Humanities and Social Sciences Library > Collections & Reading Rooms > General Research Division

Introduction

The General Research Division is marked by its stunning physical spaces and by the depth and variety of its collections. As the Research Libraries’ largest and busiest department, as well as its principal repository for material in the humanities and social sciences, the Division welcomes hundreds of visitors each day including scholars, writers, graduate and undergraduate students, general readers, tourists, and those who might simply be looking for the answer to a nagging question. To satisfy the needs of this diverse population, the Division collects and provides a broad spectrum of subjects, with a particular emphasis on history and literature. Along with authoritative and scholarly holdings in academic areas, many popular, idiosyncratic, and ephemeral materials such as genre fiction, comic books, pamphlets, and menus have over the years been acquired.

The physical layout of the General Research Division, which is centrally located in Room 315, consists of two integrated elements: the Bill Blass Public Catalog Room and the Deborah, Jonathan F. P., Samuel Priest, and Adam R. Rose Main Reading Room.

Submitted by Robert Armitage, Humanities Bibliographer, General Research Division