As Dean it is a privilege to welcome you to the outstanding collections, people and services which make up the NIU University Libraries. Whether you are a newly arrived student, a senior member of the faculty, or a visitor from outside the University, we want to be your partner in the discovery and creation of knowledge.
The Founders Memorial Library includes more than 310,000 square feet of collections, services and spaces dedicated to your success! Also on campus, the Faraday Library serves faculty and students in chemistry and physics while the Music Library supports the music department’s curriculum and performances. In total, our physical collections include more than 2.3 million volumes of books and journals, while our online and digital collections also include e-books, online journals, streaming video, databases and “the Huskie Commons,” NIU’s open access institutional repository. Our Library faculty include subject specialists who, in addition to teaching research methods, serve as resources for all levels of research, from your first research paper to your dissertation. The Founders Library is also home to a curated collection of student, faculty, and purchased art, making it not only a research destination but also a cultural destination.
Located at the center of campus, the NIU Libraries also include several distinctive collections including:
In addition to our committed faculty and staff, the Libraries frequently partner with other departments to provide services such as the Digital Convergence Lab, the Writing Center, the Peer Assisted Learning Center, a Technology Service Desk, and of course, the popular Founders Café.
Whatever your information needs, we welcome you to the Huskie family and look forward to assisting you!
Sincerely,
Fred D. Barnhart
Dean, NIU Libraries
University Libraries recognizes and affirms the essential dignity of all people by honoring and celebrating diversity, fostering inclusion, and actively working toward equity and social justice for students, faculty, staff, and members of our broader community. We support Northern Illinois University's (NIU) commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging[1] and endorse the American Library Association's core value of "[s]ocial responsibility and the public good."[2]
University Libraries strives to build an anti-racist organization which acknowledges that libraries have engaged in the oppression of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as other traditionally marginalized populations, and endeavors to dismantle broader systems of privilege and structures that uphold white supremacy in order to "co-create a community where all voices are heard, valued and respected."[3]
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion cannot simply be articulated in a statement; it must be demonstrated in an institution’s policies, practices, and culture.
University Libraries commits to actively work on dismantling oppressive systems. What follows is an accounting of work completed or in progress:
[1] FY 2022 University Goals https://www.niu.edu/president/_pdf/fy22-university-goals.pdf
[2] American Library Association Strategic Direction https://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/StrategicPlan/Strategic%20Directions%202017_Update.pdf
[3] "Goal 4," AY 2021-22 (FY22) University Goals