Skip to: Content
Skip to: Section Navigation
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

The Nation's Largest Libraries: A Listing By Volumes Held

ALA Library Fact Sheet Number 22

This fact sheet lists the top 100 largest libraries in the United States by volumes held.

Number
Source
Institution
Volumes Held
1
L
Library of Congress
32,332,832
2
A
Harvard University
15,965,675
3
P
Boston Public Library
15,760,879
4
A
Yale University
12,283,594
5
A
University of California - Berkeley
10,725,334
6
A
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
10,712,706
7
A
Columbia University
10,004,848
8
A
University of Texas - Austin
9,323,252
9
P
Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
9,154,039
10
S
Stanford University
8,500,000
11
A
University of Michigan
8,414,070
12
A
University of California - Los Angeles
8,272,112
13
A
Cornell University
7,999,177
14
A
University of Chicago
7,926,905
15
A
University of Wisconsin - Madison
7,916,419
16
P
County of Los Angeles Public Library
7,838,277
17
A
Indiana University
7,553,823
18
P
Detroit Public Library
7,459,353
19
A
University of Washington
7,304,234
20
A
University of Minnesota
6,867,777
21
A
Princeton University
6,778,675
22
P
Queens Borough Public Library
6,488,198
23
P
Free Library of Philadelphia
6,410,841
24
P
Los Angeles Public Library
6,285,760
25
A
Ohio State University
6,244,095
26
A
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
6,154,365
27
A
University of Pennsylvania
5,994,465
28
P
Chicago Public Library
5,891,306
29
A
Duke University
5,872,136
30
A
University of Arizona
5,632,559
31
A
University of Virginia
5,465,077
32
A
Pennsylvania State University
5,220,080
33
P
New York Public Library
5,169,953
34
P
Brooklyn Public Library
5,120,690
35
A
University of Pittsburgh
5,116,305
36
A
University of Oklahoma
5,047,646
37
A
New York University
4,946,277
38
A
Michigan State University
4,915,621
39
A
Northwestern University
4,768,588
40
A
University of Iowa
4,765,690
41
P
Dallas Public Library
4,609,883
42
A
University of Georgia
4,559,220
43
P
Cleveland Public Library
4,552,843
44
A
Rutgers University
4,462,249
45
A
Arizona State University
4,342,425
46
A
University of Florida
4,229,717
47
A
University of Kansas
4,210,639
48
A
Washington University - St. Louis
4,162,980
49
A
University of Southern California
4,039,228
50
A
Brigham Young University
3,908,127
51
A
North Carolina State University
3,857,365
52
A
University of Colorado
3,843,458
53
P
Houston Public Library
3,834,967
54
P
King County Library System
3,767,233
55
A
Texas A&M University
3,739,081
56
A
Johns Hopkins University
3,726,532
57
A
Brown University
3,720,244
58
A
University of Rochester
3,672,976
59
A
State University of New York - Buffalo
3,655,089
60
A
University of Connecticut
3,637,190
61
P
Hawaii State Public Library System
3,627,769
62
A
University of Maryland
3,623,376
63
A
University of California - Davis
3,599,983
64
A
University of South Carolina
3,579,504
65
A
Louisiana State University
3,548,726
66
P
Mid-Continent Public Library
3,537,916
67
A
University of Kentucky
3,537,710
68
A
University of Massachusetts
3,529,419
69
P
Miami-Dade Public Library System
3,516,466
70
A
University of Hawaii
3,486,937
71
A
Wayne State University
3,458,773
72
A
University of Missouri - Columbia
3,454,585
73
A
Florida State University
3,442,420
74
P
San Diego Public Library
3,428,594
75
A
University of Cincinnati
3,418,599
76
P
Montgomery County Dept. of Public Libraries
3,397,660
77
P
St. Louis Public Library
3,367,334
78
A
University of California - San Diego
3,360,442
79
A
University of Notre Dame
3,322,395
80
A
University of Utah
3,320,167
81
A
Vanderbilt University
3,311,665
82
P
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
3,304,567
83
A
Emory University
3,298,971
84
P
Broward County Libraries Division
3,289,920
85
A
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
3,251,893
86
A
University of Miami
3,227,943
87
P
Cuyahoga County Public Library
3,182,260
88
A
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
3,171,134
89
P
Allen County Public Library
3,170,395
90
A
Syracuse University
3,160,240
91
A
Temple University
3,137,142
92
A
Tulane University
3,106,645
93
A
Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
3,073,665
94
P
Jacksonville Public Library
3,065,817
95
A
Auburn University
3,016,986
96
A
Georgetown University
2,955,278
97
A
University of California - Santa Barbara
2,914,539
98
A
Ohio University
2,913,522
99
A
University of Oregon
2,905,608
100
A
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2,847,680


Sources

L=Library of Congress - Annual Report, FY 2007: Facts at a Glance. Member of ARL (Association of Research Libraries <http://www.arl.org>).

A=ARL Statistics 2006-07.

P=Public Library Data Service Statistical Report 2008. Chicago: Public Library Association (PLA, a division of the American Library Association <http://www.ala.org/pla>), 2008. See the PLDS Statistical Report web page for more information.

S=Stanford Facts: Libraries & Computing. Former member of ARL.


Users should be aware that public library and academic library collections are dissimilar.

The ARL academic library study takes its definition of volume from the National Information Standards Organization (NISO): A single physical unit of any printed, typewritten, handwritten, mimeographed, or processed work, distinguished from other units by a separate binding, encasement, portfolio, or other clear distinction, which has been cataloged, classified, and made ready for use, and which is typically the unit used to charge circulation transactions.

The PLDS public library report defines "holdings" on its questionnaire: For the purpose of this data service, holdings will be defined as the number of cataloged items (number of items, NOT number of titles) plus paperbacks and videocassettes even if uncataloged.


NOTE: Previous versions of this fact sheet can be accessed via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine using the original URL <http://www.ala.org/library/fact22.html>. And this URL still works as a "shortcut" link to this web page.


Last updated: May 2009


For more information on this or other fact sheets, including copies of previous versions, contact the ALA Library Reference Desk by telephone: 800-545-2433, extension 2153; fax: 312-280-3255; e-mail: library@ala.org; or regular mail: ALA Library, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611-2795.