Collection Overview

Library facilities are housed in three separate locations: in Bierce Library on Buchtel Common; the Science Library in Auburn Science and Engineering Center, Room 104; and Archival Services in the Polsky building, lower level. In addition, older, seldom used materials are kept in a storage facility in Rootstown, but can be recalled for circulation as needed.

Bierce Library houses books, journals, and online resources supporting the humanities, social sciences, business, performing and visual arts, as well as a large collection of United States federal and state documents, and some public documents from foreign countries. The library is a partial depository for US Government Documents, and collects some Ohio and U.N. documents. An international and multicultural emphasis is apparent throughout the library collections, reflecting an interest in international business, along with strengths in Latin American and Native American area programs, and a good collection of Canadiana. Holdings are particularly strong in war history, from the Civil War to the present, and in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially the American colonial period and the corollary French revolutionary period.

The Science Library houses books, journals, and online resources, as well, but those supporting the pure and applied sciences, engineering, mathematics, nursing, and polymer science and polymer engineering (the preeminent discipline at the university).

Archival Services houses materials having to do with local history and topics of local interest, plus various special and specialized collections of interest - namely areas of music; there are other specialized groups like the B-26 Marauder collection; and, others. A major research collection is in the area of the history of American Psychology, including materials in philosophy that were published prior to the rise of the discipline in this country.

Library services include reference and research assistance, user education, library instruction, and computer-based information searching. Bibliographers are on staff in both general libraries to be of assistance for research assistance and for collection development. Collections are developed in relation to instructional and research interests at The University of Akron, and are extensive in many areas, especially those where advanced degrees are offered. Faculty are encouraged to participate in the library's approval plan arrangement with vendors for selection of materials on site. Collection development policies have been written in support of purchasing activities and are available for perusal.

Materials can be borrowed from the University Libraries through its circulation services or obtained form other libraries through the OhioLINK network or other resource-sharing and cooperative development arrangements.

The University Libraries' collections contain more than 3.8 million items: books, periodicals, government documents, curricular materials, microfilms, maps, electronic resources, audio visual materials, and archival documents. The library receives nearly 8,000 magazines, journals, newspapers, and other serial publications, such as annual reports and the publication of various societies. Approximately 34% of the total library budget is used to purchase and maintain electronic materials including online databases, full text resources, electronic journals, and electronic books.

Through the library's memberships in the Center for Research Libraries, OhioLINK, the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), and Ohio Network of American History Research Centers, access to vast resources is greatly increased for university students, faculty and staff. The library has also organizational control over access to the collection of the Akron Art Museum, which helps considerably to expand and deepen the holding in modern art and recent art history.