Includes specialized libraries for Butler, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts, and the East Asian Library [1]. University of Michigan Library Size: Over 13 million items.
Whether you’re a prospective student or a bibliophile, here is a list of the largest university libraries by collection size (volumes held) to help you find the best home for your next deep dive. 1. Harvard Library (Harvard University) Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Holdings: ~20.4 million volumes list of university libraries by size better
3. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library (Urbana/Champaign, Illinois, USA) As of 2026, many of the world's most
University libraries have transformed from mere book repositories into massive hubs for global research. As of 2026, many of the world's most prestigious universities maintain physical and digital collections that rival national libraries in size and scope As of 2026
, which is the world’s largest building dedicated to preserving rare documents. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA):
Large library systems offer various spaces tailored to different needs, from silent, historic reading rooms to high-tech, collaborative media labs.
Here are the world’s leading university library systems by collection size as of 2024-2026: