INFORMATION AND

LEARNING RESOURCES

The Centro Interactivo de Recursos de Información de Aprendizaje [CIRIA] (“Interactive Center for Learning Information Resources”) is an interdisciplinary unit that focuses its activities and services on its main users-our students. Its mission is to contribute to the positioning of UDLAP as leader in the training of professionals and researchers that are capable of fully taking advantage of the information resources and most advanced collaboration environments to share and generate knowledge.

During 2011, 8.5 million pesos were invested in the renewal of electronic resources and periodic publications. 7,215 books were registered and catalogued, and the number of electronic book titles was increased to 14,000 approximately, as well as 2,000 digital newspapers.

43,570 books were borrowed, of which 23,130 were through self-borrow service; 19,620 by regular borrow and 820 through inter-librarian borrow service. The total entry of CIRIA users was 290,467. Consultation service added up to a total of 11,270 users, of which 9,270 were in person, 1,610 online and 390 via telephone and e-mail. The online information resources provided by CIRIA had nearly 2 million visits. The total number of students that participated in courses and workshops offered by CIRIA was 3,380.

With the intention to confirm our decision of improving CIRIA’s capacity to provide the best service and the easiest use, in 2011 the EBSCO Discovery Service System was acquired; a tool to discover data that

provides a unique, and very friendly interface in the search of information from multiple resources. Since it is easy to use, it is becoming the first choice tool for users, libraries and information centers.

The book collection of the Sala de Archivos y Colecciones Especiales (“Room for Special Archives and Collections”), integrated by special collections, antique books and personal archives, participated with 239 materials in four national and international exhibitions, two published books, and one digital roster.

ONLINE PROGRAMS

Our distance learning programs have as their objective to train high-level professionals in diverse areas of knowledge and by means of the use of higher technology, innovative educational models, links with the surrounding environment and human resources committed to their activities, promoting the integral development of society. Therefore, the UDLAP Head Office of Long Distance Learning has actively participated in several forums held by SINED (“National System of Long Distance Learning”) and ANUIES (“National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions”) with the purpose of promoting the works carried out in defining the Mexican regulation framework regarding long distance learning modality programs.

Likewise, updating of the online courses under the Blackboard platform was completed, and faculty in charge of online masters degree programs were trained to be able to correctly use the platform’s tools and manage their own courses.