Overview
The UC Berkeley Library is dedicated to helping visiting scholars and postdocs access and use materials for their research. Let the Library team support you as a scholar through the following resources and services.
Access
The Library provides borrowing privileges and other services to our community of visiting scholars and postdocs. Visiting scholars must receive official appointments with a UC Berkeley department or Organized Research Unit, and register with the Visiting Scholars and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Program.
- After registering with VSPA, your registration card should be taken to the Library Privileges Desk (Doe Library, Floor 1) to set up Library borrowing privileges.
- Borrowing — Your Cal 1 Card serves as your library card for borrowing materials and for access to the Main (Gardner) Stacks, Doe Library (after 8 p.m.), and the Media Resources Center.
- General loan terms:
- Visiting scholars can borrow monographs for one month, with a maximum of 20 items at a time.
- Postdocs can borrow monographs for three months, with a maximum of 200 items at a time.
- Off-campus access to licensed electronic resources — Access online resources from home via links found in UC Library Search, the Library website and guides, or install the campus VPN client.
- Interlibrary Borrowing can help visiting scholars and postdocs obtain materials that are not available at UC Berkeley.
- Pay for printing — Use your Cal 1 Card to pay for printing in the libraries.
- Renewals — Familiarize yourself with the options and rules for renewing materials.
Research support
- Contact your subject librarian — Specific librarians are designated to support each academic department and program, and serve as your first point of contact for all research-related inquiries.
- The Library welcomes suggestions for titles to consider purchasing. Use the Purchase request form to send us your suggestions.
- Graduate Services (Doe Library, Room 208) offers a core non-circulating research collection in the humanities and history and a quiet and congenial study space for graduate students, visiting scholars, and postdocs.
Data services
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Library Data Services — These tools and resources can help scholars manage and share their data.
Library and Berkeley policies
- Database conditions of use — It is the responsibility of individual users to ensure their use of Library electronic resources does not breach the terms and conditions specified in the license agreements.
- Library code of conduct — Read about standards for Library use intended to create a safe and pleasant research environment for all patrons.
- Library privacy policy — The Library is responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of a borrower’s transactions, as mandated by the California Information Practices Act of 1977.
- UC Copyright Education — Check out this wide range of materials related to the use of copyrighted and public domain materials at the University of California.