The existence of two AULs for the sciences reflects the unique structure of Cornell University which is in part a private school and in part a state school. The AULs are members of the Library Management Team, the decision making body of the Library. The EMPS Libraries are some distance apart on campus. It is a 10-15 minute walk between the Physical Sciences Library and the Engineering Library. The Mathematics Library recently moved considerably closer to the Physical Sciences Library, simplifying travel between those two units.
Departmental libraries are by nature user-centered.
Each of the EMPS Libraries has a unique constituency. In addition the Engineering Library serves Cornell's new Faculty of Computing and Information. Lesser-used engineering materials have been placed in remote storage to make space for computer instruction laboratories that are part of the library. Undergraduate use of engineering materials is heavier in engineering than in the physical sciences and mathematics. The nature of engineering is such that there is a strong emphasis on technical reports, patents, standards, and conference literature.