FAQ

Is everything the library owns listed in the library catalog?

No. Many government documents have not been cataloged. However, there are number of print indexes that list documents which may be available. Call 918-631-2871 for assistance.

In addition, many microfiche sets in periodicals are not individually cataloged. Call 918-631-2871 for assistance.

Also, there is material in Special Collections that has not been fully processed. Call 918-631-2496 for more information.

Finally, many e-journals are not listed in the catalog.  Always search the Journal Titles list when trying to determine if McFarlin Library has a particular journal.  Contact the Electronic Resources Librarian at 918-631-3793 for assistance.

I've heard you have a lot of material about the Tulsa Race Riot. Where is it?

To locate material in McFarlin Library concerning the Tulsa Race Riot, search the catalog using the subject heading Tulsa Race Riot, 1921. Some material will be found in the Main Collection (identifiable by the location code McFarlin Books). These items may be borrowed. Material in the form of videos and radio broadcasts will be with our other media items. These cannot be checked out, but may be viewed or listened to in the library instruction office. The Mabee Legal Information Center also has information on the Riot.

McFarlin Library's Special Collections Department has one of the best collections anywhere of primary source material on the Tulsa Race Riot. This includes a large number of photographs as well as other unique items. Special Collections is located on the 5th Floor and is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Special Collections materials may only be used under supervision within the department because of their unique and fragile nature. For more information, please contact Special Collections at 918-631-2496.

I understand you have the Bob Dylan Archive. How can I view it?

Although the University of Tulsa has acquired the Bob Dylan Archive, it is not a part of McFarlin Library or any of our departments.

"The Bob Dylan Archive® is a research archive at the Helmerich Center for American Research at Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The materials in The Bob Dylan Archive® are available only for qualified researchers and the archive is not open for public tours." ("Access to The Bob Dylan Archive®," 2018)

Information about the archive can be found on the Bob Dylan Archive website

What should I do if the book I'm looking for isn't on the shelf?

First check the STATUS of the book on its record in the catalog. If the book is in the library the word AVAILABLE appears in the STATUS box. If the book has been checked out by someone else you will see a due date. Go to the Library Service Desk and place a hold or recall on the book. You will then be notified as soon as the book is returned.

If the book's STATUS is AVAILABLE, next check the LOCATION of the book on the catalog record to be sure that you're looking in the right place.  For example, if the location is given as Law Library, you will need to go to the Mabee Legal Information Center to retrieve the book.  If the location is McF Special Collections you will need to go up to that Department on the Fifth Floor to look at the book.  Books in the regular, circulating collection (the ones you can check out) are identified by the location McFarlin Books and are located on either the Main or Intermediate Level.

If the book is AVAILABLE but is clearly not where it should be, go to either the Check Out Desk or the Research Desk and ask for assistance. A staff member will be happy to double-check the shelves to be sure that the book has not been mis-shelved. The Check Out Desk can also conduct a formal search for the book. If the book cannot be found it will be declared missing and you may then place an Interlibrary Loan request for it.

Some call numbers start with letters while others start with numbers. Why? How do I find these books?

McFarlin Library has a book collection that is split into different call numbers systems, reflecting the manner in which the Library has grown and changed over the years.

Library of Congress call numbers

• Books on the Main Level and the East, South, and West sides of the Intermediate Level stacks are classified in the Library of Congress call number system. This system was developed by the Library of Congress in Washington and is used by most academic and research libraries in the United States. It has been in continuous development since about 1900.
• Books in the Library of Congress system are easy to identify because the call numbers begin with a letter or letters of the alphabet. Each letter represents a broad subject area. The letters or numbers which follow designate more specific subject areas. This means that books on the same or similar subjects will be shelved near each other.

Below is a brief overview of the Library of Congress Classification System. If you have any questions or problems finding a book, please ask for assistance at the Research Desk.

Dewey Decimal call numbers

Books in the compact shelving in the Northwest corner of the Lower Level are classified in the Dewey Decimal call number system. Melvil Dewey (1851 - 1931) developed this system while working at the Amherst College Library. It is used mostly by public and school libraries in the United States. It first appeared in 1876.

• Books in the Dewey Decimal system are easy to identify because the call numbers begin with numbers.
• Note: In McFarlin Library, the Dewey collection contains older books, added to the library's collection before 1984. Books added since 1984 are found in the Library of Congress stacks. The majority of the library's Dewey books have now been reclassified into the Library of Congress system.
• If you have any questions or problems finding a Dewey book, please ask for assistance at the Research Desk.

Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) numbers

In addition to the Library of Congress and Dewey books, the Library has a third call number system in use with the Government Documents.  United States Government Documents are shelved on the south side of the Lower Level. McFarlin Library is a "partial depository" of U.S. government documents. This means we receive a certain percentage of everything published by the federal government. Since our government is the largest publisher in the world, this is a huge amount of extremely valuable material available for research purposes.

Items in Government Documents are shelved according to their Superintendent of Documents (or SuDoc) number. This is a unique number assigned by the federal government to every item it publishes. The number is based on the issuing agency.

Many government documents may be found searching the library catalog. They may be identified by the words "McF Government Docs" under LOCATION in the box at the bottom of a record. Many more documents available here are not listed in the catalog.  For help in finding government documents, go to the Library Service Desk.

Below is a brief overview of the SuDoc numbering system. If you have any questions or problems finding a document, please ask for assistance.

Other journals are available partially or wholly online. Can I get to those from off-campus?

The library's e-journal collection is available off-campus only to current students, faculty and staff of The University of Tulsa. You will need to get to the e-journals by going through the library's website or the catalog. Be prepared to log in with your last name and TU ID number.

What standards are available at McFarlin Library?

McFarlin does not collect or provide access to current industry standards.

The Tulsa City-County Library Research Center has selected current ANSI standards. More information is available on the TCCL website.

Current standards may be purchased directly from Techstreet (www.techstreet.com). Techstreet sells standards from publishers that include API, ASME, ASTM, IEEE, NISO, and many others. Their catalog, available on their website, is both searchable and browseable.