Central Michigan University was founded in 1892, and from 1893 until 1925 the library was housed in “Old Main,” which was the first building constructed on campus.

A separate library building (the current Ronan Hall) was built and opened to students in February 1956.

It also included a special library and rare books area to accommodate the volumes recently donated by Dr. Norman Clarke Sr.

The new building, the 173,500 square foot Charles V. Park Library, opened to students in 1969 and featured seating for more than 2,000 users.

The University Library offers more than 250 public computer workstations and wifi connectivity, as well as full scanning and printing capabilities.

It houses an extensive collection of special, rare, and archival materials, as well as exhibit spaces and a reading room.

Laptops, digital cameras, power cords, and other technologies are available for checkout at the Library Services Desk on the 2nd floor.

CMU students, faculty, and staff have a wide range of library services available to them, whether they take classes on campus in Mount Pleasant or participate in one of the university's online or distance programs.

These services include Ask a Librarian online research help, research consultations, literature searching and the creation of systematic reviews, interlibrary loan and document delivery, course reserves, and assistance with scholarly communication matters such as copyright, publishing, and author rights.

CMU librarians also provide information literacy instruction to classes upon request from faculty members.

GCLS delivered a full range of library materials and services to the more than 7,500 students and faculty studying and teaching at remote centers across Michigan, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.