The UWM Libraries is an integral component of the academic life of the University. As the second largest research collection in Wisconsin, UWM Libraries consist of centralized information collections and resources for all of the UWM colleges, schools, departments, and programs. The UWM Libraries welcomes several hundred thousand visitors annually, and in 2003-2004 loaned more than 250,000 items to other libraries. The library building is open 96 hours per week, with reference service available 76 hours per week while classes are in session. Both research and curricular needs are important to the development of the UWM Libraries collections, which contain over five million cataloged items. Currently, faculty liaisons work with librarians to communicate departmental needs. This professional relationship builds and maintains a well-developed collection. Addition of materials to the Libraries’ collections occurs two ways; about two-thirds of the monographic purchases are acquired through automatic acquisition plans established in consultation with faculty liaisons. The remainder of monographs added to the collections is acquired at the request of faculty members; such requests are given high priority, and ordered as funds permit. Serials subscriptions have been rigorously evaluated due to enormous increases in serial subscription costs. UWM Libraries is a 60 percent selective U.S. Federal Depository Library. Federal government resources are received in various formats, including paper, microfiche, CD-ROM, DVD, and via the Internet. Most of the Federal and all Wisconsin State documents are included in the online catalog.
Several outstanding research collections are especially noteworthy at the UWM Libraries. The largest of these is the American Geographical Society Library. The AGSL, one of the largest geography libraries in the world, houses a vast number of historical and detailed maps, many rare and valuable books, research and technical reports, photographs, satellite images, digital data, and relevant serials. The University Archives consists of the Milwaukee Area Research Center, the UWM Manuscript Collection, and records of the University. The Archives contains historical resources from Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin, including private papers from individuals, records from businesses and organizations as well as records from UWM. Special Collections supports a broad range of research and teaching activities in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, and includes the UWM Authors’ Collection. Beginning in the summer of 2001, selected local photographic collections have been digitized as part of the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections (UWDC) to provide quality digital resources from the UW academic libraries to faculty, staff and students, citizens of the state, and researchers, worldwide. Additional library collections at the UWM Libraries include those of the Curriculum Library, Multimedia Library and the Music Library. The UWM Curriculum Library provides resources and services to students and faculty in education and school library media programs. The UWM Multimedia Library is a growing collection of VHS videotapes, DVDs, laserdiscs, audio books and CD-ROMs supporting many disciplines. The UWM Music Library is the second largest collection of music-related materials in Wisconsin.
