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Reference Frequently Asked Questions

The Libref email service is provided by the Knight Library Reference & Research Services Department. We can also provide more personalized service in-person or by phone at 541/346-1818.

How can I reach other library services via email?
Book Checkout or Overdues
Maps/Government Info
Newspapers on Microfilm
Special Collections/Oregon Collection

How can I find books and journals owned by the Library?
The UO Libraries' Catalog is available on the web. The Catalog can be searched by keyword, title, author, subject, and call number. Tips for more effective Catalog searching. The FindText service provides the most complete access to full text journal articles available through the UO Libraries. Off campus access to full text articles is limited to current UO students, faculty, and staff.

How do I use electronic reserves for my class?
Electronic Reserves collection provides online access to selected documents on reserve for specific UO courses. Access to these materials is limited to UO students, staff, and faculty. To limit access to students enrolled in the class, electronic reserves require a username and password. The password changes every quarter. Instructors are given the username and password and will share these with you. Students may also obtain them by contacting staff at the Knight Library Reserves and Video Desk at 346-3067. Specific instructions for e-reserves are available.

When I try to connect to databases from off-campus, why does it ask me for a username and password?
The Library licenses access to databases and is required to verify that requests are made by current UO students, faculty or staff. If you are prompted for a username & password, the database does not recognize your request as coming from the University of Oregon network. Go to the University of Oregon Libraries' Web site and try to access the database directly from it.

If you access a database or electronic journal directly from a non-UO Library web site and are asked to enter a username & password, your request has not gone through the library's proxy server. The proxy server allows us to verify that you are currently affiliated with the university and eligible for access. Go to the University of Oregon Libraries' Web site and try to access the database directly from it.

Check all the items below. If you are a current UO student, faculty or staff, the system should prompt you for your name and UO ID.   If you are still having problems, consult Off-Campus Access information or the Off-Campus Access FAQ.

  • Make sure you are connecting to the database directly through the UO Library web pages.
  • Make sure your bookmark is pointing to the correct web address.
  • Make sure that your Internet browser is not a modified or customized one. (i.e. AOL)
  • Make sure your computer or system allows you to access a secure website.
  • Make sure your computer or network does not have a firewall.
 
How can I find older Oregon newspapers?
Microfilm copies of most Oregon newspapers are located in the Knight Library Microforms Department. Most are listed in the UO Library Catalog by title, by city of publication, and by county. For titles not found in the library catalog, check the inventories (by city or by county) of newspapers on microform. Newspapers on microfilm are shelved in the Microform Department by city and then by the title of the publication. Indexes are available for some Oregon newspapers. If you have questions, the UO reference librarians can assist you via email or by phone at 541/346-1818.

How can I request newspaper articles on microfilm?
If you know the location or newspaper name and dates, you can:
  • Borrow a newspaper for certain dates via your local library through the Interlibrary Loan process.
  • Visit the UO Library and use the microforms area.
  • Have the UO Library staff research the newspaper for a fee.
Contact: tamarav@uoregon.edu or (541) 346-1885
Write to: Microforms, Knight Library, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1299
For obituaries provide: full names(s), death or burial date, birth date, county, spouse's name
For newspaper articles provide: author, title, subject, date, publication, city of publication.
Cost: $30/hr. Specify a cost limit. You will be billed for the results.

How do I borrow a book from the UO Library if I am not affiliated with the University?
There are two ways that people not affiliated with the University can borrow books:

  • Get an Oregon Card. The University of Oregon Libraries offer free borrowing to any person who can provide proof of a current Oregon mailing address and is 18 or older. You must register in-person at the circulation desk in one of the campus libraries.
  • Use your local library's connection to a nation-wide library sharing program called "interlibrary loan". Your local library can initiate a request for the UO to lend a book to you via the interlibrary loan process. Libraries only provide this service to other libraries, not to individuals. Contact your local library for the specifics.

How can I find genealogy resources?
Genealogy Resources
Obituaries & Vital Records Information

Where can I find a variety of facts about the UO?

The UO Facts Guide provides a starting place regarding general contemporary and historical information on the University of Oregon.

 
What materials are included in UO's Special Collections & University Archives?
Special Collections and University Archives is the repository for the University of Oregon Libraries' Oregon Collection, rare materials and for the official documentation of the University.

Online Exhibits

Oregon Collection
Since its inception in 1915, the Oregon Collection has become a major resource for information pertaining to the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The Collection provides an extraordinary accumulation of secondary sources which enhance the research potential of the original source materials preserved in Special Collections. The Oregon Collection does not circulate.

Manuscripts - Major Collections
Women in Society collections, Feminist & Lesbian Periodicals, and the Burgess Western European & Near East manuscripts compose some of the major manuscript collections. The manuscripts also contain many collections related to Oregon & Northwest history.

University Archives
The University Archives contains the official records of the University of Oregon dating from 1872.


Is there some online information about some of the Library's specialized collections?

Data for Local Communities
E-Asia Digital Library
Library Exhibits Archive
Scholars' Bank
Special Collections Exhibits Archive


 

Maintained by: Barbara Jenkins, jenkins@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 08/30/2007