University of Southern California (USC) Libraries

USC Libraries is the library system of the University of Southern California, a private research university in Los Angeles. Its collections span more than 6.5 million volumes and 3.1 million electronic books across nearly twenty locations, including the landmark Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library, which opened in 1932 as USC's first freestanding library building.

Overview

USC Libraries is the library system of the University of Southern California (USC), a private research university in Los Angeles. The system comprises numerous subject and school libraries — including the Cinematic Arts Library, East Asian Library, Music Library, Science and Engineering Library, Norris Medical Library, Wilson Dental Library, Hoose Library of Philosophy, and the Library for International and Public Affairs, among others — alongside Special Collections and Area Studies, the USC Digital Library, and ONE Archives, one of the world's largest collections documenting LGBTQ+ history. According to the libraries' own 2024–25 statistics, its holdings include more than 6.5 million total volumes, 3.1 million electronic books, roughly 85,000 linear feet of archival collections, and about 2 million items related to LGBTQ+ history at ONE Archives.

Collections and programs

USC Libraries' Special Collections department holds more than 200,000 volumes, over 1,000 archival collections, and more than 2 million photographs documenting USC's history alongside broader holdings of rare books, manuscripts, and archives; the first gift of rare books to USC Libraries came in 1911, making USC the earliest institutional collector of rare books in Los Angeles. The libraries also operate the USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study, established with a $10 million gift from the Harman Family Foundation, and co-produce the public-television series Lost LA with PBS SoCal. USC Libraries administers the annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, recognizing the year's best adapted screenplay, and provides bioinformatics, digitization, and research-data services through its Bioinformatics Service and the USC Digital Repository, which the libraries report holds 99 petabytes of cultural-heritage collections and research data.

History

USC opened to its first students on October 6, 1880, and library service has been part of the university since its early years; USC Libraries' own materials note that the first gift of rare books to the collection came in 1911. In 1932, oil magnate Edward L. Doheny and his wife Estelle donated the full $1.1 million cost of constructing the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library, in memory of their son Edward L. "Ned" Doheny Jr., a USC alumnus and trustee who was murdered in 1929; designed by the Boston firm of Cram and Ferguson with interiors by Pasadena architect Samuel Lunden, Doheny Memorial Library was USC's first freestanding library building and remains the system's central library today. Leavey Library, a later addition built to support undergraduate study, opened in 1994 and has logged more than 38.5 million visits since. In 1999, a gift from producer David L. Wolper established the Wolper Center within Doheny Library to house his personal archive.

Funding and governance

USC Libraries is an administrative unit of the University of Southern California, a private nonprofit university that has held federal tax-exempt status since October 1934 (EIN 95-1642394). The libraries are funded through USC's operating budget together with dedicated gifts and endowments — including the Dohenys' original $1.1 million gift for their memorial library and the Harman Family Foundation's $10 million gift establishing the Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study — and report that transformative open-access publishing agreements have saved USC authors more than $2 million in article-processing charges to date. The libraries' current mission, vision, and values statements were most recently revised in 2022.

Leadership

Melissa Just has served as Dean of the USC Libraries, holding the Valerie and Ronald Sugar Dean's Chair, since her appointment took effect November 27, 2023; she previously held senior library leadership roles at Rutgers University and the University of Saskatchewan, and began her academic library career at USC. Ruth Wallach holds the title of University Librarian in addition to her roles as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Humanities, and Academic Director of the MMLIS program. Other members of the Dean's Cabinet include Sam Gustman, Associate Dean for Library IT and Chief Technology Officer; Bill Dotson, Associate Dean for Communications and Strategic Initiatives; Shahla Bahavar, Associate Dean for STEM and Health Sciences; Susan Luftschein, Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections; Alyssa Resnick, Associate Dean for Technical Services and Collection Development; and Melanee Vicedo, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Research Engagement.

Location and contact info

Doheny Memorial Library
3550 Trousdale Parkway
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0185

Phone. (213) 740-2924 (Circulation Desk)

Email. dmlnotes@usc.edu

Website. https://libraries.usc.edu/

USC Libraries operates nearly twenty individual library locations across USC's campuses, each with its own hours and contact details; the address above is for Doheny Memorial Library, the system's central library.