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Collections Information

The AU Library collections contains:

  • 1,000,000+ books, including:
    • 700,000+ print books
    • 800,000+ e-books
    • 258,000 books and other printed primary source materials
    • 100,000+ early English books online
  • 500+ subscribed databases
  • 145,000 online periodical subscriptions
  • 650 print periodical subscriptions
  • 52,000+ media and sound recordings
  • 14,000+ scores, including historical sheet music
  • 1,100,000+ microforms

Additional digital collections supporting primary source research, including but not limited to:

  • American Periodical Series Online (1740-1930)
  • American University Digital Repository
  • Archives Unbound Collection
  • ARTstor and Saskia art image collections
  • Declassified Documents Reference System
  • Digital National Security Archive
  • Early American Imprints
  • Early English Books Online
  • Extensive historical newspapers collection
  • Foreign Broadcast Information Service Archive
  • LexisNexis Congressional Hearings, Record, and US Serials Set
  • Naxos Music Library

38% of the University Library's collection is housed at the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) center in Upper Marlboro, MD. AU researchers have access to more than 12 million volumes in the WRLC, which can be delivered to the library in a few days.

Collection Managers

The Collection Development program supports the library mission to build quality collections that serve university goals for learning, teaching and research. For additional contacts, please see the Library's Subject Specialists.