This guide is for students new to Western--whether you are a first year student or a transfer student, the goal is to give you an overview of Western Libraries and the services available. A library can often be confusing. The goal of this guide to demystify some parts of the library.
Western Libraries is where you will find books (print and online), articles (print and online), and other materials for your classes and for any other types of assignments you have. We also provide tutoring for research, writing, study skills, and math and science GURs. You can also find tech support, check out laptops, 3D printing and software workshops. We also have study space for groups and quiet study. We like to see the library as both a community center, a hub, and a learning lab during your time at Western. In addition to "library stuff" we can often connect you with other service at Western.
Western Libraries is here to support you and your time at Western. We want to see you succeed!
The Student Success Collection is a collection of titles relating to the college experience. Books cover topics like studying, learning, and time management; being a first-generation student; navigating college with a learning disability; being a BIPOC student at a predominantly white university.
Below are a few titles. You can access the entire collection here: Student Success Collection.
How to Succeed in College and Beyond: The Art of Learning by
How to Succeed in College and Beyond is an insightful, inspired guide to the undergraduate experience that helps students balance the joy of learning with the necessity of career preparation. Features a wealth of advice for getting the most from an undergraduate education, especially inthe areas of arts and humanities, written by an experienced educator and mentor Covers the entire undergraduate experience, from high school preparation, applications,financial aid, each undergraduate year from freshman to senior, junior year abroad course selection, and extra-curricular activities, to independent study, honors essays, graduate school, dissertations, and career searches Discusses the benefits of pursuing an arts and humanities degree including how to write effectively, speak articulately, and think critically and discusses how to balance the joy and practicality of education in terms of getting vocationally-focused qualifications. Packed with information that is as helpful to students as it is to their parents, teachers, and advisors, this guide is a indispensible resource for prospective and present undergraduates
Rising Class: how three first-generation college students conquered their first year by
This eye-opening YA narrative nonfiction follows three first-generation college students as they navigate their first year--and ultimately a global pandemic. Making it through the first year of college is tough. What makes it even tougher is being the first in your family to do so. Who can you turn to when you need advice? Rising Class follows three first-generation freshmen, Briani, Conner, and Jacklynn, as they not only experience their first semester of college, but the COVID-19 pandemic that turned their Spring semester upside down. From life in the ivy league to classes at a community college, this nonfiction book follows these students' challenges, successes, and dreams as they tackle their first year of college and juggle responsibilities to their families back home. Eye-opening and poignant, Jennifer Miller writes a narrative nonfiction story that speaks to new beginnings, coming of age, and perseverance.
The Pocket Guide to College Success by
The Pocket Guide to College Success provides straightforward and easily consumable coverage on all the topics typically found in a full-size college success text in a handy, affordable, highly-customizable format. Chapters on academic skills like time management, academic planning, and note-taking get students ready for success in class, while life skills like goal-setting, money management, and interpersonal communication help them throughout their entire collegiate experience and beyond. Perfect for use as a self-directed student reference outside of a first-year course (or where there is no such course), Pocket is also a full-course solution, available with a robust instructor's manual and suite of digital resources to empower your first-year program.
How to College by
The first practical guide of its kind that helps students transition smoothly from high school to college The transition from high school--and home--to college can be stressful. Students and parents often arrive on campus unprepared for what college is really like. Academic standards and expectations are different from high school; families aren't present to serve as "scaffolding" for students; and first-years have to do what they call "adulting." Nothing in the college admissions process prepares students for these new realities. As a result, first-year college students report higher stress, more mental health issues, and lower completion rates than in the past. In fact, up to one third of first-year college students will not return for their second year--and colleges are reporting an increase in underprepared first-year students. How to College is here to help. Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors' experience teaching, writing curricula, and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students over decades.
College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities by
The complete handbook for college-bound kids with learning disabilities. Planning for college can be one of the biggest moments in a teen's life, but for those students with learning and other disabilities, the college experience can be fraught with frustration, uncertainty, and lowered self-confidence. College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities offers teens the confidence, strategies, and guidance they need to effectively choose a college, get prepared for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience. Special sections also discuss ADD/ADHD and Asperger's syndrome. The book covers pertinent topics such as understanding the rights and responsibilities of students with special needs, talking to professors and peers, getting involved, asking for and receiving accommodations, and utilizing one's strengths to meet and exceed academic standards. This unique reference book also includes ahandy guide to universities with special programs and advice from current college students with disabilities to empower future students and provide them with hope for success.
Main Library Tour (Haggard & Wilson)
Western Libraries also has audio and text-based virtual tour options. Visit the Accessible Tours Page page to learn more and get started!
Use Find A Space to locate a study or meeting space in the Libraries. You can filter by type of space (open space, study room) and noise level. Chose the Reservable Study Rooms option to reserve a room.