Use the library catalog to find print books, print journals, and e-books in the library's collection. To search the catalog, use the search box on the library website. The default setting for the search box is CrossSearch, which is an all-in-one search tool that will look for electronic journal articles, print journals, magazines, newspapers, books, e-books, streaming media, and more. If you know you want to search for books, select "Library Catalog" above the search box. This will let you search for print books, e-books, and print journals owned by the library.
The search results will show the book's location, call number, and whether it is available to check out. The location will tell you which library the book is shelved in: Dinand, Music, Science, or the Worcester Art Museum. The call number will help you find where the book on the shelf. Holy Cross Libraries use a call number system called the Library of Congress Classification System, which uses letters and numbers to organize books on similar subjects. Follow the links below for more information on how to find books by their call number.
All you need to check out library books is your Holy Cross ID card. All students automatically have an account with the library that is linked to your student ID - no need to sign up for a library card! If you found a book (or books) you want to check out, bring them to the circulation desk in the library. The staff member at the desk will scan your ID, scan your books, stamp them with the due date, and desensitize them so you can take them out of the building.
Holy Cross Libraries also provide access to thousands of e-books at no cost. You can find e-books in the library catalog. When you search the catalog, you will see a menu on the right side of the search results with options to narrow your results. Under Format, click eBook to see only electronic options.
When you find an e-book in the catalog, click on the link labeled "click to view e-book" or "click for online access" to access the book.
In most cases, your best option is to use the "Read Online" feature for our e-books. Most e-books have limits on printing. Each publisher has different functionality and rules for downloading and printing e-books. Most academic e-books do not work with devices that you might use to read personal e-books, such as a Kindle or Nook. There is software that you can download onto a PC or iPad, but this can be difficult to use, so we recommend reading online. However, if you would like to download the software, or if you are having trouble accessing any particular e-book, please contact us at libref@holycross.edu.
Holy Cross also subscribes to collections of e-books. When searching within a specific e-book collection, you will be able to search the full text of each book allowing more detailed searching. For example, you may search the library catalog and not find any titles on your topic, but a search in an e-book collection might find a book with one chapter focused on your topic. Follow the below link to view our list of E-Book Collections.
Course reserves are books and other materials that a professor asks the library to have available for students in their class. They are kept separate from the main collection and are available for everyone in a class to check out and use in the library. There are two different kinds of course reserves:
Print Reserves (usually books, CDs, or DVDs) can be checked out from the Circulation Desk of the library where the material is located (Dinand, Science, or Music). Books and other materials are put on print reserve so that everyone in a class or a group of classes can be ensured equal access to them.
Electronic Reserves can usually be found on the Canvas page for your course and might include scans from books as well as links to online books, articles, films, and/or audio. These are materials that your professor has pulled for you ahead of time so that you don't have to locate them on your own.
Books on print reserve will appear in the library catalog with the locations Dinand Reserve, Science Reserve or Music Reserve. You can also browse the Course Reserves List to look up a specific course, instructor, or department.
To check out a course reserve, visit the circulation desk in the library where the book is located. Tell the person at the desk that you are looking for a course reserve. Give them your professor's last name and the title of the book (if you know it) or the course number, and they will help you find what you need.
Present your Holy Cross ID and the library staff will check the book out to you.
You can check out reserve materials for 3 hours at a time and they must stay in the library where you borrowed them. Please try to return materials on time so that other students in your class can use them. Keep in mind that you can always renew the item and get another 3 hours added on to your time (as long as no one else is waiting for the item).
While our collection is primarily academic, we do have a number of novels and fiction books available to check out. Because Holy Cross Libraries use the Library of Congress Classification System, you will need to find novels based on their call number. This is different from a public library, where novels may be shelved by their genre or the author's last name.
For the most part, novels will have a call number that starts with the letter P. Books with P call numbers are on the bottom floor of Dinand Library. If you know the title or author of a book you are looking for, you can search the Library Catalog to find where it is located. You can also ask a librarian for help finding novels.
The Dr. Mark D. Nevins '86 Collection for the Study of Comics and Graphic Novels is a collection of graphic novels and comic books. They are located in the Visual Arts Wing in Dinand Library on the main floor of the library, next to the lobby entrance. Nevins books can be checked out for 28 days. To search the collection, enter the entire collection name in quotes in either CrossSearch or the library catalog: "The Dr. Mark D. Nevins '86 Collection for the Study of Comics and Graphic Novels."
The Library hosts a book club for non-academic reading. The book club hosts monthly discussions about a specific book and monthly "read-ins" where you are invited to bring something you are reading for fun and spend some time reading in a community. The book club is open to all and discussions are structured so you can still attend even if you weren't able to read the book. Email libbookclub@holycross.edu for more information or visit the link below.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service where you can borrow materials from other libraries and access them through Holy Cross Libraries. You can use interlibrary loan for books, book chapters, journal articles, newspaper articles, and more. If there is a book you'd like to read that isn't available in the Holy Cross Libraries, submit an Interlibrary Loan request and we will borrow it from another library on your behalf.
Print books will be delivered to Dinand for you to pick up and digital items will be delivered electronically. ILL is a great way to get access to materials not available through Holy Cross. It's not just for academics - you can borrow fiction novels and leisure reading too!
All Massachusetts residents, including people who attend school in Massachusetts, can register for a free eCard through the Boston Public Library. This eCard gives you access to the Boston Public Library's online resources, including e-books and audiobooks through OverDrive and Hoopla.
As a Holy Cross student, you can receive an ARC (Academic and Research Collaborative) library card that allows you to use a number of different libraries in and around Worcester, including the Worcester Public Library. Visit the Dinand Library circulation desk to get your ARC card.