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Graduate Centre

Library Services

Information about the Library, it’s collections and services (including databases), can be obtained by visiting the Library’s home page on the Internet at:  http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au

Collections

The Murdoch University Libraries comprise the Murdoch Campus Library, the Veterinary Branch Library and the Curriculum Resource Centre at the Murdoch Campus, and the Rockingham Campus Library in Rockingham, 32km away from the Main Campus.  These libraries hold more than 500,000 volumes of books, journals, and also an increasing number of electronic databases and other non-print materials.

Collection strengths include Asian studies, particularly Chinese language, literature and culture, film studies (there is a significant collection of feature films on video), science fiction, literary theory and Australian popular culture, communication studies, law, theology, environmental studies and veterinary studies.  The Special Collection contains a number of important individual collections, including the Irene Greenwood collection, the WEL papers and the Peet collection of clippings and published material on Singapore and Malaysia.  It also contains good collections of comics, men's and women's magazines, and science fiction fanzines.

Electronic Resources

The collection has been enhanced by an increasing number of electronic resources.  These include indexing and abstracting services which are accessible through the CD-ROM network or via the Internet, and a number of full text databases such as ProQuest, Expanded Academic Index, and the English Poetry Database.  There is also a number of online reference titles which are made available through the Library’s INNOPAC system, including Current Contents.  Another major online database system accessible for teaching and research purposes is Lexis Nexis, which offers full text legal materials, and full text newspapers.  For some of these services, passwords must be acquired from the Library.

The enormous resources of the World Wide Web and the Internet are also available to postgraduates with network access. Training is provided to permit effective retrieval of relevant information and documents.

Borrowing from the Library

You will need a current student ID card in order to borrow from the Library. If you do not already have one, you may obtain one at the Library's Photocopy Centre, immediately inside the Library entrance. Remember to bring your enrolment form with you.

Take any items you wish to borrow to the Easyloan machines near the Library entrance.  If you need help using these machines, or if you have any problems, please enquire at the Loans Desk nearby. You may borrow up to 25 items at a time, to the end of the current semester, or to the end of the summer intersemester break.  Reserve items are for short-term loan only.  Please return or renew your loans by the due date.  Note that all items borrowed are subject to recall at any time.

More information on borrowing (including borrowing from other libraries) and loan rules is available at the Loans or Information Desks, and on the Library's web site: http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/ If you have any further questions please enquire at the Loans Desk, ring the Enquiry and Lending Services staff on 9360 2565) or email loans@portia.murdoch.edu.au

Document Delivery

A Document Delivery service is provided to supplement the collection; this service attracts a fee to cover costs, and Faculties may provide funding for individuals to use the service - Faculty Administrative Officers can provide relevant details.


Information and in-depth reference services

The Information Services Faculty of the Library is divided into a number of Subject Libraries whose staff specialise in particular subject areas.  The Information Desk on the entrance level of the Murdoch Campus Library building provides a general information service.  More in-depth services are provided by the Subject Librarians.   They are available for consultation on a range of issues related to information retrieval (including online literature searching) and management, and view their role in supporting postgraduate research as an extremely important and enjoyable one.   

The Subject Librarians can be contacted on the following numbers:

Humanities and Social Sciences Library  - South Wing Level 2
PH: 9360 2146

PH: 9360 2594

Law  & Business Library - South Wing Level 3
PH: 9360 6283

Science Library - North Wing Level 2
PH: 9360 2763

Library Education and Training Workshops

Throughout the year, Murdoch University Librarians offer Internet, E-mail, Database and EndNote training to all staff and students. These sessions are highly recommended and demand for them is always high. The courses are widely advertised, and bookings are essential to ensure a place in the chosen sessions. These workshops are advertised in the University’s On Campus newsletter, on the Library’s Training Noticeboard (North Wing Level 3), and on the Library’s Web server at

http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au

Sessions are also advertised by the Murdoch University Postgraduate Association (MUPSA) via their email list.

If you have any further queries about the Library’s training workshops, please contact Merrilee Albatis, the Library’s User Education & Training Coordinator on (08) 9360 6604.

Individual instruction in information retrieval is also available by making an appointment with your Subject Librarian - see the contact details above.

Postgraduate Study Carrels

The Library has a limited number of study carrels which may be allocated to students completing a PhD, Doctorate, MPhil, LLM(Research) and DBA (by research/thesis component), and who have not been provided with space elsewhere in the University.  For further information, please enquire at the Information Desk on North Wing Level 3.