Academic library

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An academic library is a library in a higher educational institution, such as a college or a university — libraries in secondary and primary schools are called school libraries. There are two complementary purposes: to support the teaching at the college or university, and to support the research of the university faculty and students.

The support of teaching requires material for class readings, and for student papers. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books, or as article photocopies. Traditionally, one copy of a book was made available for each 10 students — this is obviously practical for large classes only if paperback copies are available, and the books reused from term to term.

Academic libraries must decide what focus they take in collecting materials since no single library can supply everything. When there are particular areas of specialization in academic libraries these are often referred to as niche collections. These collections are often the basis of a special collection department and may include original papers, artwork, and artifacts written or created by a single author or about a specific subject.