About the Library

picture of Judith Nadler

Welcome to the University of Chicago Library, home of one of the largest and richest research collections in the world. Our resources are housed in six library sites, all of which are located on the main campus.

The Library supports study and teaching at the University by building and creating information resources and providing services that enhance their usefulness, accessibility, and availability over time. Central to our mission is the excellence in collections we develop, the excellence in information we provide, the excellence in services we offer, and the excellence in environments we create. Our print resources total more than seven million printed works, increasing at the rate of 150,000 volumes per year. Over thirty million manuscripts and archival pieces, 420,000 maps and aerial photographs, and large sets of microform materials complement the printed collections. The distinctive rare book, manuscript and archival holdings of the Special Collections Research Center are available for your study.

Aggressive growth in the Library's electronic assets ensures a balanced representation of resources in all formats. The Library Catalog, Web pages, indexes and abstracting tools, digital maps, and images can be accessed from computers in the Library, on campus, and remotely. Major electronic resources include 40,000 licensed full-text serial titles, 170,000 licensed monographs, and 500 licensed reference databases.

Effective research depends on ready access to all available sources. In May 2005, the University Board of Trustees approved a plan to expand the University Library by more than 3.5 million volumes and create one of the nation's largest university collections of materials under one roof with an addition to Regenstein.

As we build additional space for the collections, we rethink Library programs and space in light of changes in how students and scholars conduct research and how information is disseminated. Our aim is to make the Library the most effective research tool for present and future generations.

The Library is at the core of your research and learning at the University. It is our goal to support your work and to contribute to the quality of your learning experience here.

Please join us in celebrating scholarship at the University of Chicago.

signature of Judith Nadler

Judith Nadler, Director of the Library

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