The Largest Libraries in the U.S.

Updated June 14, 2021 | Infoplease Staff

Fonts of Knowledge

According to the American Library Association, these are the largest libraries in the United States. This list includes private research libraries at major universities, and also includes branch locations and restricted access collections.

Of the libraries on the list, the library at Harvard is the oldest; the university and its library were founded in 1638. But, The Boston Public library is the second ever modern public library in the world. It is the first major library funded by local taxes (preceded only by the little Peterborough town library in neighboring New Hampshire). The project was pushed through to completion after rumors surfaced of a similar project in New York ignited an intercity competition.

Rank Institution Volumes

held
1. Library of Congress 34,528,818
2. Boston Public Library 19,090,261
3. Harvard University 16,832,952
4. New York Public Library 16,342,365
5. University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign 13,158,748
6. Yale University 12,787,962
7. University of California - Berkeley 11,545,418
8. Columbia University 11,189,036
9. University of Michigan 10,778,736
10. University of Texas - Austin 9,990,941
11. University of Chicago 9,837,021
12. University of California - Los Angeles 9,151,964
13. Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County 8,819,759
14. Indiana University 8,677,974
15. Stanford University 8,500,000
16. University of Wisconsin - Madison 8,421,198
17. Cornells University 8,173,778
18. Princeton University 7,226,744
19. University of Washington 7,203,156
20. University of Minnesota 7,111,311
21. Detroit Public Library 7,070,433
22. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 7,012,787
23. County of Los Angeles Public Library 6,795,552
24. Queens Borough Public Library 6,544,609
25. Los Angeles Public Library 6,459,552
 
Source: American Library Association, www.ala.org

 

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