Campus Services and Facilities
Academic Services and Programs
The UCSD Libraries
The UCSD Libraries, a campuswide network of libraries, support the university’s mission of research, instruction, public service, and patient care by providing access to rich and deep collections, and by offering a variety of services. The libraries are those found within the Geisel Library building: the Arts Library, the Mandeville Special Collections Library, the Science & Engineering Library, and the Social Sciences & Humanities Library. And those elsewhere: the Biomedical Library, the Center for Library & Instructional Computing Services (CLICS), the International Relations & Pacific Studies Library, the Medical Center Library, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library.
The Libraries serve as physical and virtual centers for study, reading, and scholarship at UCSD. Their collections and services support undergraduate and graduate instructional programs, as well as advanced research. While each library may have varying rules and varying hours, all are open to all members of the UCSD community. Most libraries extend hours during final exam periods.
The Libraries’ Web site offers access to information about the Libraries and to digital services and collections, including the online catalog, electronic journals, e-books, databases, and materials assigned for courses. New resources and services are added continually. The Libraries have an ongoing commitment to acquiring and offering materials in digital form. For materials not found at UCSD, the Libraries offer several quick and easy ways to borrow materials from other UC campuses and other universities.
Research assistance is available online and at each of the campus libraries and is designed to assist students and faculty with their course needs and research activities. Through their instruction and outreach programs, the Libraries offer a variety of orientation and instructional opportunities intended to help students succeed in their academic and personal pursuits.
Combined UCSD Libraries Statistics, 2008
| Volumes | 3,372,785 |
| Periodical and other serial publications received Total |
14,457 |
| E-journals | 130 |
| E-books | 231,216 |
| Maps | 114,780 |
| Microforms | 3,309,102 |
| Audio and video materials | 144,225 |
| Slides and other pictorial items | 318,820 |
Arts Libraries
West Wing, Geisel Library
(858) 534-4811
http://artslib.ucsd.edu/
The Arts Library provides collections, services, and facilities in support of the study and teaching of the arts, including film, music, visual arts, photography, and architecture. Arts Library holdings are rich in traditional print materials—such as books, periodicals, and musical scores—a full range of reference tools, and electronic resources. Various media collections, including sound (LP, CD, tape), digital images, moving-image materials (video, DVD, 16 mm film), and licensed resources, such as ARTstor (digital images) and digital audio databases, have been acquired. Our collections total more than a half-million items. The Arts Library offers traditional services, such as research assistance and on-site listening and viewing facilities, and unique services, such as digital reserves, which provide students with 24-7 access to Web-based sound and selected moving-image content in support of their course work.
Biomedical Library and Medical Center Library
Library Walk at Osler Drive
(858) 534-3253
http://biomed.ucsd.edu
The services and collections of the Biomedical Library and its branch Medical Center Library support the teaching, research, and patient care programs of the UCSD School of Medicine, the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Division of Biological Sciences, and the UC San Diego Medical Center. The Libraries’ combined collection of more than 217,000 volumes and access to more than 4,600 electronic and print serials provide in-depth access to the biomedical literature for UCSD students, faculty, and clinicians. The Medical Center Library is located in Hillcrest at the UCSD Medical Center, (619) 543-6520.
CLICS (Center for Library & Instructional Computing Services)
Galbraith Hall
(858) 822-5427
http://clics.ucsd.edu
CLICS has 182 computers distributed on two floors in a general purpose computing lab setting, giving students access to many scholarly and reference sources. CLICS’ staff teach approximately 4,000 students per year how to do university level research to complete their course assignments. It is where students from all of the colleges mingle. There are small group rooms for collaborating on group projects, and one of the rooms is equipped with a device (CopyCam) that converts notes on the whiteboard to print, disk, or IP address. CLICS also has a presentation practice room equipped to project a student’s slideshow from their own laptop to a flat screen monitor so that students can rehearse for class presentations. CLICS is open 24-7 during exam week.
International Relations & Pacific Studies Library
Robinson Complex, Bldg. 3
(858) 534-7785
http://irpslibrary.ucsd.edu
The IR/PS Library features materials on contemporary political, economic, and business affairs in East Asia, Latin America, and the rest of the Pacific Basin region. Its collection includes 138,000 volumes, 1,300 active periodical subscriptions, 146,000 microfiche, hundreds of online databases, thousands of electronic journals, and e-books in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and other languages.
The Mandeville Special Collections Library
West Wing, Geisel Library
(858) 534-2533
http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/
The Mandeville Special Collections Library houses rare books, manuscripts, archives, original art, and other primary materials (250,000 books, 32 million manuscripts), which support specialized UCSD research and instructional programs. Areas of strength include experimental American poetry, the Spanish Civil War, Baja California, early voyages of exploration to the Pacific, modern science, Melanesian anthropology, California history, Dr. Seuss, and the history of UCSD. Students are encouraged to use the collections for their academic endeavors.
Science & Engineering Library (S&E)
East Wing, Geisel Library
(858) 534-3257
http://scilib.ucsd.edu
S&E Library print and online resources support research and teaching astronomy, biochemistry and chemistry, bioengineering, computer science, engineering, mathematics, nanoengineering, and physics. Computers, wireless Internet access, group study rooms, a presentation practice room, and a scanner are available. S&E librarians have expertise in finding numeric property data, standards, patents, and other science and technology information.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library
(858) 534-3274
http://siolibrary.ucsd.edu
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library is one of the largest marine science libraries in the world. It has outstanding collections in marine biology, oceanography, climatology, and marine technology, and also specializes in geology, geophysics, and zoology.
Social Sciences & Humanities Library
Geisel Library
(858) 534-3336
http://sshl.ucsd.edu
The Social Sciences & Humanities Library (SSHL) provides services and collections to support the teaching and research of students and faculty in the social sciences and humanities disciplines. Services and collections are designed for all levels, from first-year students to seasoned scholars. The library provides a complete range of public services, including reference and research support, and print and electronic reserves for courses in the social sciences and humanities. The library has study spaces for students on quiet floors, in group study rooms, and open seating areas for discussion and collaboration. There is a Data & GIS Lab and computers for research and general use. Collections comprise 1.5 million printed volumes; San Diego, California, and U.S. government information; maps; geographic and numeric data; social science databases; and full-text electronic resources.