[4] University Libraries has played a prominent role on the WSU campus throughout its history, beginning with the institution's founding as Fairmount College in 1895.

[5]: 81  Paul Roulet, who was hired as a professor of mathematics and French served as the campus' first librarian until his death in 1903.

[5]: 82–83 By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, library collections had exceeded 20,000 volumes and had massively outgrown the original reading room in Fairmount Hall.

A donation of property by Frank and Harvey Ablah, a pair of successful Wichita entrepreneurs made possible the financing of the construction of a new library facility.

In addition to print books, the University Libraries currently provide access to 236 electronic scholarly databases, and maintain subscriptions to over 70,000 academic journals.

Holdings include access to a vast collection of information on patents and trademarks filed in the United States, dating back to 1790.

This collection is open to the public and library staff provide patrons with preliminary patent and trademark research by appointment at no charge.