Penn State World Campus students have access to a wealth of library resources through Penn State University Libraries. In fact, it’s consistently a top-ten research library in North America and includes millions of books, ebooks, maps, CDs, DVDs, and more.
Among some of the interesting items students have checked out recently were a DSLR camera, numerous books from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and a variety of materials on topics ranging from mythology to business ethics.
Who Can Borrow Library Materials?
All faculty, staff, and students officially affiliated with Penn State and residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are permitted to register with the Libraries. Penn State students are typically registered automatically upon enrollment. Review this information geared specifically to Penn State World Campus students and those doing research at a distance. There is one library account not automatically created that is important for World Campus students. We encourage you to create an InterLibrary Loan Account as soon as possible.
Finding and Requesting Materials
The University Libraries have so much available to students that it may seem a bit overwhelming, and you might not even know where to start to explore or access materials.
Fortunately, we have a roadmap to guide you through the basic steps.
- First, go to the Libraries website and use the Find box or select the Catalog to search.
- For online resources, you will be able to open the material directly from the item listing. Other types of materials will need to be shipped. We can ship to all North America addresses except P.O. boxes.
- Need a limited section of a book or other work quickly or want an electronic format? Library staff can scan up to three chapters of each book for you and send them to you electronically using InterLibrary Loan.
- To have items shipped to you, click the “I Want It” button and indicate the date for which you will no longer want us to look for the materials. We normally get materials to you quickly, but that date is the date we would stop trying to obtain the materials. Books will be sent via UPS or U.S. Mail to the address in your ILLiad profile. A return mailing label will be included, and return shipping is covered for you. If you will be near a Penn State location, you can also return books to any Penn State University Libraries campus or branch library circulation desk. Important: double-check to make sure the shipping address on file for you is correct.
Time Limits
The time limits for borrowed items vary depending on the types of materials and whether you are a student, staff/faculty member, or alumni. Review time limits.
Library Fines
It’s important to keep track of when library materials are due to be returned and to make sure you return items on or before the due date. Otherwise, you risk incurring library fines, which can add up quickly.
Reviewing Items You Have Checked Out
Review the items currently listed as checked out by you in the My Library Account section of the University Libraries website.
For More Help
Specific questions about library resources for Penn State World Campus students can be directed to Victoria Raish at victoria@psu.edu or 814-865-0148.
We have also created this short guide explaining how Penn State World Campus students can request library materials.
Other Recommended Resources
- Library Support for Adult Learners — this post highlights some of the library resources and services adult learners may find helpful
- What Does an Embedded Librarian Do? — many World Campus courses have an embedded librarian, and this post explains exactly how they can help students
