K-12 Group or Individual Research Visit Guidelines: General Information
Library Information
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Western Libraries HomeWestern Libraries' online gateway to resources, collections and services.
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Whatcom One CardThe One Card program allows anyone who lives or goes to school in Whatcom County to check out library materials from any public or academic library in the county, and to return items to any participating library in Whatcom County.
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Borrowing MaterialsDetailed information about borrowing for community members.
Conduct & Computer Use
Important Policies - Before your visit, please review these policies with your students:
Campus Information
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Campus Map & Driving DirectionsHow to get here and then find your way around campus.
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Visitor ParkingContact in advance to arrange parking for your group visit.
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Places to Eat on CampusWWU Dining Services provide multiple dining venues to satisfy your appetite. Please arrange in advance for large groups.
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Zoe's Bookside BagelsThe library cafe, Zoe's Bookside Bagels, is located on the 2nd floor of the Wilson Building, next to the Learning Commons.
Group Research Visits
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Arranging Your VisitIf you and your School Librarian/Media Specialist determine a visit would be effective for your students, please refer to this page.
Western Libraries is a complex information system meeting the in-depth scholarly research needs of university students and faculty.
Group research visits by students in K-12 grades are useful when academic library resources are appropriate for student projects, and when the learning goals for the students would be served by such a visit.
To ensure a positive and successful experience at Western Libraries, we recommend that you consult your School Librarian/Media Specialist regarding your class needs.
- Discuss your students' research needs with your school librarian.
- Have your students participate in at least one session with your school librarian or media specialist focusing on research strategies and sources for their topic.
- Determine if your students need the level and range of information that can only be found at an academic research library. Often the research needs of students in elementary and middle schools can more successfully be met through the use of their school and public library collections and resources.
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Class Visits to Heritage ResourcesConsider a visit to Heritage Resources for History Day projects or other research using local/regional primary source materials. Collections include The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, WWU Archives, and Western Libraries Special Collections.
About Western Libraries
Welcome to Western Libraries!
Library facilities and events are open to all members of our community.
The main library complex consists of the Mabel Zoe Wilson Library and the Haggard Wing. The Western Libraries also include:
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Western Libraries HomeWestern Libraries' online gateway to resources, collections and services.
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Western Libraries OneSearchOneSearch is a single search interface that allows patrons to simultaneously search several article databases, catalogs, and other data sources for books, journal articles, videos, scores, maps, and more! OneSearch is a shared catalog for the Orbis Cascade Alliance (Summit), a consortium of 37 academic libraries across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, of which the Western Libraries is a long-standing member. OneSearch contains 8.8 million titles and over 26 million resources.
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Heritage ResourcesHeritage Resources provides for responsible stewardship of unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning, and research. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Special Collections, and University Archives (linked separately below) work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community, and Pacific Northwest region.
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Center for Pacific Northwest StudiesLocated in the Goltz-Murray Archives Building, the Center’s collections include private papers, organizational and institutional records documenting economic, social, cultural and political trends significant to the Pacific Northwest.
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Western Libraries Special CollectionsLocated on the 6th floor of Wilson Library, Special Collections collects, organizes, describes, preserves, and maintains unique intellectual and cultural heritage materials and promotes the use of these resources by the University community, scholars, and the public.
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University Archives and Records ManagementAlso located in the Goltz-Murray Archives Building, University Archives and Records Management is the repository for the permanent, historical records of WWU; the source for record-keeping requirements at WWU; and provides efficient low-cost storage of WWU records.
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Map CollectionWestern Libraries has more than 150,000 maps in Wilson 1 West.
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Music LibraryLocated on the second floor of the Performing Arts Center (PAC376). Our growing collection of music contains more than 80,000 items, including books, bound periodicals, musical scores, records and compact discs. Listening stations are located throughout the library.
Whatcom One Card
The One Card program allows anyone who lives or goes to school in Whatcom County to check out library materials from any public or academic library in the county, and to return items to any participating library in Whatcom County. For details and information about requirements, click on the link below:
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Whatcom One CardThe One Card program allows anyone who lives or goes to school in Whatcom County to check out library materials from any public or academic library in the county, and to return items to any participating library in Whatcom County.
Librarian Subject Team
Email | Web Form
Humanities Team Librarians:
Jeff Purdue
Michael Taylor
Caitlan Maxwell
Team Website:
Contact Us
CONTACT INFORMATION
WWU Main Library visits: Email Elizabeth Stephan: elizabeth.stephan@wwu.edu
A librarian or reference specialist will work with you to design a group research visit to meet your students' needs.
Ask Us! Research Services
Ask Us! Research Service - Anything, Anytime, Anywhere!
Library help is available for all your information and research needs. Just click on the link below to contact us in any of the following ways:
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Ask Us! Answer ServiceAnything, Anytime, Anywhere!
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Visit Us in Person - Library HoursYou can find us in the Hacherl Research & Writing Studio on the second level of Haggard Hall.
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Contact Your Subject LibrarianLibrarians by academic department