Mission
Memorial Library provides world class collections, staff, facilities, and services to ensure the success of students, faculty, researchers, and staff in the humanities and social sciences. As the major research library in the state, Memorial also serves the local community and beyond.
Overview
Memorial is the principal research library on campus for the humanities and social sciences. Housing more than three million volumes on 78.5 miles of shelving, it is the largest single collection in Wisconsin.
The collection includes books, journals, dissertations, newspapers, government documents, electronic resources, and other media selected to meet the needs of the UW-Madison teaching, learning, and research communities. Memorial Library's unique and rich collection includes materials in more than 350 languages. Not only does the collection support the many international research centers and programs on campus, it is also recognized nationally and worldwide.
History
The first library at the University of Wisconsin was established in 1850. It was relocated several times, and by 1900 it shared quarters with the State Historical Society. Rapidly growing collections necessitated the construction of a new library, and the cornerstone of Memorial Library was laid in 1950. Construction was completed in 1953. Additions in 1974 and 1990 increased the size of the library to more than 356,000 square feet. Memorial Library is dedicated to the men and women who served in the armed forces.
Statistics
- Volumes in Memorial Library: more than 3 million
- Volumes added in FY 06/07: 61,440
- Microform items: more than 1,200,000
- Materials (including renewals) charged out in FY 06/07: 367,254
- Materials used in the library in FY 06/07: 434,948
- People who entered the library in FY 06/07: more than 1 million
- Square feet of building: 356,211
- Number of study seats: 2,327
- There are 78.5 miles of shelving in Memorial Library.
- The square footage of Memorial Library equals that of 200 typical 3-bedroom homes.
Message from Lee Konrad, Director of Memorial Library
Welcome to the Memorial Library web site. This site is designed to keep members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison scholarly community informed of resources, services, programs, and other activities sponsored by the Memorial Library. On behalf of the library staff, I invite you to explore the vast array of information resources and services available to you through our Web site and within the library proper.
While Memorial Library prides itself on its traditions, it retains its status as one of the world's great research libraries through collaboration and innovation, always with an eye toward developing appropriate strategies for meeting the information and research needs of the 21st-century scholar. As such, Memorial Library is, at once, both a physical and virtual space, teeming with print and digital collections, virtual and physical service points, and home to a variety of environments conducive to solitary study and group collaboration. Perhaps most importantly, Memorial Library also serves as the home of an immensely talented staff whose primary focus is to ensure that your teaching, learning, and research needs are provided for in a friendly and professional manner.
The constant in all of our work here at Memorial Library is a shared commitment to providing exemplary services and collection resources to you, our patrons. We take great pride in our role as instructional staff and providers of information resources, and strive to provide the necessary services, collections, expertise, and environments to ensure that your experience in the Memorial Library is productive, inspiring, and academically enriching.
Memorial Library Committee
Committee Description
- Six faculty members, three each from the humanities and social sciences and no more than one from any department, appointed to staggered three year terms by the chancellor. Nominations are to be obtained from all deans of colleges and schools having faculty members in the humanities or social sciences. The deans' nominations shall be made in consultation with their academic planning committees. The chancellor's selections shall reflect the patterns of library use and shall be reviewed with the University Committee.
- One faculty member appointed for a one year renewable term by the chancellor with appropriate regard to divisional representation.
- Two academic staff members appointed by the chancellor for one-year renewable terms after consultation with the Academic Staff Executive Committee.
- One faculty member from the University Library Committee selected by the University Library Committee to serve for a one year renewable term as liaison.
- Two students, one graduate and one undergraduate, appointed to one year renewable terms.
- Five non-voting members from the Memorial Library staff: the Director, and representatives for collection development, circulation, reference, and rare books.
Committee Functions
- Reviews and advises the Memorial Library Administration on policies related to collection development, collection evaluation, and bibliographic activities, especially in the humanities, social sciences, and general reference.
- Advises the Memorial Library Administration on other major policy issues concerning, inter alia, staffing levels, budget, automation, and user regulations. Significant gift collections, special fund-raising efforts, major building and space remodeling projects, and major appointments are some of the items upon which the committee should be consulted.
- Responds to the concerns of faculty, staff and students who use Memorial Library.
- Receives regular reports on Memorial Library operations.
The committee description and list of functions originated with the Faculty Senate.
Committee Members 2007/2008
- C. Blair Bundy: Division of Information Technology
- Clay Collins: Graduate ASM representative
- Richard Knowles: English
- Lee Konrad: Director, Memorial Library
- Nancy McClements: Memorial Library/Reference
- Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir: ASM representative
- Robert Nowak: Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Michael Olneck: Educational Policy Studies/Sociology
- Robin Rider: General Library System/Special Collections
- Louise Robbins (Chair): School of Library Information Studies (SLIS)
- Audrey Tluczek: School of Nursing