Information Guides 
Collection
The University Library has been a United Nations depository since the organization’s inception. As the world’s chief intergovernmental organization (IGO), the UN provides information on international security, economic and social problems, the environment, international law, humanitarian assistance and, above all, human rights. Thousands of UN publications address current issues, such as immigration, war crimes, and free trade. And hundreds of thousands of UN documents serve as primary source material for historians. For a thorough description of the Library’s United Nations collection, see a User’s Guide to United Nations Information.
Location
United Nations materials with Dewey decimal call numbers are scattered throughout the UIUC Library. Larger numbers of UN documents can be found in four places: The largest concentration of UN documents is on Deck 5 West of the Main Stacks, where they are arranged by UN classification number. Printed Official Records are on Deck 9 East. The Reading Room (room 200) houses many important reference titles and all UN microfiche. This microfiche set includes Official Records and masthead documents issued since 1980. Documents on microcard are stored in small red boxes on Deck 8 East. Microcards are produced on opaque material in print too small to be read with the naked eye. Unfortunately, the UIUC does not own a machine that can copy them. The machine needed to view them–the Readex Microprint OPAQUE VIEWER model 7–is against the north wall of this room. If a document you seek was issued before 1982, you can find no record for it in the online catalog, and it is not a Security Council document, it is probably available on microcard only. Consult the Government Documents Library staff for assistance in finding and utilizing UN documents in this format.