Gutman Library is not open to the public. Only those with a currently valid PhilaU ID card or alumni with official university identification may use our facility. An exception is made for individuals who wish to use specific research materials in our collection for a limited period of time. Permission to use the library for specific research can be provided by any member of the Reference staff but should be requested before visiting. Exceptions to the restrictions on access are made for students and faculty who are members of libraries that participate in the Tri-State College Library Cooperative.

Your PhilaU ID card is your library borrower's card. The first time you use it, it will take a few minutes to activate your account in the library's circulation system.

If you are an alumni, contact Office at (v)215-951-2710 or (f)215-951-2569, or email alumni@PhilaU.edu and request the card. Alumni may also request a card in person at the Alumni Office (Reichlin House, 2nd Floor), Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Online

Contact the librarian associated with your area of research (the library liason), or send an email to reference@philau.edu

In Person

Staff at the Circulation/Reserve Desk can help you with reserves, checking out materials, where materials are housed in the library, etc.

For research questions, assistance with using library databases, or tracking down answers to complex questions, staff members at the Reference Desk can help you. You will find a complete list of our staff on our Web site.

All computers on campus that are connected to the PhilaU network will be able to connect to the databases. If you have questions or problems with logging in, send an e-mail to OIR Help Desk, at helpdesk@philau.edu, or phone OIR, at 215-951-4OIT.

If you are connecting from off-campus, you will need to authenticate yourself with your network userid and password. Click here for more information.

Gutman Library is a member of the Tri-state College Library Cooperative (TCLC). PhilaU students, faculty and staff may borrow books at any of the college and university libraries that belong to TCLC (list of member institutions). To borrow in person from a TCLC library, you must first obtain a letter of introduction at the Gutman Library Reference Desk.  

Many other area libraries that are not members of TCLC are open to the public for research. PhilaU students may use those libraries in accordance with their access policies, but will not be eligible to obtain borrowing privileges. The Web sites of local libraries are a good place to start for getting information on access policies.

A list of journals that are available full text online and in print can be looked up by title, using our Journal List tool.

Use the Library Catalog to find if the library owns a book.

Ask at the circulation desk to see if it is waiting to be re-shelved. If it is not, the staff at the Circulation Desk can report it as missing. If the Circulation Staff are not present (in the evening or weekends), ask the student assistant to leave a note for the staff that the book is missing...they can contact you if they find it.

You can place a request to obtain a book we do not own through interlibrary loan. For more information, go to our interlibrary loan information page.

Depending on the publication, a back issue may be bound on the lower level of Gutman Library, available in microfiche or microfilm, or may be available in one of our several full-text online databases or e-journal collections. Again, check Journal List to see if we hold or have access to the older issues you need. Please ask for help if you are having trouble finding something.

Gutman Library subscribes to nearly 800 print magazine, journal and newspaper publications. Publications are organized alphabetically. All current issues (usually the current year) are kept on the main level of the Library in the Current  Periodicals area, which is to your right as you enter the library. The latest issue is kept on a display shelf. To find previous current issues, lift the display shelf to access the storage area underneath.

IMPORTANT: To find out if we currently subscribe to a particular publication, search the Journal List. The record will indicate all latest issues received. Some are available electronically, others in print format.

Our periodical collection is heavily used and the issues do get scattered around the library. Issues are collected and re-shelved frequently. Please look for the issue at least 2 or 3 times within a week before reporting it as missing. You may also want to check in Journal List to see if the journal issue you are looking for is available online in one of our databases or e-journal collections.

If you have confirmed that we do not have the publication you are looking for, in print, in an electronic database or in microform - or if your particular issue has been designated as lost - you can request an interlibrary loan. We will attempt to get a copy of a specific issue from another library. We cannot borrow an entire magazine or journal issue from another library. For more information, see our ILL information web page.

This status indicator means the book has just arrived or it recently arrived but is still in the process of being prepared for addition to the collection. How do you get the book? Go to the Circulation Desk and ask a supervisor to initiate the process of getting the "in process" expedited for circulation. When the book is available for loan, you will be notified to pick it up at the Circulation Desk.

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  Does Gutman Library have study rooms? If so, how do I get one?
  

  Gutman Library has 6 study rooms, most accommodating 2-6 students. Room 101 and 214 are equipped with a large screen monitor that can be connected to a laptop. Room 101 can be reserved, but the rest of the rooms are available on a first come, first serve basis. Complete information about the study rooms is available on our facilities web page.

  

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  What computer equipment does Gutman Library have for students?
  

   In all, Gutman Library contains over 80 computers, distributed throughout the building. There are both Macs and PCs, configured the same as the lab computers in Search Hall. There are also multiple scanners connected to various computers on each floor. In addition, we offer a number of PC laptop computers that can be borrowed at the Circulation Desk, as well as two Apple iPads. All laptops, and the iPads, can connect to the Internet through our wireless network. All computers, including laptops, print to the 3 networked printers, one on each floor of the library. The iPads are not able to print to the printers. More information can be found at our equipment page.

  

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  How can I tell if Gutman Library is open during winter storms?
  

  The library will announce on the library blog, and Twitter, if the library is open during a winter storm.