George C. Gordon Library
The George C. Gordon Library is open over one hundred hours each week during the academic year and offers a stimulating atmosphere for study. The library provides resources and innovative services in support of the teaching, learning, and scholarship process at WPI.
The library's four floors contain a wide variety of individual and group study spaces. Tech Suites, which are collaborative work areas equipped with up-to-date technology, can be reserved for student use. Additional group study spaces are located throughout the building. There are also computer workstations configured for group and individual use, many with large monitors for collaborative project work. The Multimedia Lab on the first floor offers specialized multimedia software. The first floor Anderson Instruction Labs are used by staff for training during the day and can be scheduled by student groups for evenings and weekends. The library features both wireless and wired computer network access and laptop computers are available for student use. There are hundreds of seats available in the library including individual study carrels, group tables, soft lounge chairs and sofas. Special exhibits are offered regularly in the library's galleries.
The library catalog, electronic journal and book collections, specialized research databases, course-specific information, and many other resources are available from the library's Web site. The web site is the focal point for digital library resources and services. Access to WPI users who are off-campus is available through the proxy server.
The library collection supports the curriculum and research needs of the WPI community. Currently the library holds thousands of print and electronic journals, a vast collection of electronic books, print books, and research databases which support all areas of the WPI curriculum. The library collection also contains undergraduate project reports, graduate theses and dissertations, with recent years available online. Music CDs, DVDs and other media, and bestsellers are available for educational and recreational purposes. The WPI Archives and Special Collections include the Robert Fellman Dickens Collection, historic video games, along with manuscripts and primary source materials on the history of the university.
The Gordon Library staff offers many services to support student learning. The Research and Instruction staff help students with research problems and questions, offer library instruction and orientation sessions, and provide research consultations to individuals and project groups. Students can request materials not held in Gordon Library through the interlibrary loan service. WPI students also have access to the collections of other academic libraries within Central Massachusetts with the library's membership in the Academic and Research Collaborative (ARC). At Gordon Library students can obtain an ARC cross-borrowing card which allows direct borrowing at many regional libraries.
The Gordon Library, Academic Technology Center and the Technology Help Desk provide one stop shopping for student research, information, and technology support in the Information Commons on the library's main floor. The adjacent Class of 1970 Library Café serves food and beverages. For more information, please visit the library's Web site.
