Welcome to the Libraries!

Hey! Welcome to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.

It’s a big place — you may have heard that our incoming class alone exceeds six thousand people. With our two campuses in the Twin Cities, our own bus system (it’s free!), a bowling alley, several concert and performance venues, and plenty of spots to study (many in the Libraries!), the U of M can feel like a small city to newcomers.

Fortunately, the population includes many people — fellow students, faculty, administrative folks, and Libraries’ staffers — who want to support you on your personal path to success at the U.

Wayfinding on the web

Coming to the University campus from high school, a community college, or working life, you’ll likely find our U of M Libraries much different than school, corporate, or public libraries. We have 3-D printers in our Makerspaces, Peer Research Consultants to help with your papers, links to millions of resources through the Libraries website, and lots more.

Searching our website is a great way to become better acquainted with all the materials — from historical primary sources and contemporary digital resources to books, journals and zines — that we have to offer you.

Learn how our Libraries can help you:

• with this introduction to the array of services and collections from the Libraries
• by saving you money on selected textbooks
• arrange times to meet with Peer Research Consultants for your research projects, and
• by being available 24/7 for a chat with a librarian for those rare (!?) late-night research questions.

Do it your way?

Diving into your classes, assigned readings, writing projects, and research opportunities this fall will be exciting — and maybe a little daunting? We have tips for adjusting to University life, which our staff offered to new students during orientation this summer.

They include: If you need to set more than one alarm to get up in time for class, go ahead and do it! And don’t wait for a crisis to ask for help.

Your U Card is your Libraries’ access card for borrowing materials. For fall semester 2022, come to the Libraries for all your information needs — and, when you need a break, check out fun reading from the Libraries.

Let us know how we at the Libraries can help. Have a great semester!

—Allison Campbell-Jensen