Cornell University Library
Cornell University Library is the academic library system of Cornell University, operating 20+ branch libraries and the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. It serves primarily Cornell students, faculty, and staff through catalog access, interlibrary loan, and specialized research support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cornell University Library does
Cornell University Library is the library system of Cornell University, a private Ivy League research institution, serving primarily Cornell students, faculty, and staff through 20+ branch libraries across the Ithaca campus and a satellite operation at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island, New York City. Core products include the Library Catalog, EBSCO-powered Articles & Full-Text Search, Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad), BorrowDirect consortium access to 90+ million volumes across 14 partner research universities, and the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC), which holds over 500,000 rare books, 80+ million manuscripts, and one million visual media items including specialized holdings such as the Cornell Hip Hop Collection and Human Sexuality Collection. Technology infrastructure comprises a library catalog with virtual shelf browse, NetID-based authentication, a proxy server for off-campus access, ArchivesSpace for finding aids, and the Access Anywhere browser extension for remote users.
The business model is fundamentally non-commercial. Services are free for Cornell affiliates, with fee-based cost-recovery revenue only from external users: Interlibrary Loan lending at $20 per bibliographic title plus $20 per scanning batch, and RMC digital reproductions ranging from $1 per PDF image to $200 per MP4 film reel. The library is funded through Cornell University budgets, donations (e.g., the Milman Fund for exhibitions), and grants. Distribution occurs through physical library locations, the online catalog, the BorrowDirect consortium, interlibrary loan systems, digital collections, and online exhibitions. Customer segments are vertically organized, with primary segments being internal Cornell students and faculty/staff, and secondary segments comprising Cornell alumni, visiting scholars, and external fee-paying ILL borrowers and reproduction clients. Strategic emphasis is reflected in a sustained cadence of curated exhibitions on topics ranging from African American writing to botanical innovations and bird conservation, developed in collaboration with peer Cornell research units such as the Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library.
Cornell University Library firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cornell University Library
- Legal name
- Cornell University Library
- Website
- https://library.cornell.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cornell University Library is the academic library system of Cornell University, operating 20+ branch libraries and the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. It serves primarily Cornell students, faculty, and staff through catalog access, interlibrary loan, and specialized research support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cornell University Library industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Library Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)
Keywords
Where Cornell University Library is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cornell University Library business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Interlibrary Loan Lending Services: Cornell University Library provides interlibrary loan services to non-Cornell researchers and institutions, charging fees for loans and article scans. Lending services are priced per bibliographic title ($20 for up to 5 volumes) and scanning services ($20 for 1-25 exposures plus $5 per additional 1-10 exposures).
- Rare and Manuscript Collections Reproductions: The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections provides digital photoduplication services with fees ranging from $1 per PDF image to $200 per MP4 film reel. Reproduction services are priced according to format and resolution requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Interlibrary Loan Lending - Physical Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Interlibrary Loan Scanning Services |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | RMC Reproductions - Digital Files |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cornell University Library product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cornell University Library is a multi-branch academic library system serving the Cornell University community with access to print and digital collections, research support, instruction, and preservation services. It also extends access to external researchers, partner institutions, and the broader public through interlibrary loan, BorrowDirect, digitized special collections, and fee-based reproduction and permissions services.
Product overview
Cornell University Library operates as a comprehensive academic library system offering a unified suite of services centered around its core Library Catalog (newcatalog.library.cornell.edu) for discovering print and digital materials. The library provides interlibrary loan and BorrowDirect services connecting users to over 90 million volumes across 13 partner research universities, alongside specialized services like Articles & Full-Text Search powered by EBSCO Discovery. Its Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) represents a major special collection holding over 500,000 rare books, 80+ million manuscripts, and extensive visual media, which supports dedicated offerings including the Cornell Hip Hop Collection and Human Sexuality Collection. The library maintains a network of 20+ branch libraries, offers digital exhibitions through its exhibits platform, provides copyright guidance services, and delivers instruction/outreach programs. Access services include Access Anywhere for off-campus users, research guides by subject, Ask a Librarian reference assistance, technology lending, and course reserves for instructors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cornell Hip Hop Collection: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections preserving hip hop culture archives with over 250,000 items
- Human Sexuality Collection
- Rare and Manuscript Collections
Products and services
- Library Catalog A searchable discovery interface that provides access to the Library's books, journals, articles, media, and digital collections for the Cornell community and authorized external users.
- Articles & Full-Text Search A search tool that locates full-text articles, e-journal titles, and other scholarly content accessible through the Library's licensed electronic resources.
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL) A fee-based service that obtains books, articles, and other materials from partner libraries for Cornell faculty, students, and staff, and reciprocally lends Cornell holdings to other institutions.
- BorrowDirect A consortial borrowing service that lets current Cornell patrons request books directly from participating Ivy Plus and peer research libraries for rapid pickup or delivery.
- BorrowDirect Plus An extended borrowing option that expands BorrowDirect borrowing periods and conditions for participating users.
- Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) A research collection of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and primary source materials held across 20+ units, with reading-room access, instruction, and reproduction services for qualified researchers.
- Cornell Hip Hop Collection A preserved archive documenting the history of hip-hop, including recordings, papers, and ephemera, made available for research, teaching, and exhibition use.
- Human Sexuality Collection An archival collection on the historical, cultural, and political study of human sexuality, available to qualified researchers through the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
- Digital Collections An online portal providing digitized access to selected holdings from the Library's special collections and archival materials for global researchers.
- Reproductions and Permissions Service A fee-based service that provides reproductions (digital scans and photocopies) and permissions licenses for Library materials for scholarly, educational, and publication use.
- Online Exhibitions Curated digital exhibitions drawn from the Library's collections that present themed scholarly narratives to the public online.
Companies that use Cornell University Library
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cornell University Library technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Cornell University Library partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BorrowDirect Consortium Partners (Brown University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, MIT, Duke University, Stanford University, Princeton University, Yale University)coreBorrowDirect is a rapid physical item request and delivery system linking 14 major research university libraries with combined collections of over 90 million volumes. Cornell faculty, staff, and students can directly request materials from partner libraries with most items arriving within 4 working days. The consortium enables reciprocal borrowing privileges and expedited interlibrary delivery.
- BorrowDirect Plus Partner InstitutionscoreBorrowDirect Plus extends on-site borrowing privileges to visiting researchers from partner institutions. Cornell students, faculty, and staff can obtain library cards to check out materials at 13 partner institutions including Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.
- OCLC/WorldCatcoreCornell participates in OCLC resource sharing network for interlibrary loan requests. Cornell's OCLC symbol is COO for lending requests. WorldCat Discovery provides expanded search capabilities including Libraries Worldwide for materials from non-Cornell institutions.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Macaulay LibraryminorCollaboration on Last Call exhibit (Bird Loss and the Threat of Extinction) combining specimens, illustrations, photographs, video and sound recordings to showcase resources for understanding bird decline and conservation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cornell University Library competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Harvard Library: Harvard Library is the largest academic library system in the world and the most direct peer to Cornell University Library. Both are Ivy League research university libraries participating in BorrowDirect, both operate extensive special collections, and both serve comparable faculty, student, and visiting scholar populations with similar collections-based services.
- Brown University Library: Brown University Library is a BorrowDirect partner and fellow Ivy League institution offering comparable circulation, interlibrary loan, and special collections services to a research university community.
- Columbia University Library: Columbia University Library is a BorrowDirect partner offering parallel services including extensive special collections (Butler Library stacks, Rare Book & Manuscript Library), interlibrary loan, and digital exhibitions, serving a similar research-intensive academic community.
- Stanford Libraries: Stanford Libraries are a BorrowDirect partner with similar branch library structure, digital collections, and special collections depth. Comparable in scope and academic mission.
- MIT Libraries: MIT Libraries participate in the BorrowDirect consortium and serve a leading research university community. Comparable in scale and digital service offerings, though with a STEM-leaning collection profile rather than Cornell's broader humanities, agriculture, and veterinary focus.
- University of Chicago Library: University of Chicago Library participates in BorrowDirect and provides parallel research library services, special collections (Regenstein Library, Special Collections Research Center), and instructional support for a top-tier research university.
- Yale University Library: Yale University Library is a fellow Ivy League BorrowDirect consortium partner with comparable special collections (Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library) and a similar mix of branch libraries, digital services, and instructional support. Directly comparable to Cornell's RMC and branch network structure.
- Princeton University Library: Princeton University Library is a fellow Ivy League BorrowDirect consortium member with a comparable mix of branch libraries, special collections (including the Mudd Manuscript Library), and digital scholarship services for a research university population.
- Duke University Libraries: Duke University Libraries are a BorrowDirect partner and leading research university library system with comparable scope of branch libraries, special collections, and digital research services.
- University of Pennsylvania Libraries: Penn Libraries are a BorrowDirect partner and fellow Ivy League institution offering a similar portfolio of branch libraries, special collections, interlibrary loan, and digital scholarship services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cornell University Library social profiles
Digital presenceCornell University Library compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cornell University Library financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cornell University Library leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cornell University Library subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries20 records
Cornell University Library funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cornell University Library M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cornell University Library
What does Cornell University Library do?
Cornell University Library is a multi-branch academic library system serving the Cornell University community with access to print and digital collections, research support, instruction, and preservation services. It also extends access to external researchers, partner institutions, and the broader public through interlibrary loan, BorrowDirect, digitized special collections, and fee-based reproduction and permissions services.
Is Cornell University Library a public or private company?
Cornell University Library is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cornell University Library founded?
Cornell University Library was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cornell University Library based?
Cornell University Library is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cornell University Library make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Interlibrary Loan Lending Services are the primary driver. The others are rare and Manuscript Collections Reproductions.
Who are Cornell University Library's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Harvard Library, Brown University Library, Columbia University Library, Stanford Libraries, MIT Libraries, University of Chicago Library, Yale University Library, Princeton University Library, Duke University Libraries and University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
Does Cornell University Library have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cornell University Library.
What industry is Cornell University Library in?
Cornell University Library's product category is Academic Library Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAB, Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAD, Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 2741.