The library has long been an important institution at Indiana University, with Theophilus A. Wylie served as the first librarian of the university. It was located within the classroom buildings, Wylie Hall, and Maxwell Hall before the Main Library was opened in 1969 in order to meet the growing needs of students, staff, and faculty at the Bloomington campus. The library was originally built to house 2,600,00 volumes. In 2005, the library was renamed the Herman B Wells Library to honor the long-time support and dedication of IU president and chancellor Herman B Wells to the library. The Wells Library, however, is only one entry point to an entire system. Indiana University is home to eight campuses, including Bloomington, all of which who's materials can be accessed by IU faculty, students, and residents of the state of Indiana alike.

Robert A. Miller was born on April 19, 1907 in Elk Horn, Iowa. He earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1929 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He then attended the Columbia University School of Library Service as a Lydia Roberts Fellow, earning his B.S. in 1930. Beginning in 1934 he attended the Graduate Library School at the University of Chicago as an American Library Association Fellow. He earned his Ph.D. in 1936.

Before coming to Indiana University, Miller had experience in several library positions. During his undergraduate education, he worked as an administrative assistant in the libraries at the University of Iowa. After his graduation from Columbia University, he worked as a classifier at the New York Public Library. From 1931-1936, he again worked at the University of Iowa libraries, this time as a supervisor of departmental libraries (the last two years he was on leave while he earned his Ph.D). Upon competition of his Ph.D. in 1936, Miller became an assistant librarian at the University of Nebraska. The next year he was appointed Director of Libraries at the University of Nebraska. Starting on March 1st of 1942 Miller became the library director at Indiana University. He served in this position until his retirement in August of 1972.

Miller is credited with creating the structure for the Indiana University Libraries system that exists today. He was responsible for the interior design and space arrangements of the Lilly Library on the Bloomington campus. He was also responsible for working closely with architects and building planners to design the Main Library, now named the Herman B Wells Library.

Outside of his professional duties at IU, Miller was actively involved in the library profession. In 1944, Miller was asked to serve as chief consultant for a program of aid to the libraries of Europe which had been destroyed or damaged during World War II. The consulting job was undertaken within the division of cultural affairs under the U.S. State Department. For the year 1948, Miller served as the president of the Indiana Library Association. Miller spent one year teaching in the Library School and officially retired from the University on June 15, 1973.

He passed away in Santa Barbara, California, on March 11, 1989. In a memorial resolution from October 1989, the Bloomington Faculty Campus described Robert A. Miller as "without exaggeration...the first modern librarian to serve Indiana University."