From 1975 to 1986, the collection grew substantially as Mrs. Thompson and Dean Walker sought to remedy its deficiencies. For several years, the South Texas Law Library had a very small staff. Growth in the college, the collection, an increased number of users, the continuing effort to comply with ABA Standards, and increasing complexity in the information environment led to a need to hire more employees. Advanced technology began being implemented during Mrs. Thompson's tenure. The library's cataloging was converted to OCLC from 1982 to 1984 and went online in 1983.
Audiovisual media plays a crucial role in the new information environment.
Ann Puckett, formerly an acting co-director of the law library at Northwestern University, became library director at South Texas in August 1987. She was attracted by the library's potential including a strong staff and financial, faculty and administrative support. Professor Puckett greatly increased library staffing. She found, however, that the library's size and layout were inadequate. She was able to increase library space through one small renovation, which also brought two large rooms within the library's control and placed library offices in a more rational order.