10 THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

LIBRARIES

The libraries at Madison, all of which are at the service of members of
the University, are six in number, viz., the Library of the University of
Wisconsin, the Library of the Historical Society of Wisconsin, the Library
of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, the State Law
Library, the Legislative Reference Library, and the Madison Free Library.
These libraries duplicate books only to supply exceptional demands, and
have an effective strength approximately equal to the whole number of
volumes possessed by them. The total number of bound volumes in all the
libraries is about 846,500 and the number of pamphlets exceeds 457,000.

The first three libraries above named are housed on the university
campus in the library building of the State Historical Society. In the
south half of the first floor are located three department libraries of the
Historical Society, viz., documents, newspaper files, and maps and manu-
scripts. In the north end of this floor is a series of six seminary rooms,
allotted to American history, European history, economics, political science,
mathematics, and Semitic languages. The greater part of the second or
main floor is occupied by the general reading room and the periodical
room, which are used in common by the two libraries. In open cases in
the reading rooms are shelved several thousand general reading, reference,
and reserved books. To these, as well as to the large collection of general
periodicals in the periodical room, all readers have direct access. The
main portions of both libraries are stored in the stack wings adjoining
the delivery room on the west. University staff members have direct
access to the shelves in ail parts of the library, and students engaged in
advanced work, upon recommendation of their instructors, are allowed
access to those parts of the collection dealing with their special subjects.

The administrative rooms of the Historical Society and of the Univer-
sity Library are situated at the south and north ends of the second floor
respectively. The north end of the third floor is occupied by six seminary
rooms for the subjects of philosophy and education, classics, and modern
languages and English. The museum and gallery of the Historical Society
occupy the fourth floor. During the academic year, the library is open
fourteen and one-quarter hours daily, except on Sundays and legal holidays.

A large reserved book reading room in the basement of Bascom Hall is
open at the same hours as the Library during the academic year. The agri-
cultural, engineering, law, medical, and astronomical libraries are located
in their respective buildings.

The Library of the University of Wisconsin, including its branches,
contains about 401,500 volumes and 66,000 pamphlets. The catalog is
the usual dictionary card catalog of authors, subjects, and titles in one
alphabetical arrangement. Subject to certain restrictions, books may be
drawn by all members of the University. Every student of the University,
matriculated for the regular year, is required to make a library deposit
of $2.00. This deposit, less charges for fines and damages, is returnable
to the student by the Bursar upon graduation or earlier withdrawal from
the University.

The Library of the State Historical Society contains 264,000 volumes
and 284,000 pamphlets. While strong in all fields of American history and
allied subjects, it is especially rich in manuscript and other material for
the study of the history of the Mississippi valley. Its collections in English
history are among the most extensive in this country.