The NIU Founders Memorial Library recently took its place among the top 3 percent of academic libraries in the United States with the acquisition of its two millionth volume.

The University Libraries’ Two Millionth Volume Celebration was held in the auditorium of Altgeld Hall Thursday. Nicolas Basbanes, the best-selling author of numerous titles such as “A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for books,” delivered the keynote address.

“It is no coincidence that some of the most prestigious institutions have such large collections,” Basbanes said. “The reputations of the greatest institutions have great libraries supporting them.”

Three volumes hit the 2 million book mark for the Founders Memorial Library Thursday. Among them was the first edition of J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. There are only 250 copies of this book in the world. Two others were “The Burmese Manuscript,” a hand-colored, hand-drawn ethnographic album, which will be added to the South East Asia Collection, and a full electronic archive of the Chicago Tribune from 1849 to the present.

Attendees also were treated with performances by the Ishida String Quartet, hors d’oeurves and door prizes. Students such as Craig Marcus, a senior corporate communication major and Student Association president, were honored to be present for the event.

“I think it’s a great achievement for any institution to have that many volumes,” Marcus said. “This will prove to be a great resource for students, faculty and staff as a whole.”

Alyse Farmer, a freshman elementary education major, took pride in the celebration.

“It was a great presentation and I’m glad I came,” Farmer said. “I’m very proud of being a part of Northern. This makes me very proud.”

With all the new technological advancements, books are becoming less and less prevalent but not quite extinct, said Arthur P. Young, dean of university libraries.

“Books have shown that they have been indestructible for more than five centuries,” Young said. “Book reading is still very widespread.”