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About Us


Mission

The Berntsen Library serves the Northwestern community through information resources and expertise, in order to advance the university’s educational mission and to enrich the student learning experience.  In support of this mission, we: 

  • Provide pathways to physical and virtual academic resources and promote their use 

  • Foster skilled and confident users of information through reference services and information literacy instruction 

  • Integrate library services into the curricula and programs of the university in partnership with faculty and campus departments 

  • Facilitate research support at all levels   

  • Develop the library’s physical and virtual spaces in order to support students in a variety of academic and social activities. 

The library staff strives to carry out our work within our stated values: collegiality, intellectual inquiry, respect, hospitality, stewardship, and excellence.

To learn more, please view the Berntsen Library's Strategic Framework.  

Then and Now

The Berntsen Library is named in honor of former University of Northwestern president and chancellor, William B. Berntsen. The three-level, 37,800 square-foot facility opened to the Northwestern community in January 1993.

The library provides access to more than 850,000 titles and 110 online collections. Additionally, the Berntsen Library is a member of the MnPALS Consortium, which provides for and promotes resource-sharing with the libraries of 50+ other colleges and universities in Minnesota.