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Click on any of the following links for information:
Debbie Johnson-Houston, Director
The Library is named for the first president of McNeese State University. The collections and services of the Library are designed to complement the educational and research programs of the University.
The original building was erected in 1961. A four-story addition to the original structure was completed in 1974. A repair project is pending.
General Book Collection
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The general book collection is housed in open stack areas and is arranged by Library of Congress Subject Classification. This allows users the opportunity to browse and select books themselves. The location of specific books may be determined by using the online public access catalog. Individuals borrowing books from the general collection must present an official identification card university or Friends of the Library membership to an authorized person in the Circulation Department. Electronic books (e-books) are accessible through the Library’s online catalog and are checked out online.
Books and articles designated by faculty for reading by members of a class may be obtained from the Reserves section of the Circulation Department. The length of time that students may use reserve material is determined by the Instructor. In addition, study guides for standardized tests are also available for limited check-out periods. Individuals must present a university or Friends of the Library identification card to an authorized person in the Circulation Department.
Reference and Information Services
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Personnel are available in the public service areas (Reference, Interlibrary Loan, Circulation, Serials, Government Information, and Archives) to provideassistance to library users. Information service may range from providing a simple direction to a more complex reference transaction involving guidance in location and use of library materials.
The Reference Department houses general and specialized materials including atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, abstracts, and book reviews, as well as many other tools which embrace all academic disciplines.
A growing number of automated services are available for bibliographic searching and information retrieval. Catalogs, periodical indexes, and full-text databases are offered via the LOUIS Information Network. Internet workstations are available in the Reference Room for information and research needs. Librarians are available to provide search assistance. Public access computers and scanners are available in the Reference area. The Reference Desk is staffed during all library operating hours. Assistance for online users is available via phone, e-mail and instant messaging. Reference librarians also conduct bibliographic instruction classes at the request of faculty and one-on-one with students upon request, using the Book-A-Librarian service.
Interlibrary Loan Service
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Through its Interlibrary Loan, the Library will borrow materials necessary for research if the material is not available on-site. Material borrowed on through interlibrary loan is subject to the rules of the lending library. Requests can be submitted electronically. Services have been enhanced by an electronic delivery system, a statewide union catalog, and a courier service.
General information services
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The Government Information collection is located on the fourth floor of the Library. The Library is a selective federal depository for United States government information on various subjects. It is a complete depository for Louisiana documents and receives some publications of international, local, and regional governmental bodies. Federal, state, and international information is accessible in electronic formats. Holdings are listed in the Library’s online catalog and many items may be checked-out. Most of the information is also accessible in electronic format.
Periodicals Collection
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The Library’s periodicals collection is housed on the second floor of the library and includes magazines, journals, and newspapers. These may be available as unbound individual issues, bound back volumes, or as microforms. From the Library’s website, full-text e-journals are accessible from the A to Z list. Readers and printers for microforms as well as video/dvd equipment are available for viewing videos and telecourses. General and specialized indexes and abstracts used for locating information in periodicals are located in the Serials and are available on-line through the LOUIS System and the library’s web page.
Archives and Special Collections
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The Archives and Special Collections Department is a growing resource of historical documents reflecting the history, growth, and development of McNeese, Lake Charles, and Southwest Louisiana. Housed in the department are books by local authors; books about the area; McNeese publications such as theses, the Log, and the Contraband; a large photograph collection; and numerous local history collections, including a collection of the oldest area newspapers. The department also contains a collection of rare books. Historic Photographs of Southwest Louisiana, is an on-line collection of scanned photographs featuring history, culture, places and people of the Southwest Louisiana region.
The Library is a member of OCLC through its regional network, Lyrasis. OCLC is the largest on-line bibliographic utility in the world. It is capable of providing shared cataloging data and access to research collections nationally and internationally through Interlibrary Loan. As a charter member of the Louisiana Online University Information System (LOUIS), the library has an automated link to other academic libraries in the state. The library is a full participant in the Louisiana Library Network (LLN). This alliance of academic, public, and school libraries provides patrons with access to on-line resources which include journal databases, the INTERNET, and holdings from other academic libraries in the state. Additional materials needed to support the university’s academic needs are purchased idependently by the McNeese Library and are available in print or web-based formats. Patrons may now access LOUIS through the library Web site at http://library.mcneese.edu. Off-campus access to licensed resources is provided for the McNeese academic community (and other authorized users) through remote authentication.
A TASC computer lab exclusively for students, equipped with personal computers and copy facilities, is located on the second floor of the library. It is open during most hours of library operation. Users have free access to word processing software, e-mail and Internet based resources. Some full-text materials are accessible via the LOUIS System and the library’s web page. In addition, the library maintains a computer facility in the Reference Department to accommodate the needs of all non-student library users. In addition, the library maintains computer workstations throughout the buidling that are available for all library users.
Photocopiers, audio and video equipment, scanners, large group meeting rooms, group study rooms, and individual study areas are available. A coffee kiosk is located in the lobby.
Friends of the Library
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Membership in the Friends of the Library group is open to anyone. Friends are entitled to all Library privileges, such as interlibrary loan. Membership may be used as a means to place books in the collection in honor of or in memory of someone. Funds generated by Friends of the McNeese Library memberships sponsor special library activities such as readings, lectures, exhibits, and workshops. Friends receive special invitations to all library sponsored events. Friends receive special invitations to all library sponsored events, including the annual Friends of the Library book sale which is scheduled each fall.
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