A comfortable reading lounge in the Library
With specialized collections in disciplines ranging from political science to public diplomacy to urban planning, USC's Library for International and Public Affairs is an invaluable resource for students, faculty, and other scholars of the applied social sciences.
The library traces its origins to the founding in 1932 of USC's World Affairs Collection, which consisted of materials collected by the university's fifth president, Rufus B. Von KleinSmid. Over the years, the university added to this initial collection, developing it into one of the finest collections of its kind. In 1966, the collection was transferred from Doheny Memorial Library into the newly opened library.
The library is located in the basement of the Center for International and Public Affairs. Despite its subterranean setting, the library receives an abundance of natural light, owing to a sunny atrium in the middle of the library.
The library's role in supporting scholarly research in the applied social sciences is complemented by its designation as an official depository of government documents. USC has served as an official depository since 1932 for federal documents and 1947 for state documents. Today, the library maintains hundreds of thousands of transcripts, reports, and other official documents and, as required by law, preserves public access to these official records. The library also serves as a regional depository for the European Union.
The central atrium inside the library