There are four libraries at The Claremont Colleges. Honnold/Mudd Library is the largest library with holdings in social sciences, humanities, special collections, and government publications. Denison Library at Scripps College holds collections in humanities, fine arts, fine press (printing), and women's studies. Sprague Library at Harvey Mudd College and the Seeley G. Mudd Science Library at Pomona College specialize in the sciences.

Library Accounts

Your College ID card is also your library card and provides access to you library account. If you have problems using your library account, you can get assistance at the Circulation Desk at Honnold/Mudd, Denison, Sprague, or Seeley G. Mudd Science libraries or telephone the Honnold/Mudd Circulation Desk (ext. 18372). Notify Circulation of any change of address so your library account can be updated. Your ID card is necessary for acces to the Libraries and for all transactions, and it is not transferable.

Check out and renewal

Graduate students may have up to 140 books checked out at one time. The checkout period is 28 days. Once your account is opened for the current semester, you may renew books, provided there are no holds placed on them. It is not necessary to bring the books to the library. You may renew materials by telephone, or you may renew them yourself on Blais (the online catalog) when you access your own circulation record.

Holds/Recalls

You may request a book that is checked out to another patron, and it will be recalled. To place a hold or recall, present your library card at the Circulation Desk at any of the libraries along with the call number or title of the book you want. You will be sent a notice when the recalled item is ready for pick up.

If you receive a recall notice for a book you have borrowed, you must return it by the new due date. The new due date is assigned when the recall is placed. It will allow you to use the book for at least two weeks from the initial checkout. You may not renew the book but you can request that an additional hold be placed on the item. The overdue fine for recalled items is $1 per day. At 10 days overdue, the book is billed at $100.

Fines

Recalls, Reserve, and bound periodicals have daily overdue fines. Regular checkouts have no daily fines until the item is billed. If an item is 10 days overdue, you will be billed $100 for each book.. This bill will be reduced to $10 at the time the book is returned. It is your responsibility to notify Honnold/Mudd Circulation staff of any change of address so courtesy reminder notices can reach you in time.

Card Suspension

Unpaid bills of $100 or more result in suspension of library borrowing privileges.

Hours

The most up-to-date information on Library hours is available online.

Reserve

Books on Reserve are listed in Blais (the on-line catalog) and at each library's Reserve Desk. Reserve materials are available at the Circulation Desk at each of the four libraries.

Library Instruction

The Libraries offer a variety of opportunities for students to learn about available resources in both print and electronic formats. The library workshop schedule is posted in Honnold/Mudd's search center and is also available online. We also encourage individual students, student groups, and classes to make appointments for instruction.

Tours

Graduate tours of Honnold/Mudd are offered several times early in the Fall semester. Library tours may also be arranged by appointment.

Computer Services

Many electronic resources are available, including web databases, CD-ROM databases, and the on-line catalogs of many local and major academic libraries such as the University of California system (MELVYL). Outside the library, you can access Blais via the World Wide Web. More information is available at the Reference Desk in any of the libraries.

Special Collections

The Libraries are enriched by more than fifty separate special collections. Hours for access to these collections vary from library to library. A brochure describing the collections is available at each library and is available on the Special Collections website. You may call the Special Collections Department, Honnold/Mudd Library, x73977, or the campus libraries to inquire about hours and access.

Government Puplications

Honnold/Mudd Library has a large collection of California, United States, United Nations, and other government documents. Seeley G. Mudd Science Library and Sprague Library collect government publications related to the sciences. For more information, visit the Government Publications website or call the Government Publications Reference Desk at x18800.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

The ILL Section (2nd floor, Honnold/Mudd Library) will obtain materials for you from other libraries. Interlibrary Loan information is available online, or you can either pick up a copy of the ILL brochure or call x18953 for more information.

Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

Located in Chicago, CRL is an organization which makes available to the scholarly community materials that are rarely held in North American libraries. The Center's collections include over 3.6 million volumes and 1.1 million microforms, many of which are cataloged in Blais. CRL material can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

Using Other Libraries

Several nearby college and university libraries allow students from other institutions to use their facilities. Information about borrowing policies and card fees at other libraries is available online and at the Honnold/Mudd Information Desk.

Copy Center

Vendacards for the self-service photocopier machines, the microform reader/printers and the PC printers can be purchased from vendacard dispensers at the Copy Center (2nd floor, Honnold/Mudd Library), in the Government Publications and Microforms Department (1st floor, Honnold/Mudd Library), and at Denison Library, Sprague Library, and Seeley G. Mudd Science Library. You may also arrange to have copying done by the Copy Center staff. Please contact the Copy Center for details (ext. 73969).

Study Carrels

You may reserve a library study carrel or a graduate study at the Honnold/Mudd Circulation Desk. To reserve a carrel at Denison, contact the Librarian's Office.

Please call the Reference Desk at any of the libraries with any questions or to make an appointment with a librarian for in-depth research assistance. The Honnold/Mudd Reference number is x73959; Denison's number is x73941; Seeley G. Mudd Science Library's number is x18924; and Sprague Library's number is x73920. The Reference staff will be happy to assist you.