The primary function of the Library collection is to support the teaching and learning activities of the Faculty and Students at the College of DuPage.
The Lower Level of the Library has these collections ( Map of the Lower Level ):
Circulation Desk Collection, Current Periodicals, Newspapers, Reference, and some displays.
The Upper Level of the Library has these collections ( Map of the Upper Level ):
General, Career and College Information Center, Test Prep, New Books, Paperbacks, English Language Learners, Graphic Novels, Juvenile, Popular Videos, Philanthropy, Music CDs, Bound Periodicals.
Descriptions of collections can be found below.
You can ask for assistance in finding materials and using the databases.
Textbook information can be found here.
Online video databases can be found here.
Electronic book databases can be found here.
Anthropology
Architecture
Art
Automotive
Biology
Business
Career and College Information
Chemistry
Computer Science and Technology
Criminal Justice / Justice Studies
Culinary Arts
Current Periodicals
Dictionaries and Glossaries
Displays
Early Childhood Development
Economics
Encyclopedias
English Language Learning, formerly English as a Second Language (ESL)
Fashion
Folklore
Foreign Languages
Graphic Design
Graphic Novels
Health Sciences
Horticulture
Human Services / Social Work
Interior Design
Justice Studies / Criminal Justice
Law
Law Enforcement / Criminal Justice
Library and Information Science
Literature and Literary Criticism
Military History
Music
New Books
Newspapers
Nursing
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Paperbacks
Poetry
Political Science
Photography
Science and Technology
Social Work / Human Services
Sociology
Statistics
Test Prep
Travel Guides
ATLASES
Physical atlases may be found in the General, Juvenile, and Reference collections.
Some larger atlases are located in the Atlas Stand, downstairs beside the staircase and facing the Media Lab.
Some of these are general atlases of the world or a country, while others are more specific or topical, such as for wars or railroads or ethnic groups.
Use the Library Catalog to find the call number and location of printed atlases. You can combine words in the search box like this: atlas AND Illinois
MAPS
The Library has a small collection of maps located in the Flat Files on the lower level, under the staircase.
Please ask for assistance at the downstairs Reference Desk.
There is no separate collection of physical Audiobooks, they may be found scattered throughout the General Collection on the upper level.
Use the Library Catalog to find a link to an E-Audiobook, or the call number for a physical Audiobook.
The Overdrive database does have many online audiobooks available for checkout.
Located at the downstairs Circulation Desk are a number of books, videos, and other physical objects.
Use the Library Catalog to locate these items, they have a location of CIRC DESK.
Other collections located at the downstairs Circulation Desk include Anatomy Models, Course Reserves, and Slides.
The Library's Course Reserves contain a mixture of books, textbooks, and other items put aside for specific classes. Browse all items on reserves by course prefix, or look up individual items in the catalog. Electronic items may also be listed there as being on E-reserve, which you can access with your personal electronic device.
Check out physical Course Reserve items (e.g., books, DVDs, etc.), at the lower level Circulation Desk.
The Library has a wide variety of databases, which can be found by CLICKING HERE.
They are arranged by broad subject category, as well as in alphabetical order.
Another way to find databases for a specific area is to check the appropriate subject RESEARCH GUIDE.
While the Library may have some Doctoral Dissertations and Masters Theses in print format, they are usually related to someone who has worked at the College. They are shelved in the General Collection on the upper level, and can be found by using the Library Catalog.The Library makes no effort to collect these kinds of materials, as their composition is far beyond what is required for students at the community college level.
The Library does subscribe to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global database, which contains citations, abstracts, and the full-text of thousands of these high-level academic materials. Other items may be found free on the Internet.
If you are looking for these kinds of materials, please ask for help at a Reference Desk.
The Library's English Language Learning Collection contains books, videos, and other physical items, as well as online resources. Our materials emphasize pronunciation, writing and grammar, and reading resources, among others.
Our physical English Language Learning Collection is located on the upper floor of the Library, near the upstairs Reference Desk.
The Library Research Guide for English Language Learning.
This collection was previously known as the English as a Second Language (ESL) Collection.
Our Juvenile Collection contains fiction and non-fiction books, and graphic novels intended for readers from Pre-K through Grade 8. It includes titles that have won such literary awards as the Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, and Coretta Scott King Award.
The Juvenile Collection is located on the Library's upper floor, behind the upstairs Reference Desk.
These book and video materials are mostly found in the call number area Z and ZA. They are located in the Circulation Desk, General, and Reference collections. They primarily support the Library and Information Technology academic program, as well as library operations in general.
The Library's Philanthropy Collection supports the information needs of nonprofit organizations located in DuPage County. We provide our patrons with free public access to grant-maker directories, books on fundraising and nonprofit management and several philanthropic databases.
The Philanthropy Collection is located on the upper floor of the Library, across from the upstairs Reference Desk.
The Library's Reference Collection contains overview materials, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, timelines, and drug references. These books are not available for check-out and may be used only within the Library. If you wish to copy a portion of a reference material, scanning and copying are available in Computing Support & Printing Services (lower level of the Library).
The Reference Collection is located on the lower level near the Library elevator.
Books designated as Ready Reference may be requested at the downstairs Reference Desk.
Many online reference books can be found in the Credo Reference, Gale EBooks, and Salem Press collections.
Other electronic reference books may be found in the appropriate subject Research Guide.
The Library has a selection of slides available for use in Biology, Chemistry, and Health Science courses. Check the Course Reserves list for your class to see what slides you need. The slides are located at the downstairs Circulation Desk.
The Library has 3 microscopes available to all students in the lower level of the Library, near the downstairs Circulation Desk.
The Library does not have a copy of every textbook required for courses offered by the College. Print books might be available in the Course Reserve section located at the downstairs Circulation Desk, where you can request them. Some electronic textbooks will be listed in the Library Catalog, or on the Course Reserves list. Some older textbooks are available in the General Collection. Many newer print and electronic textbooks have to be purchased by a student at the COD Bookstore in order to get the individual Access Code to use supplementary online resources provided by the publisher. The Library does not have these Access Codes to give out to students, nor does it have separate access to those supplementary online materials provided by the textbook publisher.
Be sure to check with the Course Syllabus and the College Bookstore to see what textbooks are required for a course.
The Library contains a large number of both educational and popular videos, intended for both instructional use as well as personal enjoyment. They come in DVD, VHS, and online/streaming formats. The physical items are located in the Circulation Desk, Course Reserves, English Language Learners, General, and Juvenile collections.
Most of the entertainment videos (DVD & VHS) are located upstairs in the POPULAR VIDEOS collection, on the south side near the big wall of windows.
Most - but not all - of our videos are listed in the Library Catalog, which you can search by the video title, actor, director, or subject keyword, to get an item's call number and location (for physical items), or a link to the online/streaming version.
A list of our online/streaming video databases can be found by CLICKING HERE.
You can find supplementary information and reviews about these items by using our various newspaper and journal databases.
There are also many books in both print and electronic format about movie genres, individual movies, film reviews, and actors and directors. These can be found by using the Library Catalog.
The Library does not have a separate collection of local, state, federal, or foreign government publications. Government publications are located in the various sections of the Library (e.g., General and Reference collections), under their subject call numbers, and are can be found by using the Library Catalog.
You can ask for assistance in finding these items at the Reference Desks.
The main call number area for this subject, in both the General and Reference collections, starts out with the letters: CS
The Library does not collect items in this subject, and has only a small number of titles for this subject.
The Wheaton Public Library is the main library in DuPage County to do this kind of research. Your local public library or historical society may also have access to genealogical resources.
The COD Library does not subscribe to any of the various genealogy databases.
