Robert R. Muntz library offers extensive collections of both print books and eBooks. Most print books are available on the 3rd floor of the library, although reference materials are on the 2nd floor. We offer eBooks through a number of databases, many of which can be found in the catalog.
If you've looked at our website, you see our search box in the middle of the screen:
You may be wondering the best way to search. If you're looking for a variety of sources on a topic, SwoopSearch is a great place to start - this box will search about 85% of the library collection, and includes books, eBooks, journals, reference materials, and more.
If you know you want a book, use the Library Catalog tab. This eliminates journals and other database holdings, so your results are books, eBooks, and government documents.
Like most academic libraries, the Robert R. Muntz Library collection is organized by the Library of Congress classification system. This means that books are shelved according to subjects, much like a book store would be, but those topics are called by a letter/number combination, rather than a name. This allows for more granularity in topics. For instance, you may look in section "C" for "Auxiliary Sciences of History (General)", but you may be only interested in subclass "CB3-482 History of Civilization", or more specifically, "CB478 (History of Civilization in Relation to Special Topics) Technology".
Why do you need to know that? Well, if you're just browsing for books in a certain topic, it's nice to have an idea where to go.You can find all classifications listed on the Library of Congress website.
The collection of books held by a library is typically called "The Stacks". At Robert R. Muntz, those stacks are located on the 3rd floor. and includes nearly 80,000 volumes. Students can check out books for three weeks, and renew once if there are no holds on the item.
The library also has a reference collection housed on the 2nd Floor. Reference books can't be checked out, but you can scan or copy portions of the book. Please respect copyright laws! In most instances, you are allowed to copy roughly 10% of the total document. Engineering Reference Books are part of the collection. They contain definitions, constants, and other information. Some are available both as reference texts, and as circulating books.
The faculty and past graduates of the College of Engineering also write! You can browse the Institutional Repository for theses, dissertations, articles, and conference presentations submitted by faculty and graduate students. Maybe you'll find your own work there some day!
WorldCat is a global catalog of books you may find useful. You can search for subjects to see if there are great books waiting at a neighboring library, or check the holdings at another library for that one perfect book you need for your research. If Muntz Library doesn't have it, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. You can also get a TexShare card to borrow books from other Texas universities.
Our eBook Collection provides an excellent way to access information 24 hours a day, from anywhere with an internet connection. However, it seems no two publishers or distributors have the same rules for how you can access their content. This makes using eBooks a challenge for library users. The guidelines below provide a quick overview for how to access eBooks that are useful for the engineering sciences.
Generally, it is easiest to access eBooks on you browser - simply find the book in the catalog or database, open it, and start reading! However, many people prefer to check out the book and download it to a tablet or ereading device. If so, you may have to create an account for the database provider. Although you don't have to, you may find it easiest to use your UT Tyler credentials to create those accounts, as your access will end when you leave school.
Please note that some of our eBook databases are demand-driven. That means that you will find books that we don't have access to immediately, but you can submit a request and we may purchase the book. This shouldn't take long, so don't despair! If you have an eBook problem, please contact your librarian.
While we do our best to provide instant access to the best materials to support your research, money and space prevent us from having everything! What we can do is offer two services to supplement our own holdings.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service where we request materials from other libraries around the country and have them delivered here. Books and other physical items will be sent through the mail for pick up here; journal articles and other sources that can be sent digitally will be delivered to your ILL account on the library website. For more information, see the Interlibrary Loan section of our full Chemistry research guide, or visit the ILL page.
TexShare is a program provided through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. You can apply for a TexShare card at the circulation desk, and that card will allow you to borrow from other libraries you visit. For instance, if you find an item available at TJC and don't want to wait for ILL, you can go to their library and use your TexShare card to borrow items. Please note that Tyler Public Library does not participate in this program! For more information, see the TexShare website.