: For Students, Faculty, and Staff 
Collections
Moving towards largest collection in North America
The BTAA’s (Big Ten Academic Alliance) Shared Print Collection initiative aims to unite Big Ten university libraries collections in moving toward the goal of “one collection, shared, and fully networked.” When realized, it would represent the largest shared print collection in North America — making the U of M Libraries’ collections, and other member libraries, more durable and accessible.
Student in the stacks at Wilson Library. (Photo/Adria Carpenter)
Interlibrary loan and digital delivery
“You are absolutely fantastic. … I use ILL frequently and your staff has never disappointed me. You are all superstars of your profession!!! Thank you immensely!”
Faculty member
The Libraries implemented a new interlibrary loan (ILL) and digital delivery service that is fully integrated into our website search, enabling a more seamless user experience. Digital request buttons now offer even faster delivery of articles and book chapters — including digitizations for materials in our print collections, as well as from materials held at libraries throughout the world — within 24 hours or one to five business days. In FY24, the ILL and Digital Delivery service delivered 28,389 PDF files to students, staff, and faculty.
- ILL: How many requests; how many fulfilled requests; Breakdown on how these were filled: purchases, digitization from our collections filled from other libraries, open access, available in collection
- 45,351 requests
- 42,172 filled (93%)
- Out of these, 2% were canceled by the patron, 4% no library can supply and less than 1% are still in process
Federal Depository Library Program
Government Publications staff executed an enormous change this past year, when the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) moved to a digital-first format for new publications. Staff adjusted workflows to accommodate the new digital-first focus while maintaining the high-quality historic print collection. As the Regional Depository for Minnesota, South Dakota, and Michigan, staff led regional discussions to determine which of the remaining print titles to continue collecting, particularly the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, for which we are a Preservation Steward in collaboration with the federal government.
Student outside of Wilson Library. (Photo/Adria Carpenter)
Notable acquisitions
Archives and Special Collections acquired new items including the organizational archives of the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Interests; the papers of computer graphics pioneer Dr. Claire Nappi; original canvas giclee prints for “Bowwow Powwow,” from Duluth-based artist Jonathan Thunder (Red Lake Band of Ojibwe); Beth Jacob Congregation (Mendota Heights, Minn.) records; 22 boxes of records from the Center for Victims of Torture; and more.
New and growing graphic medicine novels collection
The Health Sciences Library started a graphic medicine novel collection, including both print and online materials. Spearheaded by Nicole Theis-Mahon, Collections Coordinator, this project aims to expand our understanding of what kind of scholarship “counts,” making complex information more accessible to readers. Titles in the collection range from personal health narratives to healthcare providers’ experiences to generalized topics like clinical ethics.