Princeton Profile

The 500-acre Princeton campus is a nexus of opportunity for students. A wealth of resources and support services help them get the most out of their time at the University. From first-rate libraries to innovative computer technology, students have access to many tools to explore academic interests.

The Princeton University Library, one of the world’s most distinguished research libraries, consists of the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library and 10 special libraries. Its holdings include more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, 37,000 linear feet of manuscripts, and smaller but distinguished holdings of rare books, prints, archives, and other material that require special handling. The library’s extensive electronic resources include databases and journals, statistical packages, images, and digital maps. The budget for 2009–10 was approximately $47 million, which included more than $21 million for acquisitions.

The Princeton University Art Museum is one of the nation’s leading art museums, with collections of some 72,000 works ranging from ancient to contemporary, concentrating geographically on Europe and the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Americas. The museum advances Princeton’s teaching and research missions while serving the local, national, and international communities through its collections, exhibitions, and educational and social activities. Founded in 1882 on the belief that the study of great original works of art was essential to higher education, the museum welcomes 134,000 visitors each year.

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) supports the use of information technologies and Internet access for the University’s academic and administrative needs. Princeton’s computing resources are connected to campus fiber-optic and wireless networks and to the Internet. Students’ personally owned computers can access the campus network and the Internet in dormitories and around campus. Students also have access to workstations in clusters. OIT’s support for academic endeavors includes the Blackboard course management system, TIGRESS high-performance research computing center, an instructional technology New Media Center, the Humanities Resource Center, and the Educational Technologies Center. OIT also provides administrative information systems, audiovisual services, computer hardware repair, coordination and training for distributed campus computing support personnel, software purchases, the University’s telephone system, a walk-in solutions center, and help-desk assistance in the use of these resources.