Library tips for new Stanford community members

Welcome to Stanford! We look forward to having you visit us at any of the campus libraries!

Regular library hours resume Sunday, September 25th
Summer intersession hours end and regular fall quarter hours start Sunday, September 25th. Cecil H. Green Library, Stanford's largest campus library, will be open until midnight Sunday-Thursday. Hours for all of the libraries are posted on the Libraries' website. Note that we have reduced hours during holidays and intersession weeks between academic quarters. We do extend some hours for exams weeks. Bookmark our hours page!

My Library Account
Use My Library Account to renew your checked-out items or view the status of items you have requested. 

Avoid paywalls on licensed resources (databases, journals, etc.) by configuring your devices
Follow these instructions to set up your devices to seamlessly connect to thousands of e-resources that Stanford Libraries provides.

Use your mobile phone as your University ID for library entry and book checkout
Your University ID is always required for entering our libraries and borrowing items. You can use your physical University ID Card or configure your smartphone as a mobile version of your University ID Card. Install the Stanford Mobile app, then follow these step-by-step instructions to install the Mobile Key. See an overview of the Mobile ID + Mobile Key program and read the FAQ for more details. Mobile Key is only available to current faculty, students, staff, academic staff, and postdocs. Contact University IT with any questions.

Course reserves for fall quarter - please submit requests ASAP
Course reserves are resources set aside for a specific course, such as books, journal volumes, DVDs, etc., and even streaming media. They are shared by all the students in the course for short-term or limited-access use. Students can find these items at the circulation desk of the designated library.

Instructors, please use the Course Reserves Form to request materials to be placed on reserves for your course. Once on reserve, the materials will show up for students in our Course Reserves List.

• If the library doesn't currently have a resource you would like on course reserve, include it on the Course Reserves Form and we will order a copy.
• If you would like to place personal materials on reserve, complete the Course Reserves Form and deliver these materials to the library. Include your contact information and instructions for returning them to you at the end of the quarter (via Interoffice mail or otherwise).
• Digital reserves materials (such as e-books) may be subject to access limitations, such as number of simultaneous users and circulation periods, just like traditional physical materials.

Please email the course reserves staff for assistance.  

Need an item for your research?
You'll find books and much more in SearchWorks, Stanford Libraries' catalog. You can also search Articles+ for articles, e-books, and other e-resources.

If we don't have an item you need, place a request through Interlibrary Borrowing or Request a Purchase. 

Research help

• Many research services are available, including subject librarians, GIS support, digitization services, and data support and software.
• Our subject specialists collect all kinds of resources to support Stanford research and instruction. They also design programming to help students and faculty navigate our collection.
• And, you can ask a reference question anytime!