IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Due to the rise of COVID infections in the region, only students, faculty, and staff with a current CU ID may enter Mullen Library at this time. No food or drink will be allowed and a face covering will be required at all times. Thank you for your cooperation!
Services | Available? | Requirement |
---|---|---|
Walk-in library access | Yes, with photo ID | Current ID card required. See mask policy. |
Alumni library access | Not at this time | See Information for Alumni. |
Study in the library | Yes, with photo ID | Current ID card required. See mask policy |
Browse the library stacks | Yes, with photo ID | Current ID card required. See mask policy. Use self-checkout kiosk. Book pickup info |
Printing & computer use | Yes | Print in our computer lab or bring your laptop. See computers or printers FAQ. See mask policy. |
Access Services & Circulation desk | Service desk is open. | Questions? Call 202-319-5060 or email lib-circulation@cua.edu |
Research assistance & Information desk | Service desk closed. Email or call. | Email a Librarian or call 202-319-5070 |
Meet with research librarians | Yes, schedule an online or in-person appointment | Meet with a Librarian or contact a library liaisons |
Library instruction | Yes, instruction offered online only in summer 2021 | Classroom instruction information |
Course reserves | Online-only for summer 2021 (no print items on reserve) | Course reserves information |
Book drop | Yes, behind library or inside | Book drop behind library open 24 hours. Indoor drop during library hours. |
Return books by mail | Yes | See mailing items instructions |
Request items from other universities | Yes, via CLS and ILL | Info about requests. NOTE: print items take longer than usual to arrive |
A photo ID is required for all building users.
All library users, including Vaccinated patrons and Unvaccinated patrons, must wear a mask at all times, in accordance with DC and campus guidelines to protect themselves and those in our community who are unable to receive the vaccine.
Login to on-site computers requires a current CU ID; library visitors can connect their personal laptops to the CU network using the Library's wi-fi.
Here are several easy-to-use options:
Access Services / Circulation Desk. Contact the Circulation Desk staff by phone or email for questions about your library account, borrowing or renewing items, course reserves, and interlibrary loans. Email: lib-circulation@cua.edu and phone: 202-319-5060.
Email a Librarian Submit questions 24/7 and you will receive an email reply on the next business day or sooner.
Talk to your Subject-Liaison Librarian for in-depth research assistance. Book an appointment with a specific librarian using Meet with a Librarian, or you can email or call them. Liaison librarians can help you develop an information-seeking strategy, guide you through finding articles and books, help you use citation tools, and assist as you focus your research.
Call us: for help with research call the Information Desk at 202-319-5070. For help checking out or requesting materials call the Access Services department at 202-319-5060.
Use our book drop or mail the item/s back to the library. Details for each are below.
If you wish to renew a CU or CLS book that you have borrowed, you can do that in My Library Account. For ILL renewals, please email lib-ill@cua.edu.
A note on charges: CU no longer charges overdue fines, but continues to charge fees for recalls, lost books, and damaged books. Fees for books borrowed using CLS or ILL may differ.
We thank those who return borrowed items as soon as possible and make them available to other students and faculty.
*Graduating students who have outstanding loans at the time of graduation will have a hold placed on their library account and be unable to obtain a transcript until their library account is settled.
Yes!
All patrons may browse our SearchBox catalog online using the Virtual Browse feature. To see this, search for a book in our collection and click on the title, then scroll down to the bottom of the catalog entry to find the Virtual Browse section.
Patrons in the library may borrow books by using the self-checkout machine located in the first floor lobby, or by stopping at the Circulation Desk, where a staff member will charge out the item for you.
You may also request a book for pickup through SearchBox. Staff will pull the item, charge it out to you, and email you that the item is ready to be picked up and circulated.
Yes, both physical items and online items are being delivered.
No, usually not. The library needs to manage these uploads in our course reserve system for two reasons:
Yes and no. Course reserves for physical items are suspended for the summer 2021 semester for the below reasons. We cannot reserve physical copies of items owned by the libraries or you personally.
To request a scan for course reserves:
Please speak with your liaison librarian about other options. We may be able to purchase the title as an e-book, or we may scan a portion of a physical book in our collection (within copyright guidelines) that can be linked for your Blackboard class.
Yes, within copyright guidelines. Faculty can request that library scan course texts and upload them through our online course reserves. The library can scan chapters in library-owned books, instructor-owned personal books, and other readings. Instructions are below.
How to have us scan your readings (for instructors):
Things to note
YES, to many textbooks. We suggest these options:
You have online access to many library books, journals, and resources from your computer or mobile device! This includes full-text access to thousands of e-books and articles through the library databases.
YES! To Find Library E-Books: visit our excellent E-Books Guide. There you will see information on finding and accessing e-books, understanding copy and print and download options, and using your mobile device to access e-books
Articles are best found using either our SearchBox (for broad searching) or using one of our discipline-specific journal databases. Here's how to access SearchBox:
The following image shows the A-Z Databases page. Note you may sort the list by subject, database type, or vendor.
Note: when you click a database link you will be prompted to login with your CU Network Login.
You need to enter your Catholic University Network login to access library online resources. If you have trouble accessing one of our databases, there are a couple common reasons:
Our Library 101 Online Tutorial offers a self-paced series of modules that serve as a primer on using our library resources. Each module focuses on a particular step of research, including choosing and narrowing a topic, determining a research strategy, determining where to search, locating resources, and using information ethically.
YES!
Our webpage Online Tutorials about Library Tools includes video tutorials for learning about library features, including how to find books in the library, how to access your account online, and an entire YouTube playlist on how to effectively use the libraries' SearchBox catalog.
Please do!
We welcome you to schedule a Research Consultation. Students, faculty, and staff wishing to get one-on-one help with library tools and resources are encouraged to schedule an individual consultation with our subject-expert librarians. To schedule, please submit a request using Meet with a Librarian or contact the liaison librarian in your subject area.
LinkedIn Learning is an online video training library that provides short videos about all kinds of computing skills and tools. Use it to bridge the gap between the career you want and the skills you need!