Books, Media, Scores

While the Libraries now primarily provide access to online information, we still have plenty of actual items on shelves. It’s our job to organize and provide effective access to these collections, but we also know navigating what can be found where (and why) can be confusing to some, so here’s a guide to our collections of print books, paper journals, music scores, and a diversity of media formats (CD, DVD, vinyl, microfilm, even VHS).

WorldCat Discovery

The Libraries’ online catalog is offered through WorldCat Discovery, which means it not only has information about our local collections and holdings, but also contains WorldCat’s catalog of items available at libraries around the world, as well as millions of article citations from select individual databases that have included their content in WorldCat Discovery’s index. Start with a search, and use the limiters and facets on the left to refine your search by location, format, language, or topic. If the Libraries own an item, its location information (library branch, shelving location, call number) will be displayed. If we don’t own an item, or if our copy is checked out, WorldCat Discovery will show buttons allowing you to sign in and place a request, which will be fulfilled either via tradiational Interlibrary Loan or PALShare (a shared system of Indiana private academic libraries. Access to our collection of more than 100,000 e-books is provided through the “View Online” link or button found in WorldCat Discovery – check out our LibGuide on e-book usage for more information.

Books

Irwin Library, the Education Resource Library and the Science Library all maintain collections of print books available for check-out, as well as a collection of Reference books that must stay in the library. Books in the Special Collections and Rare Books Room must be used in that space. Our books are shelved by Library of Congress Classification, and the call numbers and location information will be shown in WorldCat Discovery. For Irwin and Education items, you can click the link labeled “Map It” to get a pop-up map of where to find that item in the library. Below is an overview of locations in each library branch:

Irwin Library

  • Browsing Collection: First Floor, north of the fountain near the vending machines
  • Compact Shelving – Books: Lower Level
  • Compact Shelving – Journals and Multivolume sets: Lower Level
  • General Stacks: Second Floor
  • Information Commons Room Reference: First Floor, along the windows in the Information Commons (SE) Quad
  • Music Reference Collection: Lower Level
  • Technical Services: In storage in the Third Floor staff area; please ask at the Information Commons desk for assistance
  • Thesis Collection: recently moved to Special Collections and Rare Books; ask for assistance there.

Science Library

  • Browsing Collection: Main level
  • Career Collection: Main level
  • General Stacks: Main level
  • Holcomb Storage: Ask for assistance
  • Reference Collection: Main level
  • Thesis Collection: Main level

Special Collections and Rare Books 

  • All specialized and named collections have corresponding locations in the online catalog (i.e.,”Special Collections Charters Collection”), please ask for assistance in the Special Collections department (Irwin 345) when ready to access materials. Please see the Special Collections Service Guidelines for information on rules for accessing materials in Special Collections.

Education Resource Library

  • The multiple discrete item locations at the Education Resource Library, now open at the South Campus building, are shown in this shelving layout map.

Media Formats

DVDs

Irwin Library’s DVD collection is labeled as Media Collection in WorldCat Discovery, and is shelved in the Lower Level, immediately to the left after descending the stairs. The cases on the shelves are empty; patrons should take the empty case(s) to the Information Commons desk on the 1st Floor where the disc(s) will be inserted during the check-out process. The Science Library’s DVD collection is also labeled as Media Collection in WorldCat Discovery, and is shelved on the main floor at the Science Library.

CDs

Irwin Library’s CD collection is also labeled as Media Collection in WorldCat Discovery, and is also shelved in the Lower Level, past the DVDs seen immediately after descending the stairs. The cases on the shelves are empty; patrons should take the empty case(s) to the Information Commons desk on the 1st Floor where the disc(s) will be inserted during the check-out process. There are a small number of CDs available in the Curriculum Resource Collection which will be labeled as such in WorldCat Discovery; these can be found just before the main collection of CDs starts, with LC Classfication instead of DISC numbers. A selection of CDs are rotated seasonally through a 1st Floor display case, and are given a temporary location called Display Case in WorldCat Discovery.

Microfilm

Irwin Library’s Microfilm Collection (named as such in WorldCat Discovery) is in storage cabinets on the Lower Level. A digital microfilm reader is connected to a computer workstation on the first floor in the computer lab area. The Science Library’s Microfilm Collection (also named as such in WorldCat Discovery) is on the upper level, and standard reader/printers are located next to the storage cabinets.

Vinyl Records

Irwin Library has a collection of vinyl recordings (33 1/3 LP & SLP), primarily classical and opera, shelved in the Lower Level, to the left after descending the stairs. The location is listed as Vinyl Recordings (Basement) in WorldCat Discovery. There is a record player connected to a computer workstation in the basement of Irwin; please ask for assistance if necessary.

VHS

There are a few VHS tapes still available in Irwin Library’s Lower Level, listed as Media Collection in WorldCat Discovery, shelved after the DVDs. There is a VCR connected to a television set in the 1st Floor computer lab area. Please ask for assistance with this technology.

Musical Scores

Irwin Library’s collections supporting Music are located in the NW quad of the Lower Level, which contains Reference books and scores, CDs, performance and study scores, and books on music, all co-located right next to the CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records. Circulating scores are listed in WorldCat Discovery as being in a Music Scores or Music Mini-Scores location; both are shelved after the CDs and before the books in the Music Quad. Reference books and scores cannot be checked out. Please see our Music Basics LibGuide for tips on finding scores, and a WorldCat Discovery search box customized to only search for scores.