Drexel University Libraries

Drexel University Libraries
Name	Drexel University Libraries
Established	1891
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Type	Academic library system
Campus	Drexel University
Website	[omitted]

Drexel University Libraries is the academic library system serving Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The libraries support research, teaching, and learning across Drexel's colleges such as the College of Engineering (Drexel University), College of Computing & Informatics (Drexel University), and Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design while collaborating with institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University, University of the Arts (Philadelphia), and Philadelphia Museum of Art. Collections, facilities, and services serve faculty, students, clinicians, architects, designers, engineers, historians, legal scholars, and biomedical researchers affiliated with centers like the A. J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel LeBow College of Business, and the Drexel School of Public Health.

History

Drexel's library origins trace to the late 19th century amid the expansion of institutions such as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry and contemporaries like Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Boston Public Library, and New York Public Library. In the 20th century the system evolved alongside programs in collaboration with entities including the United States Army, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation. Architectural changes reflect planning influenced by firms and figures linked to projects like the Fairmount Park Conservancy and designs comparable to academic libraries at Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University. Expansion in the late 20th and early 21st centuries intersected with digital initiatives seen at Library of Congress and university presses such as Oxford University Press and Johns Hopkins University Press.

Collections and Special Holdings

The libraries house general collections and named archives with strengths in areas connected to Drexel's academic programs, including engineering, architecture, design, business, health sciences, and media arts. Special collections include rare books, manuscript collections, and industry archives akin to those held by Smithsonian Institution, Getty Research Institute, American Philosophical Society, and Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Holdings encompass technical reports similar to collections at NASA, patent literature comparable to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, trade journals related to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and design portfolios paralleling repositories at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The libraries preserve institutional records for collaborations with organizations such as Wright Brothers National Memorial, Bauhaus Archive, American Institute of Architects, and records linked to figures like Louis Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, Isamu Noguchi, and Charles and Ray Eames. Medical and nursing archives connect to collections at Mütter Museum and Wills Eye Hospital archives.

Libraries and Facilities

Primary facilities include campus libraries, specialized libraries, archives, and learning commons comparable to facilities at MIT, Stanford University, and Princeton University. Locations serve nearby neighborhoods and landmarks such as University City, Philadelphia, Center City, Philadelphia, and proximate transit hubs like 30th Street Station. Facilities incorporate makerspaces, studios, and labs inspired by environments at Fab Lab, MIT Media Lab, and Ars Electronica Center. Reading rooms and seminar spaces are modeled on traditions from Bodleian Library, Trinity College Library, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Services and Programs

Services include research consultations, interlibrary loan partnerships with consortia like OCLC, HathiTrust, and Academic Libraries of Philadelphia, instructional programs for information literacy paralleling efforts at Association of College and Research Libraries, and data management support similar to resources at Dryad and Figshare. Programs support grant-funded research with agencies such as National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and National Endowment for the Arts. User services extend to clinical information support for clinicians connected to Cedars-Sinai and librarians collaborate on scholarly communication initiatives like those promoted by SPARC and Creative Commons.

Digital Initiatives and Repositories

Digital strategy includes institutional repositories, digitization projects, and open access initiatives consonant with platforms like DSpace, Open Journal Systems, and CONTENTdm. The libraries maintain digital collections that interoperate with aggregators such as Digital Public Library of America, Europeana, and Internet Archive. Projects have partnered with research computing centers and teams similar to Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and XSEDE for data curation, and with publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, and IEEE Xplore for licensing and access management. Preservation practices follow guidelines from organizations like International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and National Digital Stewardship Alliance.

Organization and Administration

The library system is led by a dean and administrative staff who coordinate with university leadership at Drexel including the Office of the President (Drexel University), Provost of Drexel University, and academic deans of colleges like Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship. Governance includes advisory boards and collaboration with consortia such as PA-SPARC, Association of Research Libraries, and regional networks that include Council of Independent Colleges. Policy development aligns with standards from the American Library Association and accreditation considerations similar to those of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Outreach, Partnerships, and Community Engagement

Outreach activities connect the libraries with local cultural and educational institutions including the Philadelphia Free Library, Philadelphia Historical Commission, Philadelphia Zoo, Independence National Historical Park, Eastern State Penitentiary, and community partners like Goodwill of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Collaborative programs include internships, exhibitions, and workshops that mirror initiatives at Smithsonian Affiliations and public humanities partnerships supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Professional partnerships extend to publishers, museums, archives, and technology vendors such as ProQuest, EBSCO Information Services, Ex Libris, and OCLC for shared services and community-focused projects.

Category:Academic libraries in the United States Category:Libraries in Philadelphia Category:Drexel University