Information for Undergraduate StudentsGraduate students and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) please go to the Information for Graduate Students and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) page.
Welcome to the Library Welcome to the LibraryWelcome to UC Berkeley, home to one of the finest research libraries in the country. The Library includes more than twenty campus libraries which serve a variety of academic disciplines in the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and international and area studies. The collections of the UC Berkeley Library include over 10 million items including books, journals, maps, photographs, video, and sound recordings. In addition to print collections, the Library also offers access to electronic resources such as e-journals, article databases, citation indexes, and bibliographic management software. Borrowing and Renewing Library MaterialsYour Library card is your current UC Berkeley ID. Use the library catalogs for the UC Berkeley Library — Pathfinder and Melvyl — to search for all types of items in the library collections. Unregistered students may purchase a six month extension of library privileges at the Library Privileges Desk (Doe Library, floor 1). When materials are checked out, a due date is stamped in the back of the book that indicates the length of the loan period. You can sign up for e-mail notification to receive reminders when books checked out to you are due or recalled by another person. All library materials must be returned to the library from which they were checked out. Materials should be returned to the circulation desks during hours the library is open, and to outdoor book returns when the library is closed. More information about borrowing privileges and responsibilities is available online. You can renew most books online, by telephone, and in person. To renew books online, you will need your patron ID number, which is the number on your campus ID card or on your library card, and your four digit PIN (Personal Identification Number) consisting of your birth month and day in MMDD format, or the four digit PIN that you supplied when you obtained your library card. If you have problems with your PIN number, please notify the Library Privileges Desk at privdesk@library.berkeley.edu. NRLF, the Northern Regional Library Facility, is the off-site shelving
facility for UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Francisco.
Materials in all formats are shelved at NRLF including books, manuscripts,
newspapers, long-playing records, microforms, audiocassettes, videotapes,
and maps. To have an item UCB has deposited in NRLF delivered to campus,
click on the Searches, Recalls and HoldsAt any circulation desk, borrowers may place a search request for materials not found on the shelf and not checked out. Borrowers will be notified by postcard of the status of the search request within one to two weeks. With such heavily-used collections, there may be times that a book you want is not on the shelf. If the library catalog shows that the item is checked out, you can place a recall at the circulation desk of the library that owns the item. You must supply the title or call number of the item needed. You will be notified by postcard or e-mail when the item is available to be picked up. Recalled items should be available within one week. When it is returned, the item will be put on hold. If more than one person has recalled it, these will be handled in the order the recalls were placed. If an item you have checked out is recalled, you must return it by the new due date. Interlibrary BorrowingIn addition to library materials available on the Berkeley campus, students can search the Melvyl library catalog to locate items to borrow from libraries at the other nine UC campuses and from NRLF. NRLF, the Northern Regional Library Facility, is the off-site shelving facility for UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Francisco. Materials in all formats are shelved at NRLF including books, manuscripts, newspapers, long-playing records, microforms, audiocassettes, videotapes, and maps. Items from the other UC campuses, as well as items they have deposited
in NRLF, can be delivered to campus for you by using the Request feature in the Melvyl library catalog. To have
an item UCB has deposited in NRLF delivered to campus, click on the Books, dissertations, and articles not available from UC libraries can be requested via Interlibrary Borrowing forms. Many other library catalogs, such as WorldCat and the RLG Union Catalog, list materials which you could request be sent to campus for you. Course ReservesFaculty may select books and articles to place "on reserve" for students enrolled in a specific course. Follow the directions to search for course reserves. Copying and PrintingCampus libraries provide a variety of copying and printing services. UC Berkeley faculty, instructors students and staff may purchase discount copy cards and pay 10 cents per copy. The general public and all cards bought from copy card vending machines pay 15 cents per copy. Electronic printing is 13 cents per copy for everyone. Discount cards may be purchased from the Library Copy Center, 321 Moffitt Library; Boalt Copy Service, 238 Boalt Hall; and Valley Life Science Copy Center, 2101 VLSB. For more information and services visit the Copying and Printing page. Library Tours and WorkshopsTo get familiar with specific libraries and library research skills useful for all disciplines, consider taking a library tour or attending one of the workshops offered throughout the year on research tools such as article databases and bibliographic management software. Reference AssistanceReference assistance is individualized help in locating materials on a topic, and navigating the print and online collections of this large and complex library system. In-person reference assistance is available in all libraries. Also e-mail reference assistance is available to all students at any time through the Ask a Reference Question page with replies within two business days. The Research Advisory Service offers one-on-one personalized guidance for UC Berkeley undergraduates writing term papers or engaged in research projects for their humanities, social sciences, and international and area studies classes. During peak periods of the semester, undergraduates may sign up for a same day, half-hour appointment with a reference specialist at the Doe Reference Desk (Floor 2) during the hours of availability. Off-Campus Access to Library ResourcesCurrent UC Berkeley faculty, students, and staff can connect to online library resources to do research from off campus. Read Connecting from Off Campus and Database Conditions of Use for more information. Computers in the LibraryComputers with access to library resources and the Internet are available in all campus libraries. Some locations have special resources or conditions of use, such as requiring entry of a CalNet ID for full Internet access. To print, you will need a copy card which can be purchased in many library locations. The Library does not provide access to word processing software, though Microsoft Word and similar applications are available in campus computer labs such as the Moffitt Microcomputer Facility. Wireless access, via the AirBears campus service, is available in many campus libraries. UC Berkeley students with a CalNet ID are eligible to use this free service. Wireless cards and the necessary software are available for one-day checkout at the Moffitt Library Circulation Desk and the Public Health Library. Study AreasIndividual carrels and group study spaces are available throughout the Library. Some locations support Ethernet and wireless access to the Internet, while other locations are designated for quiet study. Library PrizeTo recognize exceptional undergraduate work, students in all disciplines may apply for the Library Prize for Undergraduate Research. The Library Prize recognizes students' sophistication, originality and/or unusual depth or breadth in the use of library collections in the creation of a project that has the potential to lead to original research. Policies for Library UsersThe Library Code of Conduct and Library Computer Use Policy detail standards for Library use intended to create a safe and pleasant research environment for all Library patrons. The Library is responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of a borrower's transaction, as mandated by the California Information Practices Act of 1977. Please see the Library's Privacy Policies for more information. 
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icon in the Pathfinder
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