Michigan State University

Library Facts

Each year in December, we compile statistics about our resources and services for the Association of Research Libraries.

Here are some highlights from 2011:

Collections

  • 6,724,127 print volumes
  • 1,854,888 e-books
  • 74,359 serial subscriptions, with 91% available online
  • 5,916,721 microfiche and microfilms
  • 235,192 maps
  • 71,211 sound recordings

Services

  • Librarians conducted 600 sessions on research skills, reaching a total of 35,000 students.
  • The reference staff handled 57,928 questions in person, by phone, and online.
  • The library borrowed 31,355 items from other libraries for MSU users, and loaned 63,697 items to other libraries from our collection.
  • The library website was visited 2,631,416 times, with 2,252,055 logins to library databases. While logged in, users retrieved 4,786,827 full-text articles from the library's databases.
  • Digital collections created from our own holdings grew to 26.6 gigabytes – the equivalent of 794 shelf-feet of print material.

History Highlights

  • The first MSU librarian, George Fairchild, was appointed in 1883.
  • The first dedicated building for the library (now the MSU Museum) was completed in 1925.
  • The library moved to its current location in 1955; the east wing of the building was added in 1967.
  • The library catalog went online in 1989.
  • The value of the library endowment surpassed $6 million in 2011.

College Hall in black and white

The library's first location was a single room on the third floor of College Hall.