The Cartoon Library and Museum's primary mission is to develop and provide access to a comprehensive research collection documenting American printed cartoon art and to organize the materials. The collection includes editorial cartoons, comic strips, graphic novels, sports cartoons and magazine cartoons. Animation materials are not, in general, collected.

The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum was established in 1977 in two converted classrooms in the Journalism Building with the founding gift of the Milton Caniff Collection. It is now the largest and most comprehensive academic research facility documenting printed cartoon art.