[4] The 4-story library is 270,000 square feet (25,000 m2) and contains close to a million volumes split between a browsing level and an automated retrieval system (ARC).

[5] The building was designed to contain 520 computer stations, 1,500 network connections, wireless internet, and a 70-seat teleconferencing room.

[7] Halle Library holds a large collection of children's literature, one of the largest in the United States.

These collections reflect EMU's origins as a teachers' college and the continued focus on education programs.

The technology of the Halle Library ARC is based on a commercial system for storing small automotive parts.

[9][10][11] The library is named after Bruce Halle, the founder of Discount Tire, and a graduate of Eastern Michigan University.

Halle went on to open the first Discount Tire store in nearby Ann Arbor, expanding into a national chain, which he remained in control of until his death in 2018.