Welcome from the Dean

The library is not a shrine for the worship of books.  It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual.  A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas—a place where history comes to life. —Norman Cousins

Welcome to Morris Library!

From 2005 to 2009, Morris Library underwent a comprehensive renovation (and modest expansion) of space. One of the most important design elements of the New Morris was to offer a facility that not only enables the Library to fill its traditional role as an intellectual center of campus life, but to extend this role and be a center of campus life in all its diversity—intellectual, cultural, and social. At Morris Library, we think of these roles not in competition, but as integrative and complementary to the processes of discovery, engagement, and critical thought that is learning.

You will see evidence of this throughout the building. For example, the Library offers fifteen group study rooms. Some are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while others may be reserved in advance using hotel-like door keys that provide access to the room at the specific date/time requested. Most rooms accommodate groups in the range of two to six people, but two rooms (on the fifth floor) will accommodate groups as large as sixteen. Ask about availability and reservations at the Circulation Desk on the main floor.

When you need a break from studying visit Delyte’s on the main floor. Delyte’s is named after President Delyte Morris who led the University during a critical period of growth and change from 1948 to 1970. President Morris transformed the institution from a modest, regional college to the University (and Library) you see today with a national reputation, comprehensive curriculum, and leading research programs. And, of course, the Library itself is honored to be named for this visionary president.

Of course, at the core of the Library are our collections. As a member of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries, Morris Library is one of the premier academic research libraries in the country. You will find wide-ranging electronic databases that offer full-text of articles in well-regarded journals. In the stacks, you will find an extraordinary collection of print volumes covering a wide-range of topics and scholarship. Finally, in our Special Collections Research Center, you will find unique and exceptional collections of original documents and resources with special strengths in areas such as American Philosophy, political figures (notably the papers of the late Senator Paul Simon), Irish literature (notably James Joyce), and an outstanding Freedom of the Press collection.

Throughout your career at SIUC, I encourage you to enjoy and explore Morris Library in all its facets and dimensions. In the corners of its spaces, in the volumes of its stacks, in the accessibility of its electronic resources, in the conversations with your colleagues and peers, you will find constant challenges and engaging insights. Here you will find a home for the birth of ideas—a place where history comes to life.

Welcome to Morris Library. Enjoy.

David Carlson, Dean
Library Affairs