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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