Take Advantage of Everything Your Library Has to Offer

Books and periodicals are essential, but a college or university library is far more than a document warehouse. For starters, most campus libraries have Web sites that offer lots of help for students. Some provide guidelines on writing research papers, conducting online searches, or navigating the stacks. They all provide invaluable services to students and faculty members, including virtual spaces for accessing library holdings and the Web, physical spaces where you can study in quiet or meet with other students, and perhaps even social and entertainment programs.

stacks The areas in libraries containing shelves that are full of books available for checkout.

Of course, no one library can possibly own everything you might need or enough copies of each item, so groups of libraries share their materials with each other. If your library does not have a journal or book that looks promising for your project or if the item you need is checked out, you can use interlibrary loan, a service that allows you to request an item from another library at a different college or university. The request process is often very simple, and the librarians can help you get started. Some materials, such as digitized articles, can come via e-mail, while others, such as books, have to be sent through the mail. In most cases, you can expect to receive the materials in as little as a few days, but just in case the material is in high demand, it’s always a good idea to identify and request what you might need from other libraries as far in advance as possible.

Are you a commuter or distance education student who cannot easily visit your college library in person? Most libraries provide off-campus access to their electronic materials to students who log in with a school-provided username and password. Usually, the library’s home page serves as an electronic gateway to its services, which may include the following:

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Where Do You Work Out? Look for ways to balance your life so that you give your body a workout in the gym and your brain a workout in the library.

To learn more, poke around your library’s Web site or e-mail or call the reference desk.

Libraries also have a wide variety of physical spaces for students, staff, and faculty members to use. From individual study tables to private group rooms to comfortable chairs tucked in quiet corners, you should be able to find a study area that suits you and your needs. You might also discover places to eat, socialize, take in a movie or an art exhibit, check your e-mail, keep up with your social networks, search the Web, type your papers, make photocopies, edit videos, give presentations, hold meetings, or take a much-needed nap.

Be sure to use the handouts and guides that are available at the reference desk or online. You will also find tutorials and virtual tours that will help you to become familiar with the collections, services, and spaces available at your library.