The CWU Libraries have a handful of different online platforms that will help you access the library's collections and resources. As a CWU student, you have access to numerous different academic journals, online collections, newspapers, e-books, videos, and databases, as well as digitized images, maps, letters and other documents.
The best place to start familiarizing yourself with the library's tools and resources is via the OneSearch search platform. OneSearch is the library's search engine tool that allows you to search for books, academic articles, newspapers and more. You can learn about using OneSearch and its many tools, through the Library's Tutorial Videos.
Finally, as a graduate student, you may find yourself needing to use some of the library's more specialized collections or research tools. Explore the following sections to learn what else you have access to as a CWU student!
As a grad student, you will probably find yourself making use of subject-specific databases more often than you did as an undergrad. The nature of the databases varies. Some are packages of journal content (peer-reviewed literature) and some of eBooks or primary documents, while others are more specialized. The following video explains how to explore them:
The CWU Archives and Special Collections are housed on the second floor of the Brooks Library. These collections contain University related historical resources along with local and regional history collections. The archives are a great place to find both physical and digitized primary sources and a collection of rare and unique books.
You may also find yourself needing to make use of a particular journal's content. To find and access a specific journal, refer to the Journal Search Page.
In the case of some older journal volumes, the library maintains them only in print, in which case they are kept in compact shelving storage. To request an item in storage, please go to the Circulation desk and request it by title, volume, and year.
The Music Library’s collection includes sound recordings, reference books, music books and scores, and more. The guides below provide more information on the music library and its resources.
The CWU Libraries government publications includes government documents at the local, state, and national levels. For more information check out the LibGuides below.
The Brooks Library Maps Collection includes maps developed by numerous different state and federal agencies, in addition to Atlases and travel maps. For more information, check out the LibGuide below.
Microforms are print items that have been printed at a small scale, and can be viewed with a microform reader. The Brooks Library microform collection includes newspaper, periodicals, domestic and international government documents and more.
As a graduate student you may want to reference or build upon work completed by a former CWU graduate student. You can find former CWU Masters thesis in our online and physical theses collections.
Physical Theses: Using OneSearch to find physical theses can be made easier by following these search steps:
1) Select "CWU Resources" for your search scope
2) Select "Call Number"
3) Search for LD577*
4) Add additional search terms to limit your results
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