Penn State Harrisburg Library (Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA) is an academic library which serves Penn State Harrisburg

Penn State Harrisburg

Penn State Harrisburg, also called The Capital College, is an undergraduate college and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University. The main campus of Penn State Harrisburg is located in Lower Swatara Township, 9 miles south of Harrisburg...

, the Harrisburg (or Capital) campus of the Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

. It is one of more than 20 libraries in Pennsylvania State University Libraries system. Penn State Harrisburg Library is located at 351 Olmsted Drive and is open more than 90 hours per week (including nights and weekends) http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/harrisburg/information/hours.html. In addition to a print collection, the library provides numerous online resources.

Services

The library’s primary users are students and faculty of Penn State Harrisburg. To get started, new student, staff, and faculty must have a Penn State Access Account http://aset.psu.edu/accounts/access.html and password, and must register with the library http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/forms/lendingforms/distanceregistration.html. Adult residents of Pennsylvania may apply for a “community borrower” card and a Friends of Penn State Account http://cat.libraries.psu.edu/libfps/ which provides limited access to the library’s resources.

Services highlights

• Research assistance (available through IM, e-mail, telephone, walk-in, and appointments)
• In-class instruction on literature/information seeking techniques
• Productive environment for learning, study, and scholarly collaboration
• Cultural activities and educational programs (usually focused on literature, reading, or finding information)

Facilities and Equipment

A medium-sized college library serving residential and commuter students, the Penn State Harrisburg Library intends to be a place where students can work comfortably and collaborate effectively. The library adapts to emerging technology while providing friendly, face-to-face service. The building is a 115000 square feet (10,683.8 m²) facility and opened in January, 2000. The Library Guide http://www.hbg.psu.edu/library/libraryguide.pdf provides contact information, instructions for using the building’s wireless network, and a floor-by-floor map.

Facilities highlights

• Archives and Special Collections (3rd floor) http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/harrisburg/asc.html
• Art supplies, die-cutting machine, digital cameras, loaner laptops, portable DVD players, and other borrowable equipment (1st floor)
• Assistive Technologies Room (1st floor) http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/harrisburg/services/atroom.html
• “Cyber Café,” which is open 24/7 and includes several computers and vending machines (1st floor)
• Group Study Rooms (on the perimeter of each floor)
• Library Instruction Room, with computers for 35 students (1st floor)
• Morrison (Art) Gallery, with space for large meetings and art exhibitions (1st floor)
• Schwab Family Holocaust Reading Room, a research and collaborative space for Holocaust studies (1st floor)
• Wireless network access http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/harrisburg/services/es/wireless.html

External links

• CAT (Penn State University Libraries Catalog) http://cat.libraries.psu.edu.
• Penn State Harrisburg (Capital Campus) home page http://www.hbg.psu.edu.
• Penn State Harrisburg Library home page http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/harrisburg.html.
• Penn State University Libraries home page http://www.libraries.psu.edu.