Welcome to the University of Minnesota Libraries
Besides offering various services and resources to support academic course work and research, the University Libraries serve an international student body of approximately 6,000 who come from more than 130 countries around the world. As an international student studying in another culture and educational system, you may have some difficulties conducting library research because our library system and its services are somewhat different from those in your own country. This guide will introduce you to some aspects of our library system. We hope that you will find the guide useful in your library research and that you will have an enjoyable experience using the University Libraries.
Visiting the Libraries - Open Stacks
Most American libraries have "open stacks." This means that library users can walk to the shelves of books and get the books they want. (You don't need to ask a librarian to do this for you, though they will help you if you cannot find a book.) You can borrow most things in the library but not everything. Some books, like dictionaries and encyclopedias, stay in the library for everyday use. Also, at many libraries, you have to read new magazines and newspapers at the library. These materials are referred to as "non-circulating" or "in library use only."
Library Terminology
Libraries use specialized words to describe their services and materials. The following links provides definitions and translations for terms commonly used in US libraries.
- List of Library Terms in 8 LanguagesA list of common library terms translated from English into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese.
- Definitions of Library termsDefinitions (in English) of common library terms
International Student Brochures from the U Libraries
About the Libraries
Located in 12 separate facilities on the University's three Twin Cities' campuses, The University of Minnesota Libraries have the 15th largest research library collection in North America. The major branches are the Wilson, Walter, Bio-Medical, Magrath, and Elmer Andersen Libraries. Each library is specialized by discipline. Here are some examples of the libraries:
- East Asian Library
Collection, in Wilson Library, focused on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language materials, serving the instructional and research needs of the East Asian studies and more. - Wilson Library (West Bank)
Wilson Library is the largest library on campus with books on Social Sciences (e.g. History, Business, Psychology, Education, Sociology, etc.) and Humanities (e.g. Art, Literature, etc.) including most of our books in languages including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, and dozens more. - Walter Library - Science and Engineering (East Bank)
Walter Library is the oldest library on campus with books on Science and Engineering. - Health Sciences Library
The Health Sciences Library in Phillips-Wangensteen Building includes collections for medicine, nursing, public health, dentistry, pharmacy, basic sciences, and more. - Ames Library of South Asia
Located in Wilson Library and home to materials on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, mainly covering the social sciences and humanities in English, vernacular, and European languages. The Ames Library includes a special collection of rare books and archives of manuscripts, photographs, maps, prints and drawings, mostly from the period 1600-1900.
Hours - Magrath Library (St. Paul)
Magrath Library is the largest on the St. Paul campus with books on design, agriculture, plant sciences, and more.
Getting Help with Research
- Peer Research ConsultantsMake an online 30 minute appointment for one-on-one peer assistance with your research. Get help with researching your topic, finding sources, citing sources and more. Peer Research Consultants can also help you get started with faculty-sponsored research.
- Chat 24/7 online with the LibrariesAsk us anything! Chat with a librarian, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with any research or library questions.
More Library Services
- Checking out or borrowing itemsYou can borrow books and other materials by using your U Card. As a UMN student you can check out an unlimited number of items and have full access to online library resources both on and off campus.
- InterLibrary Loan & Digital DeliveryInterlibrary Loan (ILL) & Digital Delivery offers access to materials needed for courses and research, including materials not currently available within the University of Minnesota Libraries, AND digital copies of articles and book chapters from our print and microform collections. Free for currently-affiliated University students, faculty, and staff.