Material that is required or recommended reading/viewing/listening, or otherwise in high demand, may be located in the Reserve Collection.  The primary function of this service is to enhance student access to the material.

The Library maintains a traditional reserve collection, which is housed behind the Circulation Desk, and an electronic reserve collection (ERes), which is available online. 

Material from the traditional reserve collection is available for check-out during all hours the library is open, and loan periods range from 2 hours up to 1 week.  Material in this collection may include:

• Circulating materials owned by Saint Mary’s College Library.
• Personal copies of books, videos, or other non-SMC materials.
• Photocopies of articles, book chapters, test keys, and other items.

Material from the electronic reserve collection is available online 24/7 and is password protected.  Your professor will have the password needed to access the material for your class.  Material in this collection may include:

• Articles, book chapters, test keys, and other items that may be scanned for electronic access.  

Please call the Circulation Desk at (925) 631-4229 for more information.  

To find out whether the Library has a specific book, use the Title or Author search options.

To find out what books the Library has about a topic, use the Keyword or Subject options. Once you find a book on your topic, try clicking the Subject and Call Number links to see other books in the same general subject area.

To find a book in the building once you’ve found it in Albert, look at the Location and Call Number information in Albert. The Location tells you which area of the building it’s in, for example “Reference Room: 1st Floor” or “Book Stacks: 2nd Floor”. Within that area, books are arranged in sequence by the Call Numbers.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for in Albert, click the LINK+ icon to check the combined catalog of our partner libraries.

Or, as always, ASK US!