About the IGS Library

The Institute of Governmental Studies Library is one of the nation's premier libraries of nontrade and ephemeral materials on American and California public affairs and policy. Pamphlets and unbound reports from a broad spectrum of public interest organizations, research institutes, government agencies, and other public policy bodies are the heart of the collection.

The IGS Library also has a strong core collection of books and journals on American political science and public administration and California politics.

The IGS Library has been a core part of the research and public service mission of the Institute of Governmental Studies for over 85 years. It was organized in 1921 at the founding of the Institute, which was then known as the Bureau of Public Administration, and has evolved into a large and varied specialized library. IGS Library staff is proud to support and facilitate the research and scholarly activity of Institute scholars and staff and UC Berkeley students. We are also proud to serve the informational needs of the wider University community and the general public.

With continuing advances in information technology, the IGS Library's resources have expanded to include not only the onsite physical collection, but the online resources of the digital age. The IGS Library is a crucial repository of unique and valuable materials, and it also offers state-of-the-art electronic information services, reference services, and instructional services.

The IGS Library is one of several large specialized libraries on the Berkeley campus affiliated with research institutes and professional schools, and as such is independent of the campus library system.