Virtual Tour: Behind the Scenes

Close-up photograph of books sitting on a book shelf.

We have many Maine-related resources in addition to those that visitors can browse in the Reading Room. Many items can be quickly retrieved, including university publications and photographs, state documents, children’s books, magazines and journals, theses, and pamphlets.

Our manuscript collections often include documents, news clippings, and photographs that allow for in-depth exploration of a research topic. While the majority of this type of material is stored off-site and requires a week’s notice to access, several collections are stored in the main building.

Newspaper, open folder, and box arrayed on a table.
A student scans our rare bookshelves
Photographs, open folder, and box arrayed on a table.
Maine Day Collection

The library’s collection of graduate student theses goes all the way back to 1876. The earliest theses were submitted in handwriting, and many included photographs as illustrations, carefully pasted into each copy by the author.

Two volumes sitting on a table.
Early theses.
Photograph of a bookshelf. Blue volumes.
Late 20th Century theses and dissertations.

Our Maine state government documents are a great resource for looking at changes over time in state programs, laws, policies, and statistics.

Close up of seven books from the Maine State Documents collection.
A few reports from our Maine State Documents collection

As we can see from this photograph of the Jones Room in 1965, the balcony was originally open as a walkway. This area has been enclosed for safety and is now a staff-only area in Special Collections.

A black and white photograph from 1965 shows the spacious second floor of a library, bustling with students. In the foreground, a decorative metal railing separates the viewer from the main study area. Several students are seated at large wooden tables with chairs, reading and studying. In the background, more students browse bookshelves and interact at a service desk. Above, a balcony level overlooks the main floor, with a few students visible leaning over the railing, observing the activity below. The room features tall pillars, wood-paneled walls, and a patterned floor, with natural light coming from an unseen source and overhead fluorescent lighting illuminating the space.
Library second floor, 1965
View through a window with a crisscross wire pattern, looking down onto a library balcony area. The space features a row of dark blue armchairs paired with wooden side tables, arranged along a metal railing. The floor is carpeted, and two rectangular study tables with chairs are visible in the foreground. The walls are paneled with light wood, and a simple wall clock is mounted above a vent on the far wall. Stairs with a patterned carpet lead up to the balcony, creating a quiet, inviting study area.
View from the balcony, now closed

Many photographs like these have been scanned and added to DigitalCommons@UMaine. Follow this link to explore more university images in this digital collection.

See library storage →