It serves as the main resource for recorded knowledge and information supporting the teaching, research, and service functions of the California State University, Fresno.

The university's Board of Trustees voted to rename the library in 2022 due to controversy regarding Madden's political views (see below).

In 2009, the library underwent a major $105 million renovation that was largely financed by a multi-million-dollar endowment from the Table Mountain casino, operated by the Chukchansi tribes of California.

In November 2021, Fresno State's president, Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, announced that a task force had been created to investigate renaming the library due to information that had come to light recently concerning Henry Madden's "deeply held anti-Semitic views and Nazi sympathies.

"[5] The task force reviewed over 100,000 letters and documents donated to the library after Madden's death which had been curated by the former librarian and contained anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi views.