Welcome Guide for International Students and Scholars: Collections

We have books in different formats: paper and electronic. We also have books in many locations- in the libraries on the shelves, in our offsite repository on shelves, and electronically, While our catalog covers all location and formats, there are also databases just of e-books in our Databases, e-Resources, and Tools list. The 3 Pittsburgh libraries focus on different subjects:
Hunt Library: Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, including Business and Law
Mellon Institute Library: Biology and Chemistry
Sorrells: Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Robotics

In addition to databases that provide full text of articles, books, dissertations, and/or citations and abstracts of the same, we also offer tools that support the research process.

Some libraries are government depository libraries (like the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Library), meaning they must get a certain percentage of published documents and make them available to the public. CMU's libraries are NOT a depository, but we still have access to lots of government documents in paper, electronically, and via microfiche.

A comprehensive institutional repository, maintained by the University Libraries and hosted on the figshare platform, where Carnegie Mellon University researchers and their collaborators can share the scholarly outputs and research data produced in the course of their research. KiltHub curates, collects, preserves, and provides open access to this material as part of the Libraries' committment to open scholarship and collaboration.

Some journals, newspapers, and research collections are available on microform. Microform items have been filmed with reduced images, and need a microform reader to enlarge the images so they can be read. There are 2 formats: microfiche - a flat card with images, and microfilm - a roll of film with the reduced images. Readers and a reader/scanner are on the 3rd floor of Hunt.

While we do get some newspapers in paper, most are accessed on the Web via databases.

Important, low use print items have been moved to our Offsite Repository on Penn Avenue. Not a place patrons can visit, requests for materials are placed through our catalog.

Includes more than 1,000 volumes of great books that document ideas that have shaped the world. Starting with literature and decorative books arts, Henry Posner Sr. collected from 1924 to 1973. After 1950, he focused on the history of science. Mr. and Mrs. Posner also collected small objets d’art in glass, ivory, jade and other minerals from Asia and Europe.

Reserve materials are items that are required reading/viewing, etc. for a particular class. Teaching faculty complete a form for each item they want to place on reserve. Some items will be linked electronically, those in print will be held behind circulations desks, with limited checkout periods and often, with in library use only. Physical reserve items can be found at Sorrells and Hunt. The catalog will give exact locations and/or links for items available electronically.

Carnegie Mellon University’s repository for rare books, manuscripts, and early scientific instruments and calculating machines. It is open to all members of the CMU community and the public for research and instruction.

Documents that describes the process, progress, or results of technical or scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. They are prepared for internal or wider distribution by many organizations. Technical reports often present cutting edge research before being published in journals or conferences.

Responsible for documenting and preserving the history of the university from its founding in 1900 to the present day.