The Libraries at the University of California, Santa Barbara, consist of the Donald C. Davidson Library and the Arts Library. The UCSB Libraries have a collection of approximately 2.7 million volumes, 1.1 million local, state, and federal government publications, and over 315,000 audio recordings. The Libraries subscribe to over 22,000 serials publications, including over 6,000 electronic journals, and have over 3.7 million microforms, 467,000 maps, and 3.2 million satellite and aerial images. There are 3.2 miles of manuscript and archival collections.

Through the Libraries' web site, UCSB students, staff and faculty anywhere in the world can access online catalogs, databases of articles and books, complete electronic journals, and other scholarly resources. As a member of the California Digital Library, the Association of Research Libraries and the Center for Research Libraries, the UCSB Libraries participate in cooperative programs with other major national research libraries to provide collections and services to the UCSB community.

The Libraries’ general collection and specialized departments are located in Davidson Library. Among the specialized departments are the Sciences and Engineering Library, the Map and Imagery Laboratory, the Curriculum Laboratory, the East Asian Library and the Ethnic and Gender Studies Library.

Special Collections, also located in Davidson Library, has holdings that include rare books and manuscripts and several distinguished collections, including the Performing Arts Collection, the Wyles Collection on the American West, the Skofield Printers’ Collection, and the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives.

The Arts Library is a full-service branch library that supports academic programs in art and music. In addition to the substantial book and journal collections, special materials in the Arts Library collection include auction and exhibition catalogs, more than 60,000 sound recordings, and music scores.

The Davidson Library is named in honor of Donald C. Davidson, University Librarian from 1947 to 1977. His leadership and vision brought the UCSB Libraries into the world of distinguished research libraries.


Frequently Needed Information about the Library