Malcolm A. Love Library

Malcolm A. Love Library (commonly referred to as University Library), opened in 1971, is the primary, central academic library serving multiple campuses of San Diego State University (SDSU) in Southern California and Northern Baja California, Mexico. Located on the Montezuma Mesa in the College Area of San Diego, California, the Malcom A. Love Library underwent a major expansion to improve Library & Information Access for students institution-wide with construction of the Manchester Hall addition including a spectacular glass enclosed atrium to serve as the new entrance gateway for the University Library. The iconic design and architecture of the new glass and steel enclosed lobby, and its stated purpose, has earned the entire complex the reference The Info Dome.
The University Library located at Centennial Plaza, east of Campanile Mall on the main campus of SDSU, occupies more than , seats more than 3,000 people, and circulates more than 488,000 books yearly (as of 2011). It has more than 2.2 million volumes, 4.6 million microform items, and 140,000 maps.
Library Addition.
The University Library was expanded with the opening of The Info Dome in 1996, and completion of "Manchester Hall", a two-story underground addition to the library, includes a state-of-the-art Media Center, 24/7 Study Area, and two electronic classrooms.
Services.
National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.
In cooperation with SDSU's Department of English and Comparative Literature, the Library is the home to the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, which recently received a $1 million gift donation by way of the Christopher D. and Karen Sickels Endowment for Special Collection in Children's Literature.
Federal Depository Library.
The Library has been a selective depository library since 1962, receiving most of the items distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office through its Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).
State Depository Library.
The Library is a complete depository library with the California State Depository Library Program.
Map library.
The Library's Map Collection, consists of over 135,000 sheet maps and more than 1,000 atlases and gazetteers. The collection is worldwide in scope, with an emphasis on San Diego, California, the United States of America, and Baja California. The collection has general, worldwide topographical, nautical, and aeronautical coverage. Most of the collection dates from 1945 to the present.
Special Collections.
The Library's Special Collections and University Archives houses rare, fine, unique, and valuable books, periodicals, manuscripts, and documents which require security and care in handling. Other valuable historical items such as photographs, prints, postcards, memorabilia, scrapbooks, and oral histories are also held in Special Collections.
Namesake.
Dr. Malcolm A. Love, Ph.D., was the fourth (4th) President of San Diego State University (SDSU), serving from 1952 to 1971. Prior to his Presidency, Dr. Love was President of the University of Nevada for two (2) years. During his nineteen (19) years as President of SDSU, he was able to transform the institution from a teacher's college into a university. In 1966, the Carnegie Corporation named Dr. Love one of the best college Presidents in the country. With the extraordinary growth of students, faculty and facilities, there were plans for new library to be named in honor of Dr. Love. The Library was dedicated to Dr. Love in May 1971.
Other "Libraries" at San Diego State University.
Other unofficial libraries on the SDSU campus include: