O'Callahan Science Library
The O’Callahan Science Library has over 95,000 physical volumes and increasing numbers of electronic product occupies the entire first floor of Swords Hall, the central portion of the five-building Integrated Science Complex. The Science Library subscribes to over 50 major article databases just in the science disciplines, which contain access to thousands of journals.
The Library serves Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Computer Science and Physics, as well as the more neuroscientific side of Psychology.
Drop In Hours
In addition to these options, you can always email us at libref@holycross.edu. We will usually respond within 1-2 business days.
You Should Know
For BIOL 163, you should know the following library research skills:
- How to access the libraries' homepage, CrossSearch database, and individual research databases such as Biological Abstracts or Scopus
- How to evaluate resources that you find in a database, and identify various types of articles including primary research articles, secondary review articles, and general articles.
- How to read a citation to identify authors names, article titles, journal titles, volume and issue numbers, dates, and doi numbers.
- How to find the full text of an article, and how to use interlibrary loan to access articles we do not own in the libraries' collections
- How to cite sources in the APA citation format
This online guide covers many of these topics. If you have any questions, please reach out to Science Librarian Laura Wilson (contact information is on the "Help" page of this guide).
Study Rooms
There are four group study rooms in the Science Library. At the current time, only one room, Study Room 1, may be reserved in advance by a member of the Holy Cross community. Study Rooms 2-4 are only available on a first come, first served basis.