Milner Library is an active partner in the teaching, learning, research, and service activities of Illinois State University. Milner librarians provide research assistance and library instruction customized to meet the needs of students and faculty. Reference collections include general, as well as subject-specific, print and electronic research tools including indexes, handbooks, dictionaries, bibliographies, directories, and bibliographic and full text databases.

The library at Illinois State Normal University opened in 1890, thirty-three years after the opening of the university. Until that time, departments held their own collections. Over its history, the library has resided in five buildings and moved into the current facility in 1976. The present building is named in honor of Angeline Vernon Milner, who was the first university librarian from 1890-1928.