Commentary: There are hidden library collections on the UI campus

With well more than a million physical items, the University of Idaho Library has the largest physical collection of any library in the state. This fact may not surprise those who know that the University of Idaho is the state’s oldest institution of higher education, thus having had many, many years to build a comprehensive and unique library collection. However, it is likely less known that the university also has a handful of small, specialized libraries scattered throughout the campus. These hidden gems are not only available to all students, faculty, and staff but also to members of the public.

To begin, the Gary Strong Curriculum Center, located in the College of Education building, provides access to textbooks and other educational materials adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education for use in K-12 public schools. Not only do future teachers have access to more than 18,000 items, but current teachers, parents, and homeschooling families routinely make use of the collection. In addition, the GSCC focuses on procuring award-winning and diverse children’s and young adult titles that emphasize inclusivity and diverse cultures, including a Native American Voices section that features work by Native American authors.

Tucked away in the Administration Building, the Asian Studies Collection boasts more than 1,500 books, journals and DVDs. Describing the collection, Jeff Kyong-McClain, Idaho Asia Institute Director said, “The Idaho Asia Institute’s Asian Studies Collection features books about Chinese and Japanese language and literature, and is designed to support the growth of Asian Studies at the UI, in particular in the field of language education.” Beyond language materials, the collection also features works on Asian politics, economics, philosophy and traditional health practices.

Designed to support the university’s international students as they improve their English skills, the American Language and Cultures Program also has a small, cataloged collection. Materials primarily focus on English writing, grammar, vocabulary, speech and pronunciation, but the collection also includes a variety of Hi-Lo (high-interest, low-readability) books geared toward adults seeking to improve their reading skills. Although the collection is in a private office and therefore not available for in-person browsing, ALCP books can all be found in the main library’s catalog and requested for pickup by anyone at the main library.

Featuring two libraries — one in Moscow and one in Boise — the university’s College of Law provides more than 135,000 physical volumes of legal resources. Although many electronic resources are restricted to law students, access to most physical materials is a privilege extended to everyone. Patrons can even request that books from the Boise library, which is affiliated with the Idaho State Law Library, be sent up to Moscow’s main or law libraries for pickup.

Another unique collection is in the university’s Mines Building. Home to the state’s official plant and fungal repository, the Stillinger Herbarium also houses an extensive botanical library with more than 2,000 volumes.

Strong points in the collection include field guides for the Northwest and Rocky Mountains, regional flora keys, artistic coffee table books filled with photographs, as well as U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Park Service technical reports. Collection manager Dan Turck even describes using one of the collections’ many foreign language flora books to identify a tree species he had seen in the Russian Far East several years ago.

Finally, the Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology contains more than 4,000 books, journals, reports and manuscripts related to local and national anthropological and archaeological topics. Although access to the collection requires an appointment and some materials are restricted to the public because of private site locational data, researchers are welcome to contact the main library or the laboratory should they find a resource in the library’s catalog that is relevant to their work.

While the libraries at the University of Idaho are cultivated to serve the information needs of the institution’s students, faculty and staff, the librarians and staff managing these collections take pride in helping absolutely everyone gain access to materials, wherever they may be tucked away on campus. Since the smaller libraries tend to have limited hours, UI affiliates as well as patrons with community borrower cards are encouraged to call (208) 885-6584, email libref@uidaho.edu, or visit lib.uidaho.edu/collections/ for more information.

Attenbury is the head of technical services at the University of Idaho Library.