Fun, popular, and recreational reading UMN Libraries guide

"Go-pher the Gold" this summer!

 

Get ready to read this summer! Find some great reads and count your pages for our bronze, silver, and gold challenges. Complete the M Rings challenges for even more chances to win in the prize drawing in September. Download the reading log, and find more information and submit your challenges at z.umn.edu/read2024! 

 

If you need some reading inspiration while you wait for the challenge, contact the Libraries Book Matchmakers for personalized recommendations!

Questions? Comments? Contact us at libfunreads@umn.edu 

Overdrive and the Libby app are new ways to read ebooks, listen to audiobooks, read magazines and more. These tools are common in public libraries but they are new to the UMN Libraries. We have a growing collection with an early focus with titles from our Libraries Racial Equity Fund. 

• Search or browse Overdrive to see the UMN Collection. 
• Learn more about getting started with the Libby app. 

*new* Magazines in Overdrive and Libby app

We have over 5000 magazines you can read use Overdrive or the Libby app. Read magazines on news, politics, cooking, crafts, fitness and more including titles like The New Yorker, Harpers, Vanity Fair, etc.

• Browse the magazine collection

Having trouble finding a book you really love? Looking for something fun or different?

Fill out a short form about your reading life and our expert book matchmakers will email you a list of three books from the University of Minnesota libraries that match what you are looking for.

Questions? Contact the book matchmakers at libfunreads@umn.edu

Here are a sample of books lists and reading suggestions. To check to see if it is in the UMN libraries, simply copy and paste the title into the search box or request it. 

• New York Times 100 best books of the 21st Century
• Hennepin County Library’s most borrowed books of 2023
• Best books of 2023 from the New Yorker magazine
• Best 16 books of 2023 from Wired magazine
• Bestsellers from independent bookstores from indieboung.org
• Best fiction books from 2023, Best non-fiction books from 2023, and Best Young Adult fiction from 2023 from Kirkus Reviews

 

Bonus: 15 bookstores to visit in Minneapolis and St. Paul 

Reading for pleasure during college is important for a variety of reasons. Benefits of reading include:

• reduces stress
• improves vocabulary
• encourages critical thinking
• reading before bed can improve sleep
• improved performance (e.g. scores, grades, etc.) across many subjects from English to Math to Science to History, etc.  
• increases empathy

Read more about reading for pleasure at The Impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success (PDF).

Stop by our popular reading collections in Wilson, Walter and Magrath Library. Your Ucard is your library card. Use it to check out books and other materials. 

 

Wilson Library is the home of the Robert and Virginia McCollister Collection for Contemporary Literature on the 1st Floor of Wilson Library. 

• View list of books currently available in the McCollister Collection for Contemporary Literature 

 

Walter Library has a collection of popular reading on the 2nd floor.

• View list of books currently available in the Walter Library popular reading collection

 

 

 

Magrath Library has a collection on the ground floor, near the service desk. 

• View list of books currently available in the Magrath Library popular reading collection

 

 

 

Request item

If you don't want to go to a library to check it out, you can use our "Get it" service to have a book sent to a library close to you (or your home). The item will be moved to another campus library in 2-4 days and mailed to a house/office in 5-7+ days. 

Step 1: Find item

Step 2: Select the Library you want to pick the item up at or "home" delivery (faculty/staff/instructors can request "office" delivery)

The UMN Libraries have a lot of books (almost 8 million) and other stuff you can check out with your UCard. Here are quick step-by-step directions on how to check out a book. 

Step 1: Find the book you want to check out. 

• Search Libraries search by the title, author or subject of the book (watch a 3 minute how-to video). Next, write down the call number or take a picture of it and go find it on the shelf in the library (double check campus library) OR use the Get it service and we will move book(s) to your closest library in 1-2 days. We will send you an email when it is ready to pick up.
• Most our collection uses the Library of Congress (LC) classification system to shelve the books. It is an alpha-numeric system so "LA" would be shelved before "LB", "LC" before "LD", etc. And numbers work the same way so a  call number of "LA2" will be shelved before "LA4."

Bonus: Or do you need to check out headphones, a camera, charger or other object? 

Step 2: Check out with UCard 

• Grab your UCard and bring your item to a service desk to check it out. 
• You can check out an unlimited number of items (yes, unlimited!) at a time. One you check it out, it will show up when you login to your My Library Account page. Use that page to keep track and check due dates.
• Most items are check out for 13 weeks but automatically auto renew for up to 6 months. Login to My Library Account for a list of what you have checked out and due dates. We do NOT charge late fees but will charge a lost fee if you lose an item. If you do lose something, just contact us and we can talk through options.

Step 3: Read the book

Step 4: Return the book to a library

When you are ready, return the book to any campus library at a service desk or book return. It does not need to be the same library you check it out. For example, you can return a book you checked out from Wilson Library on west bank to Walter Library on east bank. Or return materials to "exterior" book returns at:

• West bank - Wilson Library, book return is to the left of the front entrance,
• East bank - Walter Library, book return faces Pleasant Street, in the loading dock,
• St. Paul - Magrath Library, book return faces Buford Ave, or
• St. Paul - Natural Resources Library, book return faces Upper Buford Circle.

We are happy to help with any questions!  

Find out more details, how long you can keep items, and policies. 

Take a book, leave a book!

Goldy’s Little Free Libraries are now available for U of M community members to enjoy across the Twin Cities campus. Stop by to see what gems you can find and share your favorites with others.

Find Goldy's Little Free Libraries:

East Bank - Near 4th St. ramp
West Bank - Near Rarig Center
St. Paul - Near the Student Center

 

Ebooks Minnesota is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction, for readers of all ages, and includes over 10,000 titles! 

• View list of titles

UMN students can sign up for a library card from Hennepin County Library (Minneapolis campus) or Ramsey County Library (St. Paul campus) or other public libraries. This gives students access to free ebook/music/magazine downloads (and a lot more). 

Arvonne Fraser Library in Dinkytown

"Arvonne Fraser Library (previously known as Southeast Library) sits on the east bank of the University of Minnesota and serves residents of the University community. The building was designed by master architect Ralph Rapson and originally functioned as a credit union for university and state employees. It opened as a library in 1967."

Popular newspapers guide

Consult our guide to find newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, and other news sources available from the Libraries like the New York Times, Wall Street Journals, etc. 

 

Guide for reading magazines, current news, commentary, and opinion

Consult our guide of current journals and magazines of news, commentary, and opinion. Here is a sample of what is sometimes called 'Long form journalism" -- longer, in-depth articles written by journalists but usually about or with experts like researchers or professors. They are written with less jargon then scholarly journal articles and are great sources to consult as you learn more about a topic. They feature stories about current or controversial topics. You can "browse" and read current issues or search. Examples include the Atlantic, the Economist, National Geographic and more.