Randall Library Home

Library FAQ - Finding & Getting Materials

  • All reserve materials are listed in Blackboard Learn on your course page.
  • Books, DVDs and other media on reserve can be located by searching the Library’s catalog or by following the link on your course page in Blackboard Learn.
  • Logon to Blackboard Learn and access your course page.  If you run into issues or have questions, please contact the TAC at 962-HELP (4357) or tac@uncw.edu.
  • Locate the title of the item that you need to access
    • If the item is a PDF, open the item and read, save or print
    • If the item is a link to the Library catalog, clink on the link, note the call number and request the item by call number at the circulation desk
    • If the item is a link to an article in a Library database, follow the link to the PDF, open the item to read, save or print  (If off campus, you may be prompted to log in with your username and password).
  • Books, DVDs and other physical items on course reserves are kept behind the Circulation Desk. Just bring the call number and your UNCW OneCard to the desk and ask for the item.
  • Be sure to return the course reserves item(s) to the Circulation Desk when finished.
  • Contact your instructor so they can follow up with the Library or the Office of eLearning.
  • Fill out this form.
  • If you are putting a personal copy on reserve, bring the item(s) to the Circulation desk.
  • If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Reserves office at 962.7692 or rlcirculation [at] uncw [dot] edu.

Randall Library generally does not purchase textbooks for UNCW classes but the library does have some textbooks.  In order to determine if your textbook is available in the Library, follow the steps on this page: Find your textbook.

Go here for help with searching for articles.  You can also learn more about finding articles with this tutorial video.

Search the library catalog for the *journal title* (not the article title). This will tell you if the library subscribes to the journal in print or online.
 
 
If we do not subscribe to the journal you will see a title browse list, with the text “your entry __________ would be here”. You can place an Interlibrary Loan request for articles in journals we do not subscribe to.
 
If we do subscribe to the journal it may come in several different formats: microfiche, microfilm, current periodicals, bound periodicals and full-text online.

Graduate students, faculty and staff may check out current and bound periodicals for 2 days. All other users must use the periodicals in the library (photocopiers are available).

Bound Periodicals are located on the first floor. See the map.

Current Periodicals are located on the first floor, next to Port City Java. See the map.

Go here to get help with searching for books and other print resources through the library catalog.  The catalog is a searchable list of everything that the library owns, except for articles.

For help finding the item you want, go to "Where do I find books, DVDs, and other materials in Randall Library?"

First, search for books, DVDs or CDs in the catalog.  (For help with the catalog, go to how to search the catalog.  If you need an article, go to the section on finding articles.) Note the location, call number, and status of the book or other item you want.  If the item's status says it's available, you can check it out.  If the status has a date listed under it, the item is currently checked out. 

To find an item that is available, think of the location as the "neighborhood" where the item is and the call number is its "address" in that neighborhood.  For example, the book: 

Children and Television: Fifty Years of Research

is located in the General Collection (neighborhood) and it's call number is HQ784.T4 C512 2007.  The call number is like its address (shelf HQ784) in the General Collection neighborhood.

You can click on the link under the "location" of each item to see a map of that location in the library.  In this case, the General Collection map shows that it is on the 2nd floor of the library.

Finding the location of a searched item.

Books might be in the General Collection, Reference Collection, Featured New Books, or Government Documents collections.  Media materials are located in the DVD, VHS or CD collections.  For maps of the library to help locate these locations, click here

Randall Library generally does not purchase textbooks for UNCW classes but the library does have some textbooks.  In order to determine if your textbook is available in the Library, follow the steps on this page: Find your textbook.

To look for books in libraries worldwide use WorldCat (search WorldCat) and request them using Interlibrary Loan (more information).  Books requested using Interlibrary Loan may take 1-3 weeks to arrive at UNCW.

 

Place a request for that item.  Search the library catalog for the item you want, click on the title of the item, then click the "Request" button at the top of the display: 

Placing a request for an item that is not available.
Complete the login form, click "Submit," and the message displays that your request was successful.  Please see our holds FAQ for pick-up information.

Reference materials should be used in the library; however, faculty and staff may borrow some items for a negotiated period (please check with the reference librarian on duty).

  • Undergraduate students = 28 days for books from the general and juvenile collections and government documents. 21 days for books from the featured new books collection.
  • Graduate students = until the end of the semester for general collection books and government documents. Books from the juvenile collection circulate for 28 days for graduate students. Books from the featured new books collection circulate for 21 days for graduate students.
  • UNCW Faculty, Staff, & Trustees =  until the end of the semester for general collection books and government documents. Books from the juvenile collection circulate for 28 days for UNCW faculty, staff, and trustees. Books from the featured new books collection circulate for 21 days for UNCW faculty, staff, and trustees.
  • All others = 28 days for books from the general and juvenile collections and government documents. 21 days for books from the featured new books collection.
  • DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs, and Audiobooks check out for 7 days for all users.
  • eReaders can be checked-out for 14 days, but only by UNCW students, staff, and faculty.

 

  • The Fledgling is available in a number of places, including the Reference collection (1951-1987), General Collection (1958-1987), and other copies available in Special Collections and Archives. 
  • The UNCW Catalogue is available at various locations including: at the Circulation Desk, in the reference collection, Government Documents, and Archives. 
  • You can search the library catalog using the "Title" tab and search for "University of North Carolina at Wilmington catalogue". 
  • You can search the library catalog using the "Title" tab and search for "Fledgling".

There are plenty of film scripts that are part of the general collection, and to find these do a subject search in the library catalog for “Motion picture plays.” This will bring up items in the General Collection and Special Collections.

The Honors Papers can be searched in the catalog with the Subject Heading “Honors Paper.” Visit this page for a search box. For the most part, they are shelved together in the call number starting: LD3971.7 H6 on the wall outside the Honors College (2nd floor of Randall). Some earlier papers are only available in the University Archives.
 

Yes, a collection of juvenile literature is located on the second floor. These books are identified by the location "UNCW Juvenille" in the Library catalog (click here to view a map). The Juvenile Collection is shelved by these categories:

  • E Easy (Picture) books: Arranged alphabetically by author's last name.
  • B Biography: Arranged by the last name of the person the book is about.
  • Fic Juvenile Fiction: Arranged alphabetically by author's last name.
  • J Non-fiction: Arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification (Learn more about the Dewey Decimal System)

 

For more information about finding children’s literature, visit this research guide.

The library catalog shows a status for each item indicating whether or not it is available for checkout:

Determining the status of a searched item. 
These are the status messages you may see, and their meanings: 

STATUS
MEANING
AVAILABLE
Item is available for checkout.
DUE "09-29-11"
Item is checked out and due back on the indicated date.
IN PROCESS
Item is being processed and will be available soon.
LIB USE ONLY
Item is for library use only and cannot be checked out except to faculty or graduate students for short periods with librarian approval (except Special Collections books which do not circulate).
ON HOLDSHELF
Item has been placed on hold by a patron and is ready for pick up at the Circulation Desk.
NOT AVAILABLE Item is temporarily not available due to special circumstances.
DAMAGED
Item is not available – it is damaged and is being evaluated for replacement.
MISSING
Item is not available – it has been reported missing and is being searched for by library staff.
BILLED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron has been billed for the replacement cost.
LOST
Item is not available - it has been officially reported as lost and is being evaluated for replacement.
LOST & XFERRED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron's bill has been sent to the Business Office.
LOST AND PAID
Item is not available – it was not returned and has been paid for by the patron.

 

There are also messages you may see elsewhere before an item has been cataloged:

Messages appearing about a searched item.

These are the messages you may see, and their meanings:

MESSAGE
MEANING
1 copy ordered for UNCW on 08-02-2010.
The library has ordered the item but it has not yet arrived.
1 copy being processed for UNCW.
The item is being cataloged and processed and will be available soon.

If you have any questions about status messages you see in the library catalog please do not hesitate to ask! Call the Learning Commons Help Desk at 910-962-3760 or the Circulation Desk at 910-962-3272 or email us at libref [at] uncw [dot] edu or use the Chat link on the library homepage!

A UNCW thesis or dissertation is submitted as an electronic document, then the Dean of the Graduate School must review, approve, and sign it.  Once the Grad School has aproved and accepted all of the theses and dissertations submitted in a semester, they provide the electronic copies to the library.  The library will then add these electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) to their web server, and catalog each thesis and dissertation.  The entire process from submission to cataloging can take several months to complete, and the steps are necessary to ensure that the theses are available and accessible to the research community.  If you have a specific question about the status of a thesis, contact Gary Moore at mooreg [at] uncw [dot] edu.

Yes, the library prints and retains at least one printed copy of each student thesis and dissertation accepted by the Graduate School.  For theses accepted between 1982 and 2008, Randall Library has a printed copy in the General Collection, which can be checked out, and a second printed copy in Archives.  Starting in 2008, complete electronic copies of theses (ETDs) were required by the Graduate school, so all theses submitted after that are available electronically through the library catalog.  Randall Library continues to produce a printed copy of each thesis published after 2008 to be retained in Archives.

Please visit our Find Videos & DVDs page to search for videos and DVDs.

For information about locating video recordings, visit  "Where do I find DVDs and other types of videos in Randall Library?"

Please visit our Find Music & Audiobooks page to search for music and audiobooks.

For information about locating CDs, visit "Where do I find CDs in Randall Library?"

Music CDs are located on the 2nd floor of the library (view map) and audiobook cds are located on the 1st floor of the library (view map).

To find a specific CD, note the location, call number, and status. Click on the location link to see a map of that location.

Location of music cds in Randall.

 

Place a request for that item.  Search the library catalog for the item you want, click on the title of the item, then click the "Request" button at the top of the display: 

Placing a request for an item that is not available.
Complete the login form, click "Submit," and the message displays that your request was successful.  Please see our holds FAQ for pick-up information.

 Go here to get help with finding audiobooks.

 
The best way to search for them is by searching the library catalog using the subject tab…
Then search: Sound Recordings for English Speakers ______(list language here).
 

DVDs are located on the first floor of the library (view map) and VHS tapes are located on the 2nd floor (view map).

To find a specific video, note the location, call number, and status. Click on the location link to see a map of that location.

Location of video in UNCW catalog

 

We have four (4) media viewing rooms located on the second floor that are available for students, faculty, and staff. These rooms are equipped as follows:

  • Rm. 2031 – Region free DVD player
  • Rm. 2033 – DVD/VHS combination, audio cassette player
  • Rm. 2034 – Blu-ray/DVD combination
  • Rm. 2035 – DVD/VHS combination

To use the rooms, ask at the Circulation Desk for a key.

View this map for room locations.

 

The library catalog shows a status for each item indicating whether or not it is available for checkout:

Determining the status of a searched item. 
These are the status messages you may see, and their meanings: 

STATUS
MEANING
AVAILABLE
Item is available for checkout.
DUE "09-29-11"
Item is checked out and due back on the indicated date.
IN PROCESS
Item is being processed and will be available soon.
LIB USE ONLY
Item is for library use only and cannot be checked out except to faculty or graduate students for short periods with librarian approval (except Special Collections books which do not circulate).
ON HOLDSHELF
Item has been placed on hold by a patron and is ready for pick up at the Circulation Desk.
NOT AVAILABLE Item is temporarily not available due to special circumstances.
DAMAGED
Item is not available – it is damaged and is being evaluated for replacement.
MISSING
Item is not available – it has been reported missing and is being searched for by library staff.
BILLED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron has been billed for the replacement cost.
LOST
Item is not available - it has been officially reported as lost and is being evaluated for replacement.
LOST & XFERRED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron's bill has been sent to the Business Office.
LOST AND PAID
Item is not available – it was not returned and has been paid for by the patron.

 

There are also messages you may see elsewhere before an item has been cataloged:

Messages appearing about a searched item.

These are the messages you may see, and their meanings:

MESSAGE
MEANING
1 copy ordered for UNCW on 08-02-2010.
The library has ordered the item but it has not yet arrived.
1 copy being processed for UNCW.
The item is being cataloged and processed and will be available soon.

If you have any questions about status messages you see in the library catalog please do not hesitate to ask! Call the Learning Commons Help Desk at 910-962-3760 or the Circulation Desk at 910-962-3272 or email us at libref [at] uncw [dot] edu or use the Chat link on the library homepage!

  • UNCW students, staff and faculty can use our free Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service to request items not owned by Randall Library.
  • Log on to Interlibrary Loan Page to create a request.
  • If you have not used Interlibrary Loan before, click on First Time Users and follow the instructions.

Suggest a Purchase: Use this form to suggest a book, video, sound recording or other material that the Randall Library might purchase.

  • UNCW faculty, staff and and students are eligible to request materials not owned by Randall Library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
  • First time users will enter their name, address, and other personal information into the system only once, at the time of their first request.  Thereafter, you log in with your UNCW username and password and need only enter the bibliographic information for your requests.
  • Whenever possible, documents are delivered electronically to your ILL account (you will receive email notification).
  • Users can check the status of your request(s) through their Interlibrary Loan account.

Your Interlibrary Loan username and password are the same as your UNCW username and password. If you have forgotten either of those, visit this page.

  • You may request a renewal unless the white band on the item states "No Renewals."
  • To request a renewal, log on your Interlibrary Loan account, click on the transaction number of the item you want to renew, and click the renew button. 
  • You will get an email with a new due date if the request is granted or a message requesting the return of the item if the renewal is denied.

Evidence shows that if we purchase, instead of borrow, items requested through Interlibrary Loan, those items will end up being used by our students, staff and faculty.  This process is just one component of collection development and it assists the Library in building an accessible and useful collection, one that meets the needs of a variety of users.

General Delivery Time for a purchase request: 10 days to 2 weeks from date the request was sent and marked "Awaiting Acquisition purchase" (the item is ordered from a rapid delivery vendor, when it is received by the library, it’s rush cataloged and brought to Circulation for notification to customer).

As of March 2014 the University of North Carolina Coastal Library Consortium has been disbanded.

Submitted by Customer Request has been received and it’s in the processing queue.
Awaiting Copyright Clearance ILL staff checking to see if a copyright fee is required; if fee is
required it is paid by the library.
Awaiting Request in Processing Copyright clearance is completed and the request is waiting
for ILL staff to process.
Request Sent Request has been sent to potential lending libraries.
In Electronic Delivery processing Article received electronically and partially processed by staff for delivery to web.
Awaiting Customer Contact Article has arrived, been processed by staff and ready for delivery to web.
Awaiting Acquisition Purchase Request has been forwarded to Library Acquisitions for purchase, rather than borrowed through ILL
Delivered to web

Article has been posted and ready for customer to download;
to view articles, logon to ILL account, select “Electronically
Received Articles” from the menu and select the one wanted.

Checked out to Customer Item received, customer notified, and ready for pick up at
Circulation desk.
Request Finished Request was successfully processed and completed.
Awaiting Renewal Processing Customer has requested a renewal and ILL staff is waiting for the lending library’s response.
Canceled by Customer

Customer canceled request.

Canceled by Staff

Staff canceled the request; reason for cancellation can be
viewed in ILL account under “View/Resubmit canceled
Requests."

 

Undergraduate students will receive an email notification and instructions when the item is available for download from your ILL account. When a paper copy of the loan is received, an email notification message is sent immediately and the item will be available for pickup at the Circulation Desk in Randall Library.

Distance Education students should set your status to "Distance Education" on your User Information settings. An email notification is sent when an article is available for download from your ILL account. Loans will be mailed to the home address listed in your User Information settings. Distance Education students are those enrolled in the Onslow County Extension Program, RN Access Program and all other programs defined as "Distance Education" by UNCW.

Graduate students will receive an email notification when the article is available for download from your ILL account. When a loan is received, an email notification message is sent immediately and the item will be delivered to your academic department. 

Faculty members will receive an email notification when the article is available for download from your ILL account.When a loan is received, an email notification message is sent immediately and the item will be delivered to your department within 24 hours of receipt of the notification message.

The library catalog shows a status for each item indicating whether or not it is available for checkout:

Determining the status of a searched item. 
These are the status messages you may see, and their meanings: 

STATUS
MEANING
AVAILABLE
Item is available for checkout.
DUE "09-29-11"
Item is checked out and due back on the indicated date.
IN PROCESS
Item is being processed and will be available soon.
LIB USE ONLY
Item is for library use only and cannot be checked out except to faculty or graduate students for short periods with librarian approval (except Special Collections books which do not circulate).
ON HOLDSHELF
Item has been placed on hold by a patron and is ready for pick up at the Circulation Desk.
NOT AVAILABLE Item is temporarily not available due to special circumstances.
DAMAGED
Item is not available – it is damaged and is being evaluated for replacement.
MISSING
Item is not available – it has been reported missing and is being searched for by library staff.
BILLED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron has been billed for the replacement cost.
LOST
Item is not available - it has been officially reported as lost and is being evaluated for replacement.
LOST & XFERRED
Item is not available – it was not returned and the patron's bill has been sent to the Business Office.
LOST AND PAID
Item is not available – it was not returned and has been paid for by the patron.

 

There are also messages you may see elsewhere before an item has been cataloged:

Messages appearing about a searched item.

These are the messages you may see, and their meanings:

MESSAGE
MEANING
1 copy ordered for UNCW on 08-02-2010.
The library has ordered the item but it has not yet arrived.
1 copy being processed for UNCW.
The item is being cataloged and processed and will be available soon.

If you have any questions about status messages you see in the library catalog please do not hesitate to ask! Call the Learning Commons Help Desk at 910-962-3760 or the Circulation Desk at 910-962-3272 or email us at libref [at] uncw [dot] edu or use the Chat link on the library homepage!

Yes, visit this page for library maps and help locating specific areas in the library.

Bound Periodicals are located on the first floor. See the map.

Current Periodicals are located on the first floor, next to Port City Java. See the map.

The General Collection is on the second floor of the library. See the map.

  • All reserve materials are listed in Blackboard Learn on your course page.
  • Books, DVDs and other media on reserve can be located by searching the Library’s catalog or by following the link on your course page in Blackboard Learn.

 
Records with the Location UNCW A/V Phonodiscs are located in the Technical Services area, on shelves beside the Conference Room. Any staff member can access this collection and pull records for students to check out.
 
Cataloged Special Collections records have the location UNCW Special-Sound and a LC Call Number. Most of the records in Special Collections are not in the catalog and are in the Popular Music on Vinyl (LP, 78’s, & 45’s) database.  They will have a call number that reads Shelf No or Album ID. Students wanting one of these categories can come to Special Collections and we will get the record.  
 

The paper version of the BD-119 was last printed 2008-2009 and is available for students, staff and faculty to check out. It is on 2 hour reserve at the Circulation Desk, listed under the course name "Faculty Staff."

For more recent salary information, The Charlotte Observer maintains a current searchable database.

  • Logon to Blackboard Learn and access your course page.  If you run into issues or have questions, please contact the TAC at 962-HELP (4357) or tac@uncw.edu.
  • Locate the title of the item that you need to access
    • If the item is a PDF, open the item and read, save or print
    • If the item is a link to the Library catalog, clink on the link, note the call number and request the item by call number at the circulation desk
    • If the item is a link to an article in a Library database, follow the link to the PDF, open the item to read, save or print  (If off campus, you may be prompted to log in with your username and password).

Off-campus access to UNCW Randall Library’s licensed Databases such as EbscoHost, JSTOR, ScienceDirect and Course Reserves is limited to UNCW students, staff and faculty who authenticate or use the campus VPN. To access these resources from off-campus, start at the library website and use the links provided on our Articles & Databases page, or in our Library Catalog.

  • When you select a licensed resource from our website, you will be prompted to log in.
  • To log in, please enter:
    • Your campus username (email address without the @xxxx.edu)
    • Your campus (email) password
    • Click the button for UNC Wilmington
  • Once logged in, you will be automatically transferred to the resource you selected.

Yes, By using the VPN (Virtual Private Network) you can access licensed Databases such as JSTOR and EbscoHost from off-campus locations as if you were on campus; allowing you access without having to log on.

Visit ITSD's website for instructions & the downloadable VPN client.

 

feedback
http://library.uncw.edu/faq/finding_getting_materials
library.uncw.edu
crawl=CC-MAIN-2014-35
109558
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:FPA5QHDOGWAMSBLLJAW5LVRB7A5CNMK6
<urn:uuid:17c17e9b-d403-469d-9ba8-e1540896458c>
2014-08-23T18:52:19Z
152.20.225.220
sha1:P37DE2ZGJ2KXI7N7ZEO32MROOSNVSGHP
<urn:uuid:cb32f7a8-257f-4f0a-8800-8e513cc6d94c>
http://library.uncw.edu/faq/finding_getting_materials
response
<urn:uuid:83f5254e-ba3f-4fa0-a96f-e56eded61879>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-35
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for August 2014
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf