30 Most Impressive University Business School Libraries

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Business school can be challenging, and business school libraries are among the key resources available to students in meeting the challenge. In recent years, many of these libraries have reinvented themselves to incorporate online and other digital media alongside traditional print holdings. Though there are surely more than thirty impressive business libraries amongst U.S. business schools, the schools in this list are exceptional, and were selected based on the following characteristics.

  • Size and Variety of Selections — Each library on this list has a collection of more than 50,000 print volumes, and at least some digital resources and databases. Those libraries with an extended collection — meaning books are available from other libraries at the University, or from a nationwide interlibrary loan program — have also been noted.
  • Additional Services — While most libraries offer basic services such as book check out, interlibrary loans, and printing and copying, the libraries on this list offer additional services valuable to a business student or researcher.
  • Associations and Reputation — Many of the libraries on this list belong to the nation’s top business schools. In many cases, these programs are more willing and able to provide students with unique collections, more in-depth services, and higher-quality study spaces and materials.
  • Special Features — In putting together this list, libraries with notable features such as impressive architecture, public access, and accessibility were also considered.

30. Camp Library, University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Charlottesville, Virginia
Website
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Named for the Camp family of Franklin, Virginia, the Camp Library at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business is a popular resource for students, the Virginia Commonwealth business community, and even researchers around the world. The library offers access to a wide variety of digital databases, electronic catalogs, and various reference materials. Additionally, research consultants and library staff are on hand to assist researchers with the library’s collection of over printed texts, periodicals, and online information.
Printed Volumes: 100,000 volumes; 1,100 periodicals
Digital Resources: Access to more than 20 online databases
Public Access: Yes

29. Goizueta Business Library, Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
Website
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Emory University’s user-friendly business library offers students a wide variety of services and resources. Located within the much-larger Woodruff Library, Goizueta’s collection consists of an impressive selection of digital materials including database subscriptions, e-journals, and pre-loaded Kindles available for rent. Researchers also have access to a knowledgeable library staff for research consultations, reading lists, and general information. Uniquely, Goizueta offers business-specific Career Services in the form of interview coaching, resume review, and target company lists.
Print Volumes: More than 50,000
Digital Resources: Access to over 80 electronic databases
Public Access: Yes

28. Joseph Regenstein Library, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Chicago, Illinois
Website
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The Joseph Regenstein Library at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business is a five-story building housing more than four million volumes in various business, social science, and humanities subjects. In addition to providing students with subject specialists, research consultants, and a specialized dissertation office, Regenstein offers access to a number of special collections including a large selection of microforms, a unique maps collection, a recordings collection, and a collection of K-12 curriculum materials.
Print Volumes: 4.5 million in its extended collection
Digital Resources: More than 100 digital subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

27. Rosenfeld Library, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Los Angeles, California
Website
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The Rosenfeld Library allows students and faculty of the UCLA Anderson School of Management to access, create, and exchange quality and professional information. Because Rosenfeld is designed around the School of Management curriculum, it fully supports students’ research with a collection of texts on business management, accounting, business economics, strategy and policy, human resources, and much more. For those students in need of research materials, but unable to visit the library, Rosenfeld also offers a unique document delivery service.
Print Volumes: 167,000
Digital Resources: Access to more than 75 databases
Public Access: Yes

26. Lippincott Library, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Website
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The Lippincott Library University of Pennsylvania is a valuable resource to students at the Wharton School of Business. Designed to provide students with the most relevant information possible, Lippincott offers easy access to common databases such as the Dow Jones Factiva, Business Source Complete, and WRDS, along with a number of others. Lippincott’s library staff also offers a number of helpful services like research assistance and consultation, while putting on frequent business workshops for students of all levels and interests.
Print Volumes: 4 million in its extended network
Digital Resources: Over 100 database subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

25. Frederick S. Pardee Management Library, Boston University School of Management

Boston, Massachusetts
Website
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Boston University’s Pardee Management Library is considered to be an important component of the School of Management program. The library’s large collection includes online and print resources in a wide variety of business- and management-related subjects, and full-time staff are available to assist students with navigating the collections and organizing research. A thoroughly modern facility, the library includes a large number of study spaces, rooms equipped for group study, and both ethernet and wireless connectivity.
Print Volumes: 2.5 million in extended network
Digital Resources: More than 100 digital databases
Public Access: Yes

24. Horn Library, Babson College

Babson Park, Massachusetts
Website
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Horn Library is dedicated to providing the Babson College business community with all research and study needs. Research librarians offer students help with anything from book reservations to research consultations, and are available from virtually anywhere via a unique online chat system. For those students interested in non-academic reading, Horn also offers a fun Read Campaign which allows faculty and students to read and recommend titles.
Print Volumes: More than 50,000
Digital Resources: Specific Number Unknown
Public Access: Yes

23. Mahaffey Business Library, Notre Dame University Mendoza College of Business

Notre Dame, Indiana
Website
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Notre Dame’s Mahaffey Business Library provides students of the Mendoza College of Business with up-to-date business resources and research materials. Available databases include Business Insights, Factiva, LexisNexis, and Mintel. For those undertaking research projects, a full-time staff is also available to assist with library navigation, research consultation, and general questions. Private and semi-private study spaces, group study rooms, and workshop spaces are also available for library patrons.
Print Volumes: More than 50,000
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital databases
Public Access: Yes

22. Business Library, University of Wisconsin — Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
Website
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The Business library at University of Wisconsin — Madison is a full-service research facility that caters to the University’s students of business and management. In addition to thousands of texts, periodicals, and digital databases, students are encouraged to work closely with reference librarians who can help to locate research materials, consult on research strategies, set up a literature alert based upon a specific research topic, and much more. In order to create the best possible study space, Madison’s business library also offers students the option of reserving private study rooms and laptops.
Print Volumes: 7.3 million (plus 6.2 million microforms and 55,000 serial titles)
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

21. Fisher College of Business Library, Ohio State University Fisher College of Business

Columbus, Ohio
Website
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The Fisher College of Business Library provides Ohio State University’s business students with a variety of helpful resources. The library keeps more than thirty computers available for student use, all of which are equipped with valuable digital resources such as Hoover’s Online, Lexis-Nexis, Thomson Research, and Factiva. In order to further their studies and research, students and faculty can speak with one of Fisher’s many reference librarians for research assistance, interlibrary loans, or general reference.
Print Volumes: 100,000
Digital Resources: More than 360,000 e-books
Public Access: Yes

20. Feldberg Business & Engineering Library, Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business

Hanover, New Hampshire
Website
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The Feldberg library at Dartmouth College is unique in that it serves students of both the Tuck School of Business and the Thayer School of Engineering. To facilitate the research process, Feldberg’s large collection of business texts is uniquely arranged into various subsections that include Hedge Funds, Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Business Valuation. The library also employs three full-time “knowledge consultants” to assist student researchers with research consultations, library know-how, and navigation of resources.
Print Volumes: 3 million in extended network
Digital Resources: More than 50 databases
Public Access: Yes

19.Walker Management Library, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Business

Nashville, Tennessee
Website
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Walker Management Library offers a variety of services and research materials to Vanderbilt University’s students of business and management. Students can choose from the library’s many personal carrels, private and group study rooms, or reading rooms. The helpful library staff are eager to assist students with anything from research to book reservations, and because Vanderbilt is included in three major catalogs, can oftentimes find any number of appropriate books to complement one’s research. Finally, Walker Library offers students access to digital and archived material, laptops, and iPads to better support the overall academic experience.
Print Volumes: 6,000 on-site, plus a nationwide network
Digital Resources: Specific Number Unknown
Public Access: Yes

18. Baker Library, Harvard Business School

Boston, Massachusetts
Website
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Baker Library exists to support Harvard Business School faculty and students with research and curriculum. Its massive collection covers everything from management and marketing, to economic history and political economy. Research consultations, custom information sessions, and access to over 100 online databases are only a few of the services offered to students and faculty by Baker staff. The library also houses a collection of rare and unique materials that focus on the evolution of business and industry over seven centuries.
Print Volumes: 600,000 (plus over 1 million microform items, and 23,000 linear feet of archives)
Digital Resources: Subscriptions to over 100 electronic databases
Public Access: No, though students from a selection of nearby business schools are allowed access with a student I.D.

17. Business/SPEA Information Commons, Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana
Website
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Indiana University’s massive Business/SPEA Information Commons offers students a wide variety of spaces in which to study. In addition to traditional group rooms and quiet study areas, Information Commons includes a cafe, laptop lockers, multiple scanners and print release stations, and a Student Technology Center with more than 40 workstations. The library’s vast collection includes materials on most business-related topics, with a special focus on Accounting, Arts Administration, Business, Environmental Science, and Public Administration.
Print Volumes: More than 200,000
Digital Resources: More than 100 digital database subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

16. William M. White Business Library, University of Colorado Leeds School of Business

Boulder, Colorado
Website
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Named for a University of Colorado alumnus, the William M. White Business Library provides business and management students with quiet study spaces and access to research consultations and reference assistance. The library’s collection includes a variety of business texts on subjects such as management and administration, accounting, advertising, banking, finance, small business, entrepreneurship, and real estate, among others. The library also has an extensive collection of microforms and other electronic resources.
Print Volumes: 160,000
Digital Resources: Specific Number Unknown
Public Access: Yes

15. Thomas J. Watson Library of Business and Economics, Columbia University

New York, New York
Website
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Named for the IBM mogul Thomas J. Watson, the Watson library is home to nearly half a million books and over 1,000 journal titles, nothing of which is older than the year 2000 (older sources are available to students via reservation and are stored at an off-site facility). Special focus is placed on topics such as business economics, corporate and international finance, and financial markets. The Watson library also maintains three collections: Disclosure Microfiche (containing annual reports to stockholders from NYSE and ASE companies), Historical Corporate Annual Reports, and the [Marvyn] Scudder Collection.
Print Volumes: More than 400,000
Digital Resources: 1,355 databases and over 1.3 million e-books
Public Access: Yes

14. The Ross Library, New York University Stern School of Business

New York, New York
Website
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The Ross Library caters to business students at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Though the library has a wide variety of resources on all topics of business and management, there is an especial focus on accounting, finance, economics, management decision making, and taxation. The library is also home to The Ross Institute, a research organization dedicated to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting. Through this connection, NYU business students have access to cutting-edge business research and various conferences, roundtables, and publications each year.
Print Volumes: More than 200,000
Digital Resources: Subscriptions to more than 100 databases
Public Access: Yes

13. Thomas J. Long Business & Economics Library, University of California — Berkeley Haas School of Business

Berkeley, California
Website
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The Thomas J. Long Business Library, located on two floors of the Student Services Building at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, provides research and reference assistance to students, faculty, alumni, and members of the public. Studiers have access to 55 individual carrels, more than 25 shareable spaces, copy services, current business newspapers and periodicals, and books and microforms. In addition to the large collection of texts on business topics such as ethics, finance, and innovation, the Library also holds a collection of corporate reports on microfiche and houses the Nobel Prize of Professor Emeritus John C. Harsanyi.
Print Volumes: 150,000 books and 1.6 million microforms
Digital Resources: Thousands of subscriptions in digital format
Public Access: Yes

12. Graduate School of Business Library, Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Palo Alto, California
Website
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Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Library is an intellectual commons designed around its mission to enable the exchange and creation of ideas and information. Its extensive collection of both print and digital resources covers a wide variety of business topics, including accounting, finance, economics, political economy, marketing, and organizational behavior. Computers, digital databases, and study spaces both private and semi-private are available to students, faculty, alumni, and even members of the public.
Print Volumes: 190,000
Digital Resources: 2.8 million
Public Access: Yes (limited)

11. Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics, Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana
Website
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Parrish Library, named for alum and successful entrepreneur Roland Parrish, is a state-of-the-art library, laboratory, and learning commons on the Purdue University campus. While the second floor of the library consists of classrooms and study rooms, each of which is equipped with software that makes it an interactive learning space, students can also choose to study in a variety of private and semi-private study rooms on the library’s main floor. To reflect Parrish’s own personal interests, the library also includes a mini-classroom that is used to support the accounting and finance curriculum. A coffee shop was recently added to the library to assist students in need of a study break.
Print Volumes: More than 50,000
Digital Resources: Specific Number Unknown
Public Access: Yes

10. Joseph Schaffner Library, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

Evanston, Illinois
Website
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The Joseph Schaffner Library assists students of the Kellogg School of Management with research and information services. In addition to private and semi-private study areas, access to research databases, and research consultations, the Schaffner Library offers a unique set of programs and services especially designed for adult part-time students. The helpful library staff is easily reached via email, text, or instant messaging, meaning students can access library services and assistance from nearly anywhere.
Print Volumes: 300,000
Digital Resources: “Thousands” of digitized texts, as well as access to over 100 digital databases
Public Access: Yes (limited)

9. University Library of Business & Economics, University of Illinois

Urbana, Illinois
Website
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University of Illinois’ library is the largest public university research system in the United States, and its Library of Business and Economics includes a Business Information Services department to serve the students of UI’s three business-related schools. This department assists students with everything from completing class assignments, to research consultation, to reserving books from nationwide sources. Additionally, the library has partnered with organizations such as the Illinois Business Consulting, Market Information Lab, and the Illinois Bureau of Economic & Business Research to provide students with even more access to quality information.
Print Volumes: 13 million in its extended network
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

8. The Internet Business and Economics Library, University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio
Website
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University of Cincinnati’s Internet Business and Economics Library houses one of the top collections for business research in the United States. Its massive collection is located over two floors and is comprised of traditional print resources, government publication materials, e-books, journals, and databases. In addition to providing library patrons with research assistance and study space, the library also offers a number of resources for off-campus researchers and distance learners. A full-time staff of research assistants is available to offer assistance in person, or via phone, email, or live chat.
Print Volumes: 110,000
Digital Resources: 4,800 digital journals; Over 200 online databases; Over 116,000 e-books
Public Access: Yes

7. Ford Library, Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Durham, North Carolina
Website
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Duke University’s Ford Library aims to assist students of the Fuqua School of Business with research and study needs. The library’s main book collection is logically separated into categories such as Leadership & Management, Economics & Social Sciences, Health Management & Operations, Finance & Accounting, Marketing, and Careers. Ample carrels, study rooms, and alcoves, most of which are designed with natural light for reading comfort, are available for student use. Additionally, Ford Library houses a number of valuable collections, including the Dorothea F. Peterjohn Leadership Collection, a “virtual collection” of information on leadership and ethics.
Print Volumes: 50,000 volumes; 250 print business journals
Digital Resources: 50 databases; 1,200 online business journals
Public Access: Yes

6. McLeod Business Library, William & Mary School of Business

Williamsburg, Virginia
Website
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The McLeod Business Library at the college of William & Mary is a cutting edge information resource center serving Mason School of Business students, faculty, and staff. The library staffs a full-time Professional Business Librarian to fully assist researchers through one-on-one instruction, research consultation, and group workshops. Research materials include two Bloomberg terminals, various databases, periodicals, and selected reference texts. Group study rooms are equipped with monitors, projector screens, and podiums to enhance a training session or group meeting.
Print Volumes: More than 50,000
Digital Resources: Access to 32 databases
Public Access: Yes

5. Foster Business Library, University of Washington Foster School of Business

Seattle, Washington
Website
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The Foster Business Library at the University of Washington is an efficient information resource center that caters to students of the Foster School of Business. The library spans two floors, each of which offers students private and semi-private study spaces, group study rooms outfitted with white boards and LCD monitors, and computers with scanners and printers. For further comfort, students are also able to check out things like headphones, calculators, and even Apple computers.
Print Volumes: 60,000 business books (with more added each month), plus an extensive business reference section
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital databases and journals
Public Access: Yes

4. Judi Prokop Newman Business Information Resource Center, University of Miami School of Business

Coral Gables, Florida
Website
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The Business Library at the University of Miami is described as a “virtual library.” Located within the university’s School of Business complex, the Information Resource Center (IRC)offers a wide array of support and resources to students, faculty, researchers, and visitors. Such services include research consultations and strategizing, frequent workshops, and lectures to complement class curriculum. Library guests are able to access the collection of databases, catalogs, and websites via a number of permanently-installed laptops.
Print Volumes: 3.2 million in extended network; On-site print volumes are limited to distinctive manuscripts and notable print volumes
Digital Resources: More than 75,000 electronic books and growing
Public Access: Yes

3. Crocker Business Library, University of Southern California Marshall School of Business

Los Angeles, California
Website
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The Crocker Business Library provides quality resources, information, and services to USC’s Marshall School of Business students. As a result, the library has become an important complement to classroom instruction. The library subscribes to an extensive collection of digital databases to ensure students and faculty are accessing the most current information. Researchers can also choose from the vast print collection of key reference works, including a number of print journals and periodicals. Finally, the library is equipped with ample study space, technology hubs, and reference staff.
Print Volumes: 4 million in extended collection
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital database subscriptions
Public Access: Yes

2. Management Library, Cornell University Johnson School

Ithaca, New York
Website
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Cornell University’s Management Library is so thorough, it’s considered to be a key contributor to success as a business student. The award-winning library staff consists of five members eager to offer help with course assignments, interview or corporate briefing preparation, research, or the writing of business plans. Frequent workshops are offered each year on anything from current business topics, to job searches, to tutorials on industry tools such as Bloomberg, Capital IQ, and Mintel. Though the library is open to any Cornell student, Johnson School students have additional access to 24-hour reading rooms.
Print Volumes: Nearly 8 million in its extended collection
Digital Resources: Over 100 digital databases
Public Access: Yes (limited)

1. Dewey Library of Management & Social Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management

Cambridge, Massachusetts
Website
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According to MIT, the Dewey Library of Management & Social Science is redefining the role of the 21st-century library. Though numerous carrels, tables, and study rooms are available for traditional student study, Dewey can also be accessed from classrooms, dorm rooms, or through the library’s mobile website. Inside the library, students can use technology-enabled rooms for collaborations or virtual meetings. To navigate the huge collection and extended network of MIT libraries, students are offered access to in-person consultations, frequent workshops, and online tutorials.
Print Volumes: 3 million in extended network
Digital Resources: More than 100 digital subscriptions
Public Access: Yes (limited)