Hillman Library may be king, but don’t forget his court

Pitt has many libraries — some would say too many. But to those pernickety fools, I say,… Pitt has many libraries — some would say too many. But to those pernickety fools, I say, “Ha!” Pitt’s libraries form the flagship of its academic fleet. If you need a book, there’s a good chance one of the libraries has it. To optimize the use of your time, it’s best to search online before heading out the door. At http://pittcat.pitt.edu, you can browse Pitt’s libraries by author, title, subject or keywords, and even check to see if the text you want is available online. For when you know where to go, but don’t know which library to choose, here’s a rundown of Pitt’s major players in the library game and where they can be found.

First things first: Hillman is king. Geared toward the humanities and social sciences, it has more than 1.5 million volumes, an army of specialized collections and its very own print center, so you can go from planning your research paper to revising it without leaving the building. Now, with a wireless network service available inside Hillman, and a supply of 30 laptops with wireless Internet connections that you can borrow, you can stay in the building forever.

Hillman even has a coffee shop, the Cup ‘ Chaucer, on its ground floor. Quite possibly the most popular studying site on campus, Hillman can be found at the corner of Schenley Drive and Forbes Avenue.

Want to read more books about engineering? Sure, we all do. That is why our kind administrators have given us Bevier Engineering Library in Benedum Hall. Come for the engineering, stay for the engineering.

The Frick Fine Arts Library is a two-floor work of art. Go there for all of your studio and fine arts needs. It’s adjacent to the Carnegie Public Library, in front of the bridge into Schenley Park and just behind the large copper fountain.

The Business Library is short on summer reading, but full of useful information for students working on business degrees. It’s located on Roberto Clemente Drive, across the street from Posvar Hall.

Once you’re done with your business, pack the calculators, polish the slide rulers and grab your abacus; we’re heading to the Mathematics Library. “But where is it?” you ask. All you have to do is head to Thackeray Hall and then head inside, of course. Spend your Saturday afternoons concocting equations for determining how many books are stored there.

Look for the Music Library on the corner of Fifth and Bellefield avenues. It’s home to, well, music — both recordings and scores. It also has listening stations for your convenience.

Langley Library is on Tennyson Avenue, wedged between Crawford and Clapp halls. In terms of books, it’s mostly for the biology, neuroscience and psychology folk.

The Darlington Collection features a hefty assortment of books about American history and literature, in addition to rare maps and atlases. You can find it on the sixth floor of the Cathedral of Learning.

The Law Library has a special place in every Pitt student’s heart, or at least every law student’s heart — that is to say, every law student who really likes books on law. Cross Forbes Avenue where it intersects with Bouquet Street and stop in some time.

To read about beakers, Bunsen burners and boron, you’ll need to visit the Chemistry Library at 200 Eberly Hall.

On a related note, Falk Library houses information about the health sciences. Falk Library, on the second floor of Scaife Hall, has electronic journals and software packages in addition to books, videos and audio recordings.

Last in this brief overview of Pitt’s library system is the Physics/Geology Library. It services students in need of material in the physics and astronomy department and the department of geology and planetary sciences. Close to Bevier Library, it’s at 208 Engineering Hall.

As you can see, Pitt’s got a library for every need you could have. There’s even more than what is listed here. Explore the University’s Web site for a complete list of libraries and locations, then grab your Pitt ID and start stocking your room with books.