COLLECTIONS
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries hold specialized collections by subject (East Asian, Law, Sciences and Engineering, etc.), by type (Maps, Media), by purpose (Current Periodicals, Reference, Reserves, etc.) and by source (Government Documents). Some collections of particular interest are described here. Locate items from all collections through the UMass Amherst Library Catalog.
Current Periodicals - Journals, Magazines, Newspapers . . .
East Asian
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 21st and 22 nd Floors
The circulating collection is located on the 21st Floor. The Collection currently contains approximately 40,000 volumes, of which approximately 60% are in Chinese, 40% are in Japanese, and a small number of materials are written in Korean. The reference collection, which does not circulate, is located on the 22nd Floor in Room 2267.
Government Documents
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 6th Floor. Reference Services available on the Lower Level
The UMass Amherst Library System receives approximately 80% of the publications distributed through the federal depository library program, making the collection the largest depository in Western Massachusetts and one of the top 20 large selective depositories in the nation. The collections include publications produced by Congress (legislation, committee hearings, prints and reports), the judiciary, the executive branch, and by the departments, agencies and bureaus of the federal government. The W.E.B. Du Bois Library is also an official U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository Library. In addition, the University Library System is an officially designated depository of publications for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The collection contains the publications of the state legislature, the administrative agencies and executive offices of the state government.
Law Collection
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 5th Floor
The print collection includes all federal and regional reporters, the complete Decennial Digest series, legal encyclopedias, American Law Reports, Shepard's Citations, Landmark Briefs and Arguments of the Supreme Court, United States and Massachusetts statutes and practice materials, and extensive federal and state tax publications. The Du Bois Library currently receives over 250 law reviews and periodicals. Law-related library databases include LexisNexis Academic Universe, LegalTrac, Westlaw International Political Science Abstracts, Labor and Employment Law Library, and Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS).
Maps
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 2nd Floor
The Map Collection contains more than 110,000 maps, atlases, and related materials, including electronic resources. Map subjects include topography, geology, political boundaries, hydrology, soils, land use, insurance risk, recreation areas, travel and transportation, WWII maps, and a number of other themes. Our maps cover the solar system, the world, continents, oceans, and all countries. There is a special focus on maps of Massachusetts, including historical maps and maps of local areas.
Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies
650 East Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts
Library and research center with collections of rare books, manuscripts, and monographs that support research in Renaissance Studies.
Media - CDs, DVDs, Videos, Sound Recordings . . .
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 3rd Floor
The UMass Amherst Media Collection contains thousands of titles in a variety of formats, including videos, DVDs, CDs, audiocassettes, LPs, and CD-ROMs. Viewing and listening facilities are available when Reserves/Media is open. Tablet laptop computers and multimedia projectors are available for loan to UMass students, who may use them anywhere in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.
Microforms
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 3rd Floor
The Microforms Collection contains many resources, such as education documents, historical newspapers, anthropology and Latin American materials, UMass Amherst dissertations, etc., in a variety of micro formats. The collection is stored in the basement and items must be retrieved by library staff. Reading, scanning, and printing available in the Microform viewing area on the 3rd floor.
Reference
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – Lower Level; Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library (ISEL)
The Du Bois Library Reference Collection includes print resources covering the Humanities and Social Sciences. The ISEL Reference Collection covers the fields of agricultural sciences, astronomy, biochemistry, biology (except medicine and health), chemistry, computer science, all fields of engineering, food science, geosciences, mathematics and statistics, physics, polymer science, and wood technology. In addition, the Library has many reference materials in electronic format.
Reserves - E-Reserves, Music Reserves ...
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 3rd Floor; Fine Arts Center, Room 149A – Music Reserves Lab
The Reserves collections include heavily used items available for limited loan periods set aside by faculty for students in their courses. They are in print, electronic, video, and audio formats.
Sciences and Engineering
Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library – Lederle Lowrise
The collections at ISEL cover the fields of agricultural sciences, astronomy, biochemistry, biology (except medicine and health), chemistry, computer science, all fields of engineering, food science, geosciences, mathematics and statistics, physics, polymer science, and wood technology.
Special Collections and University Archives
W.E.B. Du Bois Library – 25th Floor
SCUA includes manuscript collections and published materials (maps, pamphlets, cookbooks, literary works and more) that document the social, political, economic, and artistic life of the people of Massachusetts and New England, and university records that document the history and administration of the University of Massachusetts.
