Bracken Library

Bracken Library

This article is about the library in Muncie, Indiana. For the library in Kingston, Ontario see Bracken Health Sciences Library.

The Alexander M. Bracken Library is the main library on the campus of Ball State University. Completed in 1975, the facility is located in the geographic center of campus and is distinguishable for its unique, Brutalist architecture with an exterior resembling a shelf of books.

The main collection of Ball State's University Libraries, the Bracken Library holds a collection of over 1.5 million books. It also has a collection of CDs and DVDs, its own archives and special collections unit, and access to 90 academic databases and its own Digital Media Repository. The library is one of the largest in the United States by square footage, having a space nearly equal to seven football fields spread over five floors. 4,200 students utilize the library's services daily. The Bookmark Café, serving coffee, sandwiches, and pastries, was added in the spring of 2007.

A recent addition to the Library is "The Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Global Digital Complex" which, according to Dr. Arthur W. Häfner, Dean of University Libraries, "brings tremendous new capabilities to the University Libraries for offering new and exciting services in support of teaching, learning, and research using emerging and mature media."

In fall 2011, Bracken Library became the home of the university's Unified Technology Support when a new technology store and support center were added to the first floor.