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
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.
Staff
- 68 librarians
- 112 support staff
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.