Kent Library
Kent Library acquires and organizes materials to support the educational and cultural objectives of the University. Librarians assist persons in locating materials and in using available resources. Instruction in identifying, locating, evaluating and using information is provided.
Since the library collection primarily supports University educational and research activities, the subject emphases tend to reflect University curricula. Approximately 400,000 volumes form the major part of the collection, and are easily accessible on open shelving. An additional 16 million volumes of books are available through the statewide MOBIUS consortium. Special materials from unique sources or in special formats further strengthen the collection. The periodicals collection, with its 2,200 subscriptions, contains journals in all of the curricular disciplines, as well as general interest magazines. Newspapers provide sources for research and reading. The microform collection of approximately 800,000 items provides, in compact form, a variety of materials from books to newspapers. Electronic databases supporting the curriculum are also available, including a growing number that provide full-text and full image options.
The Library has been a selective depository for United States government publications since 1916, and in 1977 was designated a depository for Missouri State documents. The documents collection numbers about 300,000 items, and includes materials from various governmental agencies. The Rare Book Room houses the Charles L. Harrison Collection and additional vintage items that require special care for their preservation. The Harrison Collection contains over 800 rare books and manuscripts. The Rare Book Room also houses the Louis Daniel Brodsky Collection, an internationally acclaimed collection of works by and about William Faulkner. Access to the Brodsky Collection is by special arrangement with the library director.
The instructional Materials Center offers access to a wide range of audiovisual materials, a K-12 textbook and curriculum materials collection, and a selective collection of children's and young adult literature.
The Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning, the Writing Center, and an open access computer laboratory are also housed in Kent Library. Various types of study facilities are provided for reading and individual study sessions. The building is enhanced by the Jake K. Wells mural, which depicts the history and development of Southeast Missouri; the Faulkner Mural, which illuminates themes from the life and works of William Faulkner; and the Printers' Marks, stained glass panels reflecting the art and history of printing.
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