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18.2 Organization and Description
- The University Libraries system consists of the Main Library, the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, and several branch libraries. The Main Library serves as the principal repository for the social sciences and the humanities. Located within this building are various special collections, including:
- A depository for U.S. federal, United Nations, European Union, and State of Iowa publications; many additional state, foreign, and international publications; and statistical and other resources in paper, microform, and electronic formats.
- A map collection of aerial photographs, state and foreign atlases, electronic mapping programs, and other cartographic resources.
- Special collections of unique, rare, and valuable books, documents, and other collections. Rare books range in age from the 15th century to newly created artists' books and include 4,000 "miniatures" less than three inches tall. There also are manuscript collections ranging from medieval to modern. The Iowa Authors Collection contains work of writers associated with the State of Iowa. The libraries' special collections are especially strong in the French Revolution, the Civil War, the culinary arts, political cartooning, and film and television screenwriting and production (www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll).
- Archives of The University of Iowa: publications, building plans, campus maps, photographs, catalogs and yearbooks, directories, student newspapers, programs of lectures, dramatic performances, athletic events, and personal papers.
- The Louise Noun-Mary Louise Smith Iowa Women's Archives, which collects, organizes, describes, and preserves personal papers, manuscripts, and organizational records pertaining to Iowa women. The archives also serve as a resource to stimulate and nourish creative teaching and learning through its collections and outreach programs (www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa).
- Media collections, consisting of non-print materials such as newspapers, videotapes, DVDs, audio cassettes, and records. Film subjects range from documentaries to feature-length and foreign language films.
- The East Asian Collection, which acquires materials in all formats in support of the East Asian Studies programs and research at the University. It contains materials primarily in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, with a focus on the humanities and social sciences.
- The Hardin Library for the Health Sciences collects and provides access to current literature in health sciences-related areas (www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin). The John Martin Rare Book Room offers an outstanding collection on the history of medicine.
- The branch libraries (www.lib.uiowa.edu/locations/locations) serve the sciences, the fine arts, and business.
- The Law Library is independent of the University Libraries system and is administered by the College of Law.