History:
As the institution grew from the State Normal School in 1889 to the University of Northern Colorado in 1970, the library collections grew as well to support the broader curriculum and research needs of the faculty. In 1971 the main library collection was moved from Carter Hall to the new Michener Library building. The library is named for James A. Michener. who attended Colorado State College of Education, now the University of Northern Colorado, from 1936-1937. He was also a social science educator at the Training School and at the college from 1936-1941. During his stay in Greeley he conceived the idea for his novel Centennial.

Michener Hall

Current Use:
Michener Library houses approximately 1.5 million items, including books, periodicals, and government documents in print and microform formats as well as maps, cd's, videos, and dvd's. Access to full-text databases and other electronic resources via the Internet is available from publicly accessible PC's in the Library and remotely to authenticated users. The building is networked for wireless computer access and has two multimedia classrooms for library instruction. The building is also home to the Honors Program, the Mari Michener Gallery, University Archives and the James A. Michener Special Collection as well as a number of academic departments and support programs including the Center for Human Enrichment and the Center for Professional Development and Outreach.