Our mission and vision
Learn more about our mission, vision, and values.
Our history
- Established: 1957 (first collection was housed at Las Vegas High School in 1955)
- University Libraries: A Brief History
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
By the Numbers
Over 1 million visits annually
More than 1.25 million bound volumes
Access to more than 1.8 million ebooks
Over 177,000 journals and serials
Over 728 databases and reference sources
Over 20 digital collections featuring a wide range of original source materials
123 highly-trained and experienced individuals; 51 librarians have tenure track faculty status
781 library instruction sessions reaching 18,874 students
2,103 virtual reference interactions across all libraries
849 consultations across all libraries
324 library outreach sessions reaching 8,410 patrons
Our libraries
Lied Library
Nearly 7 acres with over 28 miles of shelving in 5 floors, Lied Library provides students and faculty with the information and research skills essential for academic success.
Architecture Studies Library
The Architecture Studies Library provides access to resources and information about the professional fields of architecture, building and construction, urban planning, landscape architecture, and interior design in support of the academic needs of the School of Architecture.
Located in the Paul B. Sogg Architecture Building.
- Gallery space to display student work and exhibits
- Resources covering the professional field of architecture
Music Library
The Music Library supports the curricular and research needs of the School of Music and other departments within the College of Fine Arts.
Located in the Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center.
School of Medicine Library
The School of Medicine Library provides access and guidance for navigating medical information resources to faculty, staff, students and researchers affiliated with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.
Located on Shadow Lane Campus
Teacher Development & Resources Library
The Teacher Development & Resources Library provides resources and services specifically geared towards Education majors and P-12 teachers in the Clark County School District.
Located in the Carlson Education Building.
Building world-class collections
Special Collections and Archives
Our internationally renowned Special Collections and Archives supports researchers world-wide in the interdisciplinary study of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada, and gaming.
It is dedicated to:
- Building world-class collections
- Fostering discovery and access
- Safeguarding collections for future generations
- Creating new knowledge
- Promoting scholarship and lifelong learning
Center for Gaming Research
The Center for Gaming Research supports scholarly inquiry into all aspects of gambling and provides expert information to the gaming industry.
With world renowned collections from rare books and broadsides to casino corporate archives, the center attracts interdisciplinary scholars around the world to study gambling and gaming at UNLV, and it promotes their pathbreaking scholarship.
Oral History Research Center
The Oral History Research Center actively seeks the unwritten side of Las Vegas’s history. It collects oral narratives from a variety of residents, ranging from civic leaders and founders to those who worked behind the scenes in Las Vegas’s gaming and entertainment industries.
Recent projects include:
