Office of Institutional ResearchFacts and Figures
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Fall 2008
Facilities and Services
The University of Delaware Library includes the Morris Library, where the main collection is housed, three branch libraries located in Newark, the Agriculture Library, the Chemistry Library, and the Physics Library - and a fourth branch library, the Marine Studies Library in Lewes, Delaware.
The collections of the University of Delaware Library parallel the University's academic interests and support all disciplines. Books, periodicals, electronic journals, databases, microforms, government publications, and software, maps, manuscripts, media, and Internet access provide a major academic resource for the University of Delaware, the surrounding community, the State of Delaware, and the nation.
The University of Delaware Library is a depository library for U.S. government publications, a patent depository for U.S. patents and a repository for State of Delaware publications. Library staff members provide a wide range of services including reference assistance, circulation, interlibrary loan, instructional programs, assistance to users with disabilities, and assistance to faculty, staff and students in the Student Multimedia Design Center.
The Morris Library, the main library where the main collection is housed, seats over 3,000 persons. The University of Delaware Library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, CIRLA (the Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance), and PALINET through which it is connected online to OCLC, the Online Computer Library Center.
For Library hours, call 302-831-BOOK or check the Library Web Site at:
| Size of Collections (2007/08) | |
|---|---|
| Books and bound periodicals | over 2,700,000 |
| Microforms | over 3,400,000 |
| Databases (titles in Databases list) | over 260 |
| Electronic and print journals including newspapers to which the Library provides access | over 30,000 |
| Other resources (DVD, maps, etc.) | over 600,000 |
| Linear feet of manuscripts and archives | over 5,100 |
| Subject guides to Internet resources | over 120 |
| Use Statistics (2007/08) | |
| Items loaned | over 380,000 |
| Items used on site | over 137,000 |
| Individuals entering the Morris Library | over 800,000 |
| Virtual visits on Library web site | over 1,700,000 |
Electronic Library Resources
The University of Delaware Library provides online electronic access to networked and digital information including: journal article references and abstracts; full-text electronic articles; a full-text encyclopedia; government information; thousands of electronic journals; maps and many other items. Databases provide access to more than 260 networked databases for University of Delaware faculty, students, and staff. The Library Web Site is accessible at:
DELCAT is the University of Delaware Library online catalog and contains information about the library collection and also provides links to electronic journals and other resources. DELCAT may be accessed from anywhere in the world via the Web.
The Library Web Site serves as a gateway research tool and provides gateway access to electronic resources on the Web including electronic access to resources that are locally licensed for University of Delaware faculty, students, and staff only. The Library Web Site is also available from the University of Delaware Web Site (www.udel.edu).
In Fall 2008, the University of Delaware Library was one of the first libraries in the nation to implement WorldCat Local, the world's largest network of library-based content and services. WorldCat Local encompasses the holdings of over 10,000 libraries across the world, including the University of Delaware Library. Now, in a single search, users can easily identify a broad array of high-quality research materials. With a simple click, users can change the default interface to German, Spanish, French, Dutch, or Chinese. WorldCat Local has been enthusiastically received by students.
The Morris Library provides seating for more than 3,000 persons; wireless access in most areas; special purpose space for computer-based systems; more than 200 computer workstations accessible to users, more than 200 laptop connections for University of Delaware users to connect personal laptops (including all graduate student carrels); the Student Multimedia Design Center; a current periodical reading room; self-service photocopiers; microform reader/printers including a digital microform workstation; a large reserve reading room; small research studies for which faculty may request use; a GIS workstation; special equipment and areas to assist users with disabilities; a media area and viewing room; small group study rooms for students use; a handsome Special Collections area including an exhibition gallery and a reading room with a controlled environmental system for rare materials; and many other areas and services.