University of Minnesota Libraries -- Alumni - Visiting the University Libraries

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Visiting the University Libraries

Everyone is welcome to visit the University of Minnesota Libraries and use our collections and electronic resources onsite. If you have questions while you are here, please stop by one of our Reference or Service desks. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

The University of Minnesota Libraries system (the 16th largest in the U. S.) is composed of more than 30 distinct collections in 14 separate libraries located primarily on the East Bank, West Bank and St Paul Campuses of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The five largest libraries in the system are :

Elmer L. Andersen Library (Special Collections and Archives)
Bio-Medical Library
Magrath Library (human ecology, agriculture and life sciences)
Science and Engineering Library in Walter Library Building (physical sciences and engineering)
Wilson Library (humanities and social sciences) ***Note : If you're not sure where to start, Wilson is a good choice.***

Please consult the links below for more information (including hours, services, etc.) on each of our unique collections :

	Ames Library of South Asia includes materials on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal. Bhutan, and Ceylon/Sri Lanka, with an emphasis on the British/Indian interaction.			Learning Resources Center in Walter Library Building collects films, videos, and other non-book materials to support instruction and research at the University of Minnesota.

	Andersen Horticultural Library is located at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska and is the premier horticultural research library in the upper Midwest.			Magrath Library on the St. Paul Campus focuses on agriculture, biotechnology, design, housing and apparel, family social science, food and nutrition, horticulture, rhetoric, soil science, social work, animal science, and work and family education.

	Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library provides access to information related to architecture, landscape architecture, building technology, city planning, and landscape ecology			Manuscripts Division houses three subject archives : the Northwest Architectural Archives, the Performing Arts Archives (including the digitized Scenic Collections database), and the Literary Manuscripts Collections.

	Bio-Medical Library focuses on medicine, nursing, public health, pharmacy, dentistry, allied health, and the basic biomedical sciences.			Map Library (John R. Borchert) contains more than 297,000 maps of Minnesota, the United States and the world, as well as an outstanding collection of aerial photographs of every county in Minnesota, from 1936-present. Its Automated Cartographic Information Center is a state-of-the-art facility.

	Business Reference Service collections focus on subjects taught at the Carlson School of Management, including accounting, marketing, business, finance, etc.			Mathematics Library collects and provides access to resources related to pure mathematics, theoretical statistics, and applied mathematics.

	Charles Babbage Institute Collection collects materials documenting the history and development of information technology.			Minnesota Library Access Center supports libraries throughout Minnesota by providing efficient, climate-controlled storage for important, but lesser used collections.

	Children's Literature Research Collections are an internationally recognized resource in the field of children's literature.			Music Library provides access to books and journals about music, as well as musical scores and musical performances in many formats (CDs, LPs, 78s, videotapes, and audiotapes).

	Digital Collections Unit provides access to thousands of digital images from the University Libraries' collections, including African American Literature cover art, Immigration History Research Center, Minneapolis Architecture (1848-1908), and posters from World War I and II.			Science and Engineering Library in Walter Library Building focuses on chemistry, physics, astronomy, computer science, geology, geophysics, engineering, and the history of science and technology.

	East Asian Library focuses primarily on Chinese History, especially of the Ming Period (1368-1644). Other areas of focus include China and Japan.			Social Welfare History Archives supports original research on the history of social service and social reform. Some areas of focus include social casework, community organization, settlement houses, child welfare, aging, race relations, services to migrants and immigrants, etc.

	Entomology, Fisheries and Wildlife Library collects primarily in the areas of wildlife and wildlife management, endangered animals, ornithology, bees and beekeeping, entomology, herpetology, fisheries management, etc.			Special Collections and Rare Books oversees protected collections of cuneiform inscriptions, African American literature, Sherlock Holmes, GLBT Studies, Swedish Americana, photomechanics, Austrian history and culture, silent movie music, typography, modern Greek, English history, and other areas.

	Forestry Library focuses on forestry, forest products, outdoor recreation, range management, and remote sensing.			University Archives collects, maintains, and provides access to the historical and legal documentation of the University of Minnesota.

	Government Publications Library is a regional depository for United States government publications, as well as publications of the state of Minnesota, the United Nations, the European Union, and Canada.			Veterinary Medical Library focuses on all aspects of veterinary medicine, as well as human/animal bond, animal rights and welfare, domestic animal behavior, and pet death/euthanasia/grieving.

	Immigration History Research Center provides documentation of the history of the immigrant experience in America.			Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine provides access to rare and out-of-print books and manuscripts in medicine from the early 1400s to 1920. It maintains special collections in the history of pharmacy, as well as historical medical and pediatric instruments.

	James Ford Bell Library focuses on the economic force of trade and the historical role it has played in the development of the modern world.			Wilson Library on the University's West Bank provides access to collections and information related to humanities and social sciences. The Information Commons is a one-stop resource for students needing research, technology, or writing help.

	Law Library is ranked as the 4th best law library in the U.S. and houses an outstanding collection on federal and state law, as well as extensive materials on foreign, comparative and international law and international human rights.			YMCA (Kautz Family) Archives collects historical records of the national and local YMCA, including contributions of the YMCA to Civil War relief, the invention of basketball and volleyball, rural recontruction in India and Korea, etc.