Whether a student needs books and articles for a research paper, journals and photos for a project or just a quiet study space to cram for a test, the University’s library system offers all types of resources and services to fit the needs of students of any age, from any department.  

The Undergraduate Library is designed to mostly serve students taking general education courses, said Susan Searing, interim associate University librarian for user services. She said its basic tools and helpers are designed to support cross-disciplinary research that students often encounter during their first two years at the University, especially if they haven’t yet declared a major.

She said once students get into upper-level undergraduate courses and begin to specialize in a certain area of study, students should go to the departmental libraries, which are found at various locations throughout campus, including the Main Library. These departmental libraries offer a “deeper scholarly collection,” Searing said.

Additionally, she said different libraries have unique study environments to fit most students’ needs.

“The Undergraduate Library offers a variety of study environments, but it’s used most heavily for group and collaborative work,” Searing sad. “The Main Library also has a variety of environments, but it’s probably used more for individual study.”

Although the library’s in-house services are extremely useful, Searing said, its online services are becoming increasingly more popular.

“Let’s face it; a lot of people are doing their research late at night or right before a paper is due, and they really don’t have time or don’t want to go out to the library in the middle of the night to look for resources,” she said. “Most people are looking for resources online if they can find them.”

Searing said the library is starting to acquire the print version of books and articles less and less. If a journal is available electronically, for example, the library buys it electronically instead of spending more money to purchase it in print. This also allows students to easily access these databases from home.

Frequently used and useful University Library Online Services:

University Library homepage 

From this page, students can directly search for books, articles and databases in the library system by title, author or databases. Searing said many of these resources can be easily accessed online. 

Additionally, students can access specific course readings, under the category titled “reserves,” and they can also link out to other information sources, including the University’s departmental libraries, Searing said. 

Undergraduate Library homepage 

Students can use the UGL page to search for books and articles as well. Searing said many students also explore the UGL’s loanable technology collection, and can find “helpful research guides for nearly a hundred frequently-asked-for topics.”

Because the UGL is often used as a meeting area for group projects, Searing said students can also reserve a study room from this site.

Ask-a-Librarian virtual reference service 

Using this reference service, students can text chat with a member of the virtual reference staff. Searing said the reference staff receives all types of questions, including those regarding link errors or incorrect URLs. But she said the most common types of questions are related to research or preparation for certain research-based projects.

Searing said the reference staff typically starts by asking the student what his or her topic is and what types of resources are required for the project. Then they can work together to find the appropriate books or articles.

“We kind of counsel the student on how to get started with that kind of research,” Searing said. 

She added that undergraduate students, graduate students and even faculty members take advantage of this service, and the virtual reference service has been growing even faster than walk-up reference services.

Boxes to initiate text chats with a librarian can be found throughout the library’s website.

Lauren can be reached at [email protected].