University Libraries > User Guides > General Guides > Welcome to the University Library

HELIN (Higher Education Library Information Network): The Library is a member of the HELIN consortium, which, in addition to the University of Rhode Island Libraries, includes most of the libraries of the higher education institutions in RI and their affiliates. The holdings of these libraries, as well as most Rhode Island medical libraries are included in the HELIN online catalog. HELIN may be accessed via the Internet, at http://library.uri.edu/.

Circulation Services: Your University ID serves as your Library card; your Library barcode is on the front of your ID. Rhode Island residents age 18 or older may register at the Circulation Desk for a Special Borrower’s Card.

Reserve Book Room Service: Located on the first floor next to the Current Periodicals Room at the rear of the building, The Reserve collection contains material designated by the University faculty as required reading for specific courses. High-demand reference material is also kept here. A URI Library card must be left at the Reserve Desk when using Reserve material. Some material may be accessed electronically.

24 Hour Study Room: Located on the first floor to the right of the lobby, the 24 Hour Study Room is available every night during the Fall and Spring Semesters. To use this room, one must exit the library at closing time and re-enter through the entrance located off the library's main entrance lobby. All library materials must be charged out before re-entering.

Food and Drink Policy: Food and beverages may be consumed in the 24 Hour Study Room. In the rest of the building, only securely covered mugs and water bottles are allowed.

Photocopying & Printing Services: Photocopying machines are located in the 24 Hour Room, Current Periodicals, and Reference areas, as well as on each floor of the Library. Photocopies cost $0.15 per copy ($0.10 per copy with a copycard). Some copy machines make change, and change machines are located in the 24 Hour Study Room and on the Lower Level. Copycard vending machines, which allow volume photocopying at a discount, may be purchased from vending machines located near the Circulation Desk and in the Computer Lab on the Lower Level. Computer printing is available in the Library from the Library Student Computing Facility on the Lower Level and from the Reference Area on the First Floor. Printing requires a copycard; the cost is $0.09 a page.

Reference Service: The Reference Desk is located on the first floor. The non-circulating collection includes indexes, bibliographies, directories, and encyclopedias. Assistance for all Reference Services is available from the Reference staff most of the hours that the Library is open. Those needing specialized and in-depth reference assistance may also contact the subject specialist librarians in the appropriate specialty. Librarians and their corresponding subject areas, along with contact information, may be found at, http://www.uri.edu/library/selectors.html.

Reference Databases: The online databases available to URI students, faculty, and staff include Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis Academic, PsycINFO, ERIC, ABI/INFORM, MLA Bibliography, PubMed, CINAHL, and, PAIS, among others which are available through the Library's homepage at http://www.uri.edu/library.

Interlibrary Loan Service: Books owned by other HELIN libraries may be obtained through HELIN loan. A HELIN loan request is made through the HELIN library catalog. The requestor must be a registered borrower in good standing. Requested material will take approximately 3-7 days to arrive. Material that cannot be obtained through a HELIN loan may be borrowed from another library through Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan forms and instructions are available on the Library’s home page at http://www.uri.edu/library/.

Government Publications: The Library is a depository library for United States and Rhode Island publications. The collection consists of over 850,000 volumes in paper, microfiche, and CD-ROM formats. The Government Publications Office, located on the first floor, provides assistance in the use of this collection.

Curriculum Materials Library: The Curriculum Materials Library, located on the first floor behind the Reference area, serves the needs of the University's teacher education programs by providing resources in all formats for grades pre-K through 12. Use of some of the collection is restricted to students enrolled in these programs and their faculty only.

Special Collections: Located on the second floor, the Special Collections Department consists of the University Archives, the Rhode Island Collection, and Rare Books. Arrangements for the use of this collection should be made with the Special Collections staff.

Media Resources Center: The Media Resources Center (MRC), located on the second floor, houses all the Library’s audiovisual materials and provides facilities for their use.

Microform Room: The Microform Room is located on the second floor, across from the Media Resources Center. Selected back issues of some journals and newspapers, dissertations, and other materials are available. Copies may be made for $0.10 per copy.

Library Student Computing Facility: Operated by Information and Instructional Technology Services (IITS), the computer lab is located on the Lower Level and is available to the University community during most hours that the Library is open. Services available include e-mail, word processing, printing capability, and Internet access.

Research Carrels: A limited number of research carrels are available for use by graduate students and faculty. For more information, ask at the Circulation Desk.

Pell Marine Science Library: The Pell Marine Science Library, located on the Bay Campus, houses a specialized collection on oceanography and related sciences. The Pell Library is open to all URI Library patrons.

URI CCE Library: The URI CCE Library, located on URI’s Providence Campus, supports the information needs of the Feinstein College of Continuing Education. The Library is open to all URI Library patrons.

DJM 9/94; rev. 9/95, 9/96, 2/97, 8/97; SK 9/98, 7/99, 6/00; DJM 6/01, 8/01, 8/02, 5/04, 6/05, 8/05, 8/06, 8/07, 8/08 <