Services for Visitors

Collections

You are welcome to use the library's collections for the purposes of research and study. These materials include books, journals, theses, dissertations, project reports, reference materials, technical reports, and newspapers. All Library resources used by visitors are designated for in-house only. The library's Archives and Special Collections Department, which includes materials on Charles Dickens, Victoriana, and other documents and artifacts related to the history of WPI, may be viewed by appointment only on Mondays; 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays-Fridays.

Reference help is available during designated reference hours.

Facilities & Services

Computers

All computers in the library require a login and password. Four public access computers are available for visitors but will require a Guest Login and password, and will be limited to a 30 minute session, with a possible extension if no one is waiting up to a maximum of 1 hour per day. Visitors must show a picture ID when registering at the Information Desk. Although all visitors to the library are welcome to use the public access computers for research purposes only, WPI faculty, staff, and students have priority over other users. Wireless access is limited to the WPI Community only. Computer use in the Library is subject to the WPI Acceptable Use Policy.

Study Areas

Abundant study spaces are located on each level of Gordon Library. The main floor (2nd floor) has an area of comfortable seating for studying or relaxing. Large tables conducive to collaborative study are located throughout the building. Nineteen private study rooms are located throughout the 1st and 3rd floors of the Library.

NOTE: The Tech Suites are available to the WPI community only. Public study spaces are on a "first-come, first served" basis only. Any patron who displays disruptive or abusive behavior or who damages library property or facilities, may be asked to leave the premises by WPI supervisory or administrative personnel.

Photocopying/Printing

Cost: 10¢ per page

A coin-operated copier is located on the 1st floor. Card payment-only copiers are located on the 3rd, 2nd, and ground floors. Copy cards are available for purchase at the Information Desk. Cards cost $2.50 and include $1.00 worth of copying money on the card. Card funds may be replenished using the wall-mounted Card Value/CBORD machine near the Public Access Computers. Change for large bills is available at the Information Desk.

There is a card access-only printer on the 2nd floor near the Information Desk. Color printing is available at $.25 per page in the Multimedia Lab on the 3rd floor.

PDF Scanners

Two PDF scanners are located near the Information Desk on the main (2nd) floor. They are both free of charge.

Please note that the following services and resources are limited to the WPI community only:

Borrowing privileges are available only to approved members of the Academic & Research Collaborative (ARC) in the Worcester area.
Interlibrary Loan
Course Reserves
Tech Suites, Lab A, or Conference Room use
Laptop and other equipment Loans
Selected computer workstations and software
Worcester Art Museum passes
USB key: Visitors may save documents to the key but will be unable to open previously saved documents to edit or print them.
Visitors may view documents in Microsoft Office but will be unable to edit them.
Some databases are restricted from visitor use such as SciFinder Scholar, among others. Please contact the Information Desk if you have questions about a particular resource at (508)831-6163 prior to visiting.

Visitors are encouraged to seek these services from their local public library.

Databases and Electronic Resources

Visitors may also use many of the library's databases and electronic resources when visiting the library. However, due to stipulations in our vendor site licenses and user agreements, databases must be used in-house and cannot be accessed remotely by non-WPI patrons.

Due to certain vendor site license stipulations, the following databases are unavailable to visitors, including WPI alumni:

CRSP
Gartner
Standard & Poor’s Compustat
SciFinder Scholar

Only current WPI users (students, faculty, and staff) may access these resources.

Research Services: If you need complex research assistance, there are many fee-based services which you may wish to consider, such as Wisconson TechSearch: Document Delivery and Literature Searches.

Building Policies

Building Use Policy

Vistors must abide by Gordon Library's Building Use Policy

Visitor Conduct

Anyone who displays excessively loud, disruptive, inappropriate, or abusive behavior or who damages library property or facilities, may be asked to leave the premises by WPI supervisory or administrative personnel.

Food & Drink

Two vending machines which dispense snacks and cold beverages are located on the library's main floor (2nd floor) in the south corner adjacent to the emergency exit.

Light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks in spill-proof containers are allowed in the library.

Coffee and food are available nearby at the university's Campus Center. Check hours of operation. There are other dining options on and around campus, for instance, you can purchase food at Founders Hall in the Outtakes Convenience or Goat's Head Restaurant on Boynton Street, across the street from the library parking lot.

Helpful Hints

Visitors enter the library on the 2nd floor of the building. There are 4 floors available to the public.
Gordon Library arranges its holdings according to the Library of Congress Classification System: Call numbers A-N are located on the 3rd floor; call numbers P-Z are located on the first floor. Oversized books are located in a separate section on both the 1st and 3rd floors. Reference books are located on the 2nd floor.
Current journals are located on the 3rd floor to the right. Both scholarly journal and popular magazines are shelved alphabetically by title on the designated racks. Selected back issues are accessible by flipping the shelf up.
Selected back issues of journals are stored on the ground floor of the library alphabetically by title. Some journals are stored on rolling compact shelving. Back issues of newspapers, as well as microfilm/microforms are also located on the ground floor. In addition, a workstation for printing or emailing documents on microfilm/microform is available for use. Other journals are stored in an off campus storage facility and are available for retrieval weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. only.
There is a public telephone outside on the right at the entrance to the library.
15 minutes prior to closing a bell will sound seven times. Please be considerate of others and plan to leave the building by the designated closing time.
In order to help maintain an atmosphere of quiet study and research, please silence your cell phone while in the library.
There is one wheelchair accessible parking space directly in front of the library. The general public can access by this "private road" from Salisbury St.

For more information please contact the Information Desk at 508-831-5410.

Maintained by lib-webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: Jul 29, 2009, 14:39 EDT

Services for Visitors

See Also

Contents:

Collections

Facilities & Services

Computers

Study Areas

Photocopying/Printing

PDF Scanners

Databases and Electronic Resources

Building Policies

Building Use Policy

Visitor Conduct

Food & Drink

Helpful Hints