About the Library

Educating for change: A Vision for the Hampshire Library

The Hampshire College library is a dynamic hub of people, technology, and information that serves as an incubator of ideas across all disciplines. Educating for change demands comprehension of the past and vision for the future. The library's innovative and risk-taking intellectual environment fosters new ways of creating knowledge and understanding.

We aspire to:

  • Serve as a welcoming social and intellectual center of the College.
  • Partner with students, faculty, and staff in reimagining the library.
  • Embrace transformations in research and collections, building on the foundational collaboration between collections, technology, and media to redefine library services.
  • Create connections between people, tools, and ideas.
  • Empower a creative and energetic staff to experiment, expand the library's reach across campus, and anticipate student needs in a rapidly changing world.
  • Adapt and design collections, formats, and access to promote an open learning environment.

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About the Library

Facts and Figures

Collections, as of June 2021:

  • 132,046 Physical Books
  • 396,558 E-books (includes Five College E-Books)
  • 8,381 Journals (volumes)
  • 577,312  E-Journal (online) Subscriptions
  • 160 Databases
  • 338,007 Streaming audio & video (albums & titles)
  • 3,663 Div IIIs
  • 5,555 Audio (CD)
  • 4,895 Video (film, VHS, DVD)
  • 893 16mm Films
  • 498 Games
  • 670 Seeds
  • 1,260 Zines
  • 3,766 Media and tech equpiment
  • 631 Special collections (books, art objects, collections)