Settled upon the Great Plains in 1890, the University of Oklahoma has a long and distinguished history. And the University of Oklahoma Libraries have as storied a history as the University they are nestled within. From one bookcase of fifty-three books brought in by train by the first president, to the current holdings of more than six million volumes, the University of Oklahoma Libraries have grown and changed along with the twists and turns of America. One hundred and twenty-five years after their founding—through wars, depressions, the Dust Bowl, budget cuts, microfiche, and now the Internet—the University of Oklahoma Libraries have not only persevered but prospered, and have grown into the largest research library in the state as well as one of the premiere libraries in the United States.