The UCLA Library

Inspiring and supporting students, faculty, researchers and staff as they dream, learn, create and share knowledge.

Where Inquiring Minds Grow

The library is as urgent a need for a research university as classrooms or laboratories. The UCLA Library connects students, faculty and researchers to their counterparts all over the world via online journals, databases and global/international collections. In the social sciences and the humanities, in particular, the breadth and depth of the Library collection enriches both teaching and research.

The Library’s holdings include manuscripts, rare books and memorabilia. Some resources are in languages other than English, or in non-Roman alphabets; many are not completely cataloged. The Center for Primary Research and Training pairs graduate students with Library collections related to their research focus. The students learn archival skills, and may discover new materials for scholarly articles or dissertations. Accurate cataloging makes collections more accessible to students and researchers alike.

In addition, the Library works across the University of California system to build, maintain, preserve and make widely accessible a comprehensive print and digital collection reflecting the scholarly record. Specialized collections include not only books, but also print and electronic materials that reflect their time and culture — from the postcards of past decades to the websites and videos of the early 21st century.

In our bid to more effectively support and participate in research, the Library works to design collections, services, facilities, staff expertise and technology to meet the needs of the research process. That could mean tools and expertise for rapid prototyping and diverse data sets, as well as more traditional information resources.

The research commons in the Charles E. Young Research Library demonstrates how the Library becomes much more than just a reference source. Students use the commons area to brainstorm, study and discuss. It’s a dynamic, living environment of ideas, experimentation and results.

Gifts to the Library help us meet critical needs as they arise — and continue to introduce innovative services.