University of Minnesota Libraries

University of Minnesota Libraries
Wilson Library, largest in the system
LocationUnited States
TypeAcademic library
Established1851
Branches12
Collection
Size7.7 million volumes[1]
119,770 serial subscriptions[1]
Access and use
Population served55,931 faculty, staff and students and the state of Minnesota
1.6 million visits[1]
Other information
Budget$41,225,580 annually[2]
DirectorLisa German
Employees391[2]
Websitelib.umn.edu

The University of Minnesota Libraries is the library system of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, operating at 12 facilities in and around Minneapolis–Saint Paul. It has over 8 million volumes and 119,000 serial titles that are collected, maintained and made accessible.[1] The system is the 17th largest academic library in North America[2] and the 20th largest library in the United States.[3] While the system's primary mission is to serve faculty, staff and students, because the university is a public institution of higher education its libraries are also open to the public.

The Libraries hold a variety of notable, specialized and unusual collections. Examples include the world's largest assembly of materials on Sherlock Holmes and his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle;[4][5] the Kerlan Collection of over 100,000 children's books;[6] the Hess Collection, one of North America's largest collections of dime novels, story papers and pulp fiction;[7][8] the James Ford Bell Library of rare maps, books and manuscripts,[9] and the seventh largest law library in the United States, including over 1 million volumes and personal papers such as those of Clarence Darrow.[10]

The system is a Federal Depository Library, a State of Minnesota Depository Library and United Nations Depository Library. Among research institutions, it maintains the second-largest collection of government documents in North America.[11] The University of Minnesota was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2017.[12]

Library buildings and collections[edit]

The Elmer L. Andersen Library. Home to the Charles Babbage Institute; Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts; and the University Archives
Walter Science and Technology Library
Law Library at Walter Mondale Hall
Minneapolis West Bank Campus
Minneapolis East Bank Campus
  • Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library, Rapson Hall
  • Health Sciences Library, Phillips-Wangensteen Building
    • Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, Phillips-Wangensteen Building
  • Eric Sevareid Journalism Library, Murphy Hall
  • Mathematics Library, Vincent Hall
  • Walter Library
    • Digital Technology Center
    • Science and Engineering Library
St. Paul Campus
  • Magrath Library
    • Kirschner Collection
  • Natural Resources Library, Hodson Hall
Off-Campus Locations

Services[edit]

The library system makes various services available to faculty, staff and students such as:

  • Alumni and Visitor Services
  • Copyright Consultation
  • Instructor and Researcher Support
  • Peer Research Consultants
  • Scanning & Digitization Services

The system also offers services to citizens in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota through MINITEX, a publicly funded program that supports academic, state government, public, school and specialized libraries in the region.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "University of Minnesota Libraries Facts and Figures". University of Minnesota. 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "ARL Statistics 2008–2009" (PDF). Association of Research Libraries, Washington DC. 2011. p. 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  3. ^ "The Nation's Largest Libraries: A Listing by Volumes Held". American Library Association, Chicago. 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Baenen, Jeff (December 18, 2009). "Investigate Sherlock Holmes in Minnesota". The San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  5. ^ Lemanczyk, Sarah (December 21, 2011). "Sherlock's Archive". Studio 360. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  6. ^ Karen Nelson Hoyle (November 1978). "The Kerlan Collection". Children's Literature Association Quarterly. 3 (1–2): 13. doi:10.1353/chq.0.0642. S2CID 144666744.
  7. ^ "The Hess Collection". University of Minnesota. 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  8. ^ "Stanford's Holdings and Other Major Dime Novel Collections". Stanford University. 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "James Ford Bell Library". University of Minnesota. 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  10. ^ "Law School Profile". University of Minnesota. December 11, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  11. ^ ARL Statistics, p. 79
  12. ^ "2017 National Medal Winners". Imls.gov. Retrieved November 14, 2020.

External links[edit]

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