Brookens Library at a Glance:
- Physical books: 343,782
- eBooks: 215,723
- Journals and serials, both print and electronic: 24,441
- Feature Films: 2,492
Norris L Brookens Library supports teaching, learning and community at the University of Illinois Springfield. Dedicated in 1976, Brookens was the first permanent building on campus. It is known for its unique design that creates a space containing no 90 degree angles. Students find spaces for both collaborative work and quiet study in the library, as well as access to a collection of over 750,000 books and serials, including over 280,000 electronic resources. The availability of this robust digital collection, as well as the online help offered by Brookens librarians, makes the library a valuable resource for online students as well as their on-ground counterparts.
At Brookens, we strive to offer exceptional services and resources and continue to draw inspiration from the words of founding president, Dr Robert Spencer - "In our concern for literacy we are placing the library in the center of things - as a resource for the entire curriculum - for all students - and for a wide variety of learning experiences and modes . . . If our library also serves the quite traditional function of providing a site for an inexpensive date or social occasion or serves as a book-lined study hall for those who must get away from more distracted settings, so much the better."
— May 16, 1976, Dedication of Brookens Library