The Catherwood Library's stated mission is to serve as a comprehensive information center in support of the research, instruction, and service commitments of the Industrial and Labor Relations School and Cornell community.
The Temporary Board of Trustees mandated that the School should render three types of service, one being the provision of information "... both in response to specific inquiries from interested individuals and groups and through publications which it may initiate itself."
The Board further declared, "It will be essential to develop at the earliest possible moment a comprehensive library, both of standard works and periodicals and of documentary materials."
To fulfill this mandate, Dean Irving Ives delegated the task of creating a library for the new school to J. Gormly Miller, shortly after the latter's return from the armed services.
Construction of a dedicated library building began in September 1959 on the site that previously housed a portion of Cornell's School of Veterinary Medicine.
[4] The library's $1.8 million annual operating budget is funded 59% from New York State appropriations, and 36% from the ILR School, with the remainder from grants and income.
Research and scholarly output included within the DigitalCollections@ILR has been selected and deposited by the Catherwood Library in conjunction with individual departments, centers, institutes, and programs within the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.