The first library at Michigan State University was established in 1865 under the direct supervision of the president. Later, it was supervised by University Services, and since 1967 has reported to the Provost's office. The library started with 200 volumes donated by John C. Holmes, one of the founders of the college, and was housed in a room on the third floor of College Hall, the college's first building. In 1862, student fees were used to buy materials for the library. In 1867 each professor was allowed $50 and later $100 request books in their fields. The room was open and supervised by a student for two hours a day. In 1871, the library moved from the third floor to the first floor when the chemistry department left. In 1881, it moved out of College Hall to the new Library/Museum building which is now called Linton Hall. The first librarian was George T. Fairchild, a professor of English Literature. He took on the duties of librarian in 1872 along with his other work. Mary Jane Cliff Merrill became the first full time librarian in 1883. She left the position in 1888 and was succeeded by Mary Abbot and Jane Sinclair. Linda Landon was appointed in 1891 and held the position for forty one years. In 1924, the library moved from Linton Hall to a new building specifically designated for it (which is now the MSU Museum). In 1925, there was a staff of nine to handle the work of the library. The physics building was converted into a library annex to give the growing library more space. In 1953, money was appropriated to build a new larger library. This building, which currently houses the main branch of MSU Libraries, was completed in 1955.

"In the 1970s, libraries began transforming their collections and operations to take advantage of newly developing technology. Card catalogs were automated; films and software joined books on the shelves; telecommunications allowed libraries to share information quickly and easily. In 1989, the MSU Libraries’ catalog went online, allowing users to perform searches in a few seconds that took hours with the card catalog." [from https://www.lib.msu.edu/about/history/]

By the year 2000, the MSU Libraries had over four million volumes in its collections, and offered services 24-hours a day.