If you wait until you are a junior or senior to check out what is on offer (and included in your UMBC tuition) at the library, you are making a big mistake.  You are probably too young to remember the days of card catalogs and stamps with ink pads, both of which were used in the UMBC library’s infancy.  Over the years, the library has transformed itself into a fully modern and largely virtual environment that brings facts, analysis, commentary, photographs, music, films, and more to UMBC’s students and faculty. The building also houses many important campus exhibitions and events. The library also provides employment opportunities for many students.

Here is a sampling of what you will find at the library:

• A brand spanking new, fully equipped Retriever Learning Center with 24 hour study space, the Math Lab and the Writing Lab for drop-in assistance, a seminar room for group study, computers for student use, ready access to the IT Help Desk, and comfortable informal seating. Students have asked for this for years and it is now HERE, during your freshman year.

  
• More than 1.1 million books, remote access to electronic journals, access to more than 100 databases.

• More than 12,000 CDs and DVDs, ranging from serious documentaries and classical music to current U.S. and foreign films and popular music.

• The opportunity to borrow materials from a vast network of university libraries without having to leave the UMBC campus.

• Individual research assistance from the library’s highly trained staff.

• A steady diet of interesting visual displays in the Library Gallery and intriguing lectures held by the Social Science and Humanities Forums and other groups

• Designated “quiet floors” for those who need to hibernate, with more social areas also available for collaboration

• Computer clusters available for all students

• Reserve materials for courses—both paper and electronic

 
• Readily available “Ask a Librarian” support available on the UMBC website

• A snack bar in the lobby with sandwiches, salads, snacks, and gourmet coffee

• Printers, copiers, and scanners for student use

In sum, the library supports you as a learner, as a scholar, and as a social being.  It provides sustenance for your brain, body, and spirit.  It is a place to meet your study group or to hide out to write your term papers.  And if you need help, the Retriever Learning Center houses tutors who offer assistance in Math and Writing. Reference librarians with subject matter specialization can help you find what you need. And much of what the library offers can be accessed from your dorm room, classroom, or apartment off campus.

To read the “Top Ten Things to Know About Your Library,” click here: http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/reference/top10.php.  And then follow the links to learn more about how the library can enrich your UMBC experience.

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS QUESTION:

What is the new Retriever Learning Center?