The first library, with approximately 11,000 books and pamphlets according to Tech's 1925-26 catalog, was located on the main floor in a room in the west wing of the Administration Building and was opened in 1925 with Elizabeth Howard West as its first librarian. Accredited to Elizabeth West's “awareness of the advantages in the Library of Congress Classification for an academic library” from the time spent working at the Library of Congress, the Texas Tech Library has used the Library of Congress Classification from its beginning. Miss West has also been credited with giving the name La Ventana, “the window,” to the Tech annual.

The library remained without a building of its own until June, 1937 when an appropriation bill was signed. This new library building, “an L-shaped three-story building situated northwest of the Administration building,” was “completed in 1938 at a cost of $275,000.” “The ground breaking for the new library building took place Wednesday, October 27, 1937 at 11 A.M.; the cornerstone was laid at 2 P.M., March 8, 1938.” The original plan located the library building southwest of the Administration Building, but the library was constructed northwest of the Administration Building. Interestingly, the present library building is located southwest of the Administration Building. Later, this building completed in 1938 became the Social Sciences building and is now the Mathematics building presently housing the Southwest Collection.

Elizabeth Howard West retired in 1942 and died January 4, 1948. In 1942 Emma Lillian Main became Acting Librarian and was succeeded by Augustine Smith Gaylord, Jr. as Librarian in 1945. During the year 1948 Lulu Stein was Acting Librarian. Then in 1949 Ray Curtis Janeway came to Tech as the new librarian and remained until 1982 when he retired. Under Janeway's leadership a new library building was constructed from 1960 to 1962 which is now the front part of the current site. The architectural firm for this east wing of the present library was Pitts, Mebane, and Phelps, a firm from Beaumont, Texas. The books were carted from the Social Sciences building to the current location by some of the staff members still working at the Library today. On June 19, 1962 the Library opened at its new and current location.

In the fall of 1975 the west wing of the current library was completed and opened. This addition includes the current Stacks, Reference area, and Advanced Technology Learning Center (ATLC). Architects on the west wing were Atcheson, Atkinson, Cartwright & Rorex; Stiles, Roberts, Messersmith & Johnson; and Schmidt, Tisdel & Associates. The total square footage of the Library is now 303,150, with 273,578 square feet as assignable or usable space.

In 1982 Dr. E. Dale Cluff became the Director of Libraries. The University Library currently houses 1,320,225 books, 1,260,758 government documents, 7,000 journal titles, 941,315 microforms. A large new building housing the Southwest Collection, University Archives, Vietnam Archives, Conradiana, Koger Science Collection, and other Special Collections is scheduled to open in 1996 just north of the present Library building.