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Northwestern Libraries

Where scholarly research meets one-of-a-kind collections.

As some of the busiest buildings on campus, the libraries serve over 1 million visitors annually. 

They come for immense and varied collections, databases and electronic journals, governmental information and more. Northwestern’s Libraries rank 12th among private universities in the United States.

Northwestern University Libraries

Photo of Deering Library
Deering Library
Photo of Student studying in the library
Photo of Northwestern University Library
Northwestern University Main Library
Photo of Students studying in the library
Photo of University Library's Core Collection
Northwestern University Library's Core Collection
Photo of Students walking around in Library's Information Commons
Information Commons inside the main library
Photo of Students walking through the lobby of the Library
Mudd Library for technology and science
Photo of Library staff helping a student
Photo of Student studying in the recent acquisitions area at the Library
Recent acquisitions area at the main library

The libraries' holdings include extensive backfiles of newspapers and periodicals, scientific documents, medieval manuscripts and the full text of every book, pamphlet or broadside published in the United States between 1639 and 1829. 

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

  • Collected holdings:
  • Printed books
  • E-books
  • Manuscripts
  • Print journals
  • Electronic journals
  • Audio files
  • Film and video
  • Graphic images
  • Maps and charts
  • Microforms
  • Archives

>6 million

print and electronic volumes in the combined collections

Additional Libraries and Collections

347public computers

+ 16 staffed service locations

Online Tools

Access library materials, electronic resources and course reserves 24/7.

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