Libraries

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Find, Borrow, Request

Books, articles, & more

The Vassar College Libraries contain more than one million volumes and many different types of materials, in a variety of tangible and digital formats. Need help finding sources for your research, teaching, or creative pursuits? Just Ask a Librarian!

How Do I Find Materials in Library Search?

Search Vassar Library Search by author, title, subject, or keyword for books, government documents, journals, musical scores, audio recordings, videos and other items Vassar owns. Library Search also includes access to many journal articles and news sources.

Tip: “author” is any name associated with the item: editor, translator, actor, composer, performer, etc.

Limit to Physical Collections to find items (books, DVDs, etc.) physically located in the Vassar libraries. Identify the item's

call number (where is it on the shelf?)
location (which library is it in? which room?)
status (has it been checked out?)

Find it:

For Main Library items: use the Guide to Locations to find call numbers and rooms. Print copies are available at the Main Library Circulation Desk.
For Music Library items: use the Location and Guide to Call Numbers and the Music Library Maps on the Music Library website.

Items on reserve

Do you need to find materials on reserve? Faculty members set aside books and other materials for classes to use. These materials are in the library and their library location will be marked as "Main Reserve," "Art Reserve," or "Music Reserve" in Library Search. Main Reserve items can be retrieved from the Main Circulation desk and Art Reserve items from the tables and study rooms near the Art Library Circulation desk. Music Reserve items are located at the Circulation Desk in the Music Library, Skinner Hall of Music.

For Main and Art Reserves: learn more about the Reserves Department and how long you can use materials on reserve
For Music Reserves: See Circulation & Reserve Services for more information.

Interlibrary Loan

Use Interlibrary Loan to request books and articles not available at Vassar.

Databases, journals, and more

The Vassar Libraries also provide access to scholarly journals across disciplines, current and historical newspapers, databases, data sets, primary source collections, streaming media, and more. Many, but not all, of these resources can be found in Library Search. Consult the resources below to find even more sources for your research:

Databases: search by title, subject area, or material type (e.g., historical news, government information, etc.)
Journals: search for scholarly journals, popular magazines, and newspapers by title
Research guides: resources recommended by Vassar librarians for subjects, courses, and research topics