University of Oregon Libraries

What University of Oregon Libraries does

University of Oregon Libraries (UO Libraries) is the library system of the University of Oregon, a public R1 research university, operating seven physical branches across Eugene, Portland, and Charleston, Oregon. The system comprises Knight Library (the main branch), Allan Price Science Commons and Research Library, Design Library, John E. Jaqua Law Library, Mathematics Library, Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), UO Portland Library, and the Rippey Library at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. UO Libraries employs 50 faculty librarians organized as subject-specialist liaisons for every academic department and is one of the top 10 student employers on campus with 160+ student employees annually. It serves approximately 22,000-25,000 UO students, faculty, and staff as the primary user base, with extended access to Oregon and Southwest Washington residents through the free Oregon Card program, alumni, and global online users.

UO Libraries' core technology infrastructure includes the Ex Libris Primo-based LibrarySearch discovery platform, the Scholars' Bank institutional repository, the Historic Oregon Newspapers database (over 3 million full-text searchable digitized pages from 100+ Oregon municipalities, 1846-present), and Dryad consortium membership enabling free data deposits up to 300GB for UO researchers. Specialized facilities include the DeArmond Makerspace (3D printing, laser cutting, fabrication), DREAM Lab (digital humanities and media), Visualization Lab, and 250+ research guides covering 75+ academic subjects. The system is part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, giving access to nearly 25% of all North American print titles through the BIG Collection.

UO Libraries operates on a non-commercial public service model funded through state appropriations, university budget allocations, and grants — services are free for UO affiliates. Direct earned revenue is incidental and includes cost-recovery newspaper digitization fees ($0.65/page from microfilm, $0.85/page from print), private donations, federal grants (notably four NEH National Digital Newspaper Program awards), and endowment income supporting internships and student employment. The business model is fundamentally institutional rather than commercial: UO Libraries serves as a shared academic infrastructure asset within the University of Oregon, with revenue and pricing signals reflecting cost-recovery rather than profit maximization.

Name

University of Oregon Libraries

Legal name

University of Oregon Libraries

Website

https://library.uoregon.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

University of Oregon Libraries is the library system of the University of Oregon, operating seven physical branches across Oregon and serving UO students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Oregon residents. It delivers research databases, distinctive archival collections, digital repositories, and specialized maker, data, and digitization services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Academic library services
• Research databases
• Digital archives
• Special collections
• Scholarly publishing support

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Public University Library Funding: UO Libraries is funded through state appropriations, university budget allocations, and private donations as part of the University of Oregon's public mission to support education and research
2. Grant Funding: External project funding from NEH National Digital Newspaper Program, NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants, and other federal/state agencies supporting digitization and preservation projects
3. Digitization Cost Recovery: Cost-recovery model for newspaper digitization: $.65 per page from microfilm, $.85 per page from print, with costs covering scanning, OCR, metadata, quality checks, hosting, and preservation
4. Donor Support: Private donations and project sponsorships for newspaper digitization and library programs, including endowment funds for internships and student employment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UO Libraries operates a multi-location academic library system serving the University of Oregon community through seven physical branches and a robust digital platform. Core offerings include access to 639+ research databases, distinctive special collections and digital archives (including the 3M+ page Historic Oregon Newspapers database), specialized branch libraries for law, sciences, design, and mathematics, makerspace and 3D printing facilities, research data management services, course-integrated instruction, and scholarly publishing support.

Product overview

UO Libraries operates as a multi-location academic library system with seven physical branches across Eugene, Portland, and Charleston, Oregon, offering extensive physical and digital collections and services. The core library system includes specialized branch libraries serving law, sciences, design, mathematics, and marine biology, complemented by Special Collections and University Archives housing distinctive materials. Key digital products include LibrarySearch (Primo-based catalog), Scholars' Bank institutional repository, and the Historic Oregon Newspapers database with 3 million+ digitized pages. Specialized services include the DeArmond Makerspace for fabrication, DREAM Lab for digital humanities, Data Services for research data management, and 3D printing. The library employs 50 faculty librarians and serves as the third-largest collection in North America through Big Ten Academic Alliance partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oregon Digital Newspaper Program (ODNP): Digitization and preservation program for Oregon newspapers, providing access to historic newspapers through Historic Oregon Newspapers database
• Historic Oregon Newspapers
• Scholars' Bank
• DeArmond Makerspace
• DREAM Lab

Products and services

• Knight Library Main branch library located at 1501 Kincaid Street, Eugene, OR, serving as the primary research and learning hub for the university with extensive collections, study spaces, and services.
• Allan Price Science Commons and Research Library (PSC) Science library featuring the DeArmond Makerspace, Visualization Lab, and 3D printing services for STEM research and hands-on learning.
• John E. Jaqua Law Library Specialized law library supporting the UO School of Law with legal research resources, databases, and study spaces.
• Design Library Branch library serving design disciplines including architecture, product design, and visual arts with specialized collections and resources.
• Mathematics Library Specialized library supporting mathematics research and education with focused collections for mathematical sciences.
• Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) Distinctive collections including rare books, manuscripts, University records, and archival materials including the Ken Kesey and Ursula K. Le Guin papers.
• UO Portland Library Branch library at UO's Portland campus serving Portland programs including Architecture, Business, Education, Journalism, Law, and Product Design.
• Rippey Library, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) Specialized marine biology library at the OIMB campus in Charleston, OR, supporting marine science research.
• LibrarySearch University of Oregon's unified library catalog powered by Ex Libris Primo, providing access to UO collections, Summit materials, and articles through a single discovery platform.
• Historic Oregon Newspapers Free online database offering access to over 3 million digitized pages of historic Oregon newspapers from 1846 to present, hosted by the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program.
• Scholars' Bank UO's institutional repository making research papers, theses, and scholarly works of UO authors openly available to the world.
• DeArmond Makerspace Hands-on workshop at Price Science Commons offering laser cutting, 3D printing, embroidery, sewing, vinyl cutting, and other fabrication equipment for UO students, faculty, and staff.
• DREAM Lab Digital research and media lab providing video conferencing, digitization services, and digital humanities support for research and pedagogy.
• 3D Printing Services Free 3D printing services for UO students, faculty, and staff at the Science Library, offering FDM and SLA resin printing with multiple printer models.
• Data Services Research data management support including statistical consulting, Python/R workshops, data deposit services, and Dryad repository membership for free data sharing.
• ABC 123 Room Reservable study space in Knight Library designed for caregivers and children, featuring private nursing area, child-scaled furniture, and activity kits.
• Book Publication Subvention Fund Pilot program providing funding for monograph publishing costs including subvention charges, page charges, and open access fees for eligible UO faculty.
• Research Databases (A-Z) Collection of 639+ online research databases accessible to UO community covering all academic disciplines.
• Research Guides Subject-specific research guides created by UO librarians covering 250+ topics to help identify top resources for various disciplines.

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Big Ten Academic AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024UO Libraries joined the Big Ten Academic Alliance in August 2024, gaining access to the BIG Collection comprising nearly 25% of all North American print titles. This partnership enables sharing of digital surrogates, language resources through CourseShare (100+ less commonly taught languages), and collaborative leadership programs. The collection will be the third largest in the world.
• Dryad Data Repository ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2024UO Libraries became a member of the Dryad Data Repository consortium, enabling free unlimited data deposits up to 300GB for UO researchers. Dryad is a nonprofit data sharing repository operating on an open-access model, already hosting 100 datasets from UO authors.
• Oregon State LibrarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOregon State Library provided generous support enabling ODNP to establish an in-house digitization service in 2016, shifting from grant-funded project to cost-recovery model with ongoing partnerships.
• Historical Societies, Museums, and LibrariesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organizations sponsor newspaper digitization projects at $.65-$.85 per page. Partners include local historical societies, museums, and libraries across Oregon who fund digitization of regional newspapers.
• Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUO Libraries partnerships with local institutions like OHSU will be enhanced through Big Ten Academic Alliance, providing access to medical and engineering resources from consortium libraries.
• Office of the Provost (UO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Book Publication Subvention Fund pilot program for 2026-2027 fiscal year, administered by UO Libraries to support monograph publishing costs for UO faculty.
• Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (UO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Book Publication Subvention Fund pilot program, supporting open access publishing and monograph costs for UO researchers.
• Oregon Humanities CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Book Publication Subvention Fund pilot program alongside CAS and UO Libraries.
• UO College of Arts and SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Book Publication Subvention Fund pilot program supporting faculty monograph publishing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oregon State University Libraries: Oregon's other major public research university library system, with overlapping subject collections, Oregon regional focus, and shared statewide newspaper and OHSU-adjacent partnerships; directly comparable in scale, mission, and service mix to UO Libraries.
• Stanford Libraries: Major academic research library with deep special collections, digital humanities labs, makerspaces, and institutional repository infrastructure; directly comparable in service breadth and digital scholarship focus.
• University of Washington Libraries: Large Pacific Northwest public research library system with comparable branches, special collections, data services, and Big Ten-style consortia participation; closely aligned institutional scale and service model.
• UC Berkeley Library: Large public university research library with comparable special collections, data services, and open access publishing support; closely matched mission and service catalog.
• University of Michigan Library: Big Ten Academic Alliance peer library participating in the BIG Collection initiative; comparable in scale, multi-branch structure, and digital collections investment.
• HathiTrust Digital Library: Shared digital preservation and access consortium used by UO and similar research libraries; directly comparable as a digital library infrastructure serving the same user community.

Emerging players

• Newspapers.com (Ancestry): Commercial newspaper digitization platform and former ODNP partner; comparable product (historic newspaper archive) but operates as paid subscription rather than free public service.

Regional players

• Oregon State Library: Statewide public library agency and ODNP partner that supported establishment of UO's in-house digitization service; comparable in Oregon-focused collecting and serving broader state residents.
• Portland State University Library: Oregon-based academic library serving an urban research university; comparable in regional scope, technology services, and community card programs though smaller in special collections depth.

Others

• Chronicling America (Library of Congress / NEH): National Digital Newspaper Program parent platform that aggregates state-partner newspaper digitization including Oregon contributions; UO's ODNP is a feeder into this national network rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uolibraries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-oregon-libraries
• Instagraminstagram.com/uolibraries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Oregon Libraries