Dickinson Global Library
Resources and Services for Off-campus Faculty and Students

Welcome to Dickinson Global Library! As a Dickinson community member, you can access a full range of resources and services that our library provides to Dickinson College faculty and students, no matter where you are, including

Who's Eligible

Dickinson registered students or faculty in an off-campus, Dickinson , Dickinson Partner or Dickinson Approved program and faculty abroad on sabbatical leave.

Research Help from Dickinson College Librarians

  • Email - library@dickinson.edu
  • Instant Messaging - AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Skype (screenname: RushRef)
  • Phone - 717-245-1602

Please check Ask a Librarian on the library website for hours. We strive to provide timely assistance for your research needs, including finding research materials, advising on interlibrary and document delivery options, and referring you to other helpful library or college staff when needed, and more.

See also the Ask a Librarian page if you need to get in touch with a specific librarian.

Finding Articles

Using the local library at your site is a valuable part of your global education experience. So please be sure to check out your local library first. If you cannot find the journal article you need there, please follow the steps below to access our journal collection at Dickinson:

  • Go to the list of databases in the library website and search the appropriate databases. If you are not sure which database to use, consult our Subject Guides.
  • If the article you need we only have in print, we can have the article scanned and made available to you. Just fill out the request form for the article you want. You will receive an email notification on how to access the article electronically through Blackboard;
  • For journal titles that our library does not own, please go to ILLiad to request an interlibrary loan. You will receive an email notification on how to access the article electronically through ILLiad or Blackboard. Remember to indicate on your ILLiad request form in the notes field that you are currently in a global education program.

Finding Books

If you cannot find the book you want at your local library, you are encouraged to contact your Dickinson librarian for different ways of obtaining what you want. Then follow the steps below for finding and obtaining books or a book chapter from the Dickinson College library.

  • Search our online catalog to find what books we have on your topic.
  • Fill in the request form to have the book or chapters of the book sent to you.
  • You will receive an email notification on how to access a book chapter electronically through ILLiad or Blackboard.
  • We will loan and mail up to 5 books per semester. Books will be checked out to you for one semester and sent via air-mail. You will be held responsible for return costs or replacement costs for books lost ($65.00) or damaged ($25.00) in the mail.
  • We will not accept ILLiad or EZborrow requests for loans since our agreement with other libraries does not allow us to mail books, audio visuals, and other returnables abroad.

Research Guides

If you need a quick overview of library resources on a specific subject or discipline, go to our Research Guides (under Do Research on the left menu of the library website).

Online Reference Resources

Looking for facts, statistics, or a quick overview of a subject field? Here are some useful online reference resources

Need more? Go to our library database list.

Finding Information about Countries

Please consult the following websites for background information and news about different countries.

You can always Ask a Librarian for any questions you may have about the countries!

Libraries in Study Abroad Countries

If you are interested in finding out what the library in your study abroad country looks like, you can visit the library here online.

"Library Shock!": Tips for Surviving Libraries Overseas

Perhaps you have prepared yourself for cultural shocks in your destination country, but to make the very best out of your overseas experience, you should also be prepared for possible library shocks as well. The library resources there may be better or worse than what we have here at Dickinson , but most likely they will be different. To help adjust yourself to the new resources and services, we suggest that prior to your departure, you should:

    Talk to a faculty member who has conducted research in the country about what to expect in terms of library facilities and services;

    Talk to a student who has been there about their experiences (good or bad);

    Look at the local library's web site before you leave. Some may allow you to access their local catalog enabling you to preview their resources;

    Based on the information, think about what books you may want to take with you or have sent to you; also think about what kind of academic work you want to undertake given the local library resources; and

    Keep in mind that using local libraries is a valuable part of your educational experience abroad. Therefore, try your best to use the local resources even though things may not be as convenient as at your home library.

Finally, you can always count on us to help you out whenever needed. Please keep in touch!