the largest of the five regional campuses and so, in keeping with that status, its library — “our” library — is one of the busiest of the UConn libraries according to many important service statistics.

2008-2009 statistics showing the active state of the Trecker Library include:

Nearly 35,000 visitors
Just under 4,000 book circulations/renewals
Over 2,000 filled interlibrary loan requests
Almost 2,000 information questions responded to
Some 1,300 reference questions answered
Over 60 instruction & orientation sessions presented

Each new year brings difficult challenges but , “looking @ the numbers”, we take heart that our clientele continue to value the work that we do.

— William Uricchio, Library Director