Welcome
This page contains a brief introduction to library resources and services. In order to welcome and encourage you
to make effective use of the library, a translation of this page is available in several languages: Arabic,
Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.
Our main library - the McPherson Library is located in the William C. Mearns Centre for Learning. Our two branch
libraries are the Diana M. Priestly Law Library and the Curriculum Library. The libraries provide access to a wealth
of academic information in various formats, plus services and training to support your study at UVic.
What can I do in the library?
- Search for resources. Use the Summon and Main Library Catalogue to search for books, journals, data, audio-visual materials, e-resources and more. If you find an item, you need to check its availability and write down the call number to locate it on the shelf. For e-resources, the web link will direct you to the content.
- Access e-resources. Please note that journal articles can be searched in subject-related databases. The Find-Databases-by-Subject Page will tell you which databases to use for your subjects. You may also browse the relevant E-Journals. UVic-affiliated users can access e-resources Off-Campus by logging-in using their Netlink IDs and Passwords.
- Browse open shelves. Journals and books are shelved together according to their related subjects, which makes it easy for users to browse their areas of interests. But you cannot borrow journals. We keep the recent journal issues (3-5 years) in the Current Periodicals Area. If you are looking for dictionaries, encyclopedias, and maps, you need to browse the Reference Collection and Maps Area. Please do not reshelve library materials.
- Borrow materials. The Borrowing Information Page tells you how many items you can borrow and how long to keep them. You can Renew your items if others have not requested them. For DVDs or CDs, please go to the Music & Media Help Desk.
- Borrow materials not available at UVic. We can borrow materials from other libraries for you. The titles of your requests must be in romanized alphabet. Here is the Interlibrary Loans Page.
- Study. We have many study spaces and graduate students can reserve Graduate Study Carrels . You may arrange to use a Study Room for group meetings.
- Find reserves. The Course Reserve Catalogue allows you to browse by course numbers and instructors' names.
- Use computers ( Computers ) and do Photocopying or Printing ( Photocopying or Printing). The staff on the Library Help Desk and the Computer Help Desk will answer your individual questions.
- Get academic help. The Learning Commons in the McPherson Library provides academic writing support and learning help. You can make appointments with tutors online.
How do I do research?
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Find information on citations and academic writing:
Citation Guides (APA, MLA, etc.); UVIC Writer's Guide and RefWorks.
- Check Subject Guides to see which are the key resources on your subject.
- For in-depth questions, make individual appointments with your Subject Librarian.
- Want to know more? Participate in free Library Workshops and Tours.
- See Help Videos to learn how to do basic book and journal article searches.
- Use the Research Tips Central.
We hope you have an enjoyable and successful experience at UVic!