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Milner Library

Physical Collections

Highlighting Special Collections and Archives

Black and white photo of decorated ball room

This month in Illinois State University history: December

From the beginning of a holiday tradition to Abraham Lincoln’s role in starting the University, Tom [...]
Detail of a print showing crowds of people from various walks of life gathered at an event. They stand in groups talking and gesturing, Some aristocratic figures sit in horse-drawn carriages. A man and dog appear to be about to run in front of of a pair of horses.

Festival books: Records of propaganda, pageantry, and epic parties

Printed books provide a historical record of important 16th and 17th century festivals, creating a [...]
Woodcut print showing a ship with oars extending from the side floating on a roiling sea.

Images as learning aids in a historical textbook

By translating works into vernacular languages—particularly French—Charles Estienne brought [...]
A book spread with a watercolor painting showing a raccoon, an opossum, and a skunk carrying sticks with cloth sacks tied to the ends walking down a hill. The animals seem to be glancing at the reader and raising a hand in a wave.

Communications between and beyond the pages

The Will Johnson Collection of children’s literature showcases an important aspect of a collector’s [...]

Browse the Collections

General collections are shelved on floors 2-6 of Milner Library. Consult the catalog and floor maps or ask us for help locating physical items.

Physical Collections

  • Stuffed animals.

    Teaching Materials Center

    Pre-K-12 materials, including picture books, YA novels, leveled readers, and teacher edition textbooks.

  • Books on a table.

    Government Information

    Up-to-date and historical federal and state information reflecting all aspects of government activity.

  • Maps and atlases drawing

    Maps and Atlases

    200,000 printed maps and cartographic materials with a major emphasis on Illinois and the Midwest.

  • Students browsing the DVD Collection

    Multimedia Center DVD & VHS Collection

    Broad range of educational films, documentaries, feature films, and performances in music, dance, and theater.

  • Piece of an old book.

    Special Collections

    The Special Collections Department at Milner Library holds rare books and archival materials.

  • Sword artifact

    Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives

    The Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives is the official repository for selected materials that document the history of the university.

  • Books on a shelf.

    Browsing Books Collection

    Recently published and/or bestseller fiction and nonfiction books.

More to Explore

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