The Cooper Union Library, Collections


	Collections

	The Cooper Union Library's collections provide support for the academic programs at the institution's three degree-granting schools of Art, Architecture and Engineering, as well as courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The Library houses approximately 100,000 volumes of books and back issues of periodicals, the current issues of over 300 periodicals, as well as CD-ROM, microfilm and microfiche. Electronic resources include Internet access and databases in many subject areas. For more information, please refer to the Cooper Union Library Collection Development Policy.

Main Collections:		Special Collections:
	Art		The Cooper Archives
	Architecture		Visual Resources
	Engineering		U.S. Government Documents

      Main Collections:

Art


The Art Collection supports the curriculum of the School of Art, which offers a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

The Collection covers the history of world art, with detailed holdings on individual artists, Modern and Contemporary movements, studio techniques and art theory.

Architecture


The Architecture Collection supports the curriculum of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, which offers a five-year program leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree.

The Collection covers the history of world architecture, with a special emphasis on 19th and 20th century movements, containing substantial holdings on significant European and American architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.

Engineering


The Engineering Collection supports the curriculum of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees in Civil, Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

Areas of interdisciplinary concentration include Biomedical Engineering, Systems and Computer Engineering, and Environmental and Energy Resources Engineering.

Special Collections:

The Cooper Archives


The Cooper Archives consist of books, manuscripts, papers, scrapbooks and photographs relating to the history of The Cooper Union and to its founder, Peter Cooper. There are also items that pertain to its first executive officer, Abram S. Hewitt, and to the Cooper and the Hewitt families.
The material in the Collection does not circulate, but is available by appointment to anyone who has a legitimate research request.
Please contact Carol Salomon for an appointment or further information.

Visual Resources


The Visual Resources Collection houses slides, films, videotapes, laser disks, DVDs, maps, pictures and blueprints.

The materials in this collection are for the exclusive use of Cooper Union faculty and students. Slides, films, videotapes, laser disks and DVDs may be borrowed only by faculty members for classroom presentation.

Students may borrow slides only for required class presentations. Students may view videotapes and laserdisks in the offices of the Visual Resources Collection. There are no facilities for viewing 16mm films.

Maps and pictures may be borrowed by faculty members and students with valid ID. The Blueprint Collection, consisting mainly of plans of campus buildings, is available for in-house use only.

U.S. Government Documents


The Cooper Union Library is a selective United States Government Depository Library. From the vast amount of government-published material available, the Library has elected to receive mostly technical reports from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

These materials are fully cataloged and integrated with the rest of the Library's collections. For further information on U.S. Government Documents, please call 212-353-4186 to speak with a Reference Librarian.

Click here for links to U.S. Government sources on the Internet.

Last updated April 12, 2004

photographs © T. Micchelli, 2002

	Main Collections:
	Art
	The Art Collection supports the curriculum of the School of Art, which offers a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The Collection covers the history of world art, with detailed holdings on individual artists, Modern and Contemporary movements, studio techniques and art theory.

	Architecture
	The Architecture Collection supports the curriculum of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, which offers a five-year program leading to the Bachelor of Architecture degree. The Collection covers the history of world architecture, with a special emphasis on 19th and 20th century movements, containing substantial holdings on significant European and American architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.

	Engineering
	The Engineering Collection supports the curriculum of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees in Civil, Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Areas of interdisciplinary concentration include Biomedical Engineering, Systems and Computer Engineering, and Environmental and Energy Resources Engineering.


	Special Collections:
	The Cooper Archives
	The Cooper Archives consist of books, manuscripts, papers, scrapbooks and photographs relating to the history of The Cooper Union and to its founder, Peter Cooper. There are also items that pertain to its first executive officer, Abram S. Hewitt, and to the Cooper and the Hewitt families. The material in the Collection does not circulate, but is available by appointment to anyone who has a legitimate research request. Please contact Carol Salomon for an appointment or further information.

	Visual Resources
	The Visual Resources Collection houses slides, films, videotapes, laser disks, DVDs, maps, pictures and blueprints. The materials in this collection are for the exclusive use of Cooper Union faculty and students. Slides, films, videotapes, laser disks and DVDs may be borrowed only by faculty members for classroom presentation. Students may borrow slides only for required class presentations. Students may view videotapes and laserdisks in the offices of the Visual Resources Collection. There are no facilities for viewing 16mm films. Maps and pictures may be borrowed by faculty members and students with valid ID. The Blueprint Collection, consisting mainly of plans of campus buildings, is available for in-house use only.

	U.S. Government Documents
	The Cooper Union Library is a selective United States Government Depository Library. From the vast amount of government-published material available, the Library has elected to receive mostly technical reports from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These materials are fully cataloged and integrated with the rest of the Library's collections. For further information on U.S. Government Documents, please call 212-353-4186 to speak with a Reference Librarian. Click here for links to U.S. Government sources on the Internet.

	Last updated April 12, 2004
	photographs © T. Micchelli, 2002