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Hope Library Guides

Library 101: Your Library "Benefit": Home

Library 101

1. Check out materials!

All students, staff, and faculty can check out items at the library. All you need is your Hope ID card.

2. Not just academic books and articles

You might be surprised what the library has besides academic books and journals—things like:

Don't see the novel you are looking for? Check in Primo to see if it's in a different area of the library.

3. Movies

We have movies! Look up a movie in PRIMO to see if we own it, or simply browse the DVD collection in the library on the 2nd floor.

stack of DVDs

4. Children's Materials

The Curriculum Library on the 2nd Floor contains a wide range of books and materials for children and young adults.

  • Fiction currently divided between picture books, young readers, young adult, and foreign language
  • Non-fiction includes textbooks and curriculum examples

5. Technology Lending

The library also lends technology! Chromebooks and other laptops, cameras (GoPro!), etc.

6. Digital Media Lab

Digital Media Lab is located on the 2nd Floor.

7. eBooks

The library has access to over 721,000 ebooks. The collections are largely academic/non-fiction (but not all!) and almost all titles are accessible immediately. All are easy to read on a computer/browser and many also play well with tablets and mobile devices that can use Adobe Digital Editions for download.

8-10. Primo - library search

PRIMO is the library's main search tool. Use this to explore the collections, both physically held by the library and available online. Find this search box on the library homepage.

After doing a search, you can limit your results by things like "Books," "Articles," "Audio Visual," etc.

You can text the information of a library item (Title, Location and Call#) to your phone, or request that something be put on hold for you. NOTE: You must log into PRIMO to place holds/requests.

11. MeLCat

Already searching in Primo? Look for the MeLCat External Search link to jump your search over to MelCat.

12. Getting past those paywalls

Ever get stuck behind a pay wall prohibiting access to information online? Try the library! Library databases index the full-text content of a wide range of commercial publications. Try searching Primo for the title of the article you are looking for, or just email the link to askalibrarian@hope.edu and we're happy to check for you.

13. NYT, WSJ, Chronicle of Higher Ed

14. Library Databases

Curious about the library's databases? Browse the list here:

15. Genealogy

16. Historic Hope College publications

17. Space reservations

A variety of spaces are available for reservation in Van Wylen. Consult EMS and narrow down to Van Wylen Library to learn more about the spaces and their setup options. (Note: The library restricts access to the primary classroom spaces in the month of September due to our high teaching levels at that time)

18. Recommend books for purchase

You can recommend books or other materials you'd like to see in the library's collection!

19. Curated Displays

Would you like to collaborate with the library on a curated display? Share your expertise, recommend resources, or advertise a campus event alongside library materials. We can do this with a physical display or a digital libguide.

Library Black History Month Display

20. We're here to help!

Help is available both in person and online. The Research Help Desk on the main floor is the primary hub for inquiries of all sorts, but the other service areas are fully staffed and can assist you in getting the help you need.