Murphy Library

Are there copiers I can use?

Yes! Photocopiers are located on the first floor near the Outreach and Digital Collections Staff Office (Room 118). Black and white copies cost $0.10 per page. Color copies cost $0.50. Scans to your jump drive or email from the copy machine are free.

How do I pay for copies?

Please come to the library administrative office (Room 111), which is open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can assist you with making copies

Do community users have access to a computer within Murphy Library?

Yes! Murphy Library maintains five computers designated for guest access. These are located in the Reference area along the wall adjacent to the Circulation Desk. Black and white printing is available for 10 cents per page, payable in cash or Campus Cash at the Circulation desk. Computers for the general public are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. University users have priority and general public users may be asked to relinquish computers to UWL students, faculty, or staff at any time.

What computers within Murphy Library do students, faculty, and staff have access to?

Murphy Library is the largest open-access computer lab on the UWL campus, with 55 computers located on the first floor. Laptops are available for checkout from the Reserves desk . 

What programs are on the library computers?

All the computers in Murphy Library have popular software as well as some course-specific software. Please visit the ITS classroom and labs software listing for a full listing of the programs available.

Does Murphy Library have scanners?

Yes! Murphy Library has three computers located in the Reference area that are connected to 8.5" x 11" flatbed scanners. Patrons may also use the copiers in the library to scan documents to a portable USB drive or SD card for free.

Can I send a fax from Murphy library?

Yes! Murphy Library has the only fax machine service available to students on campus. Patrons can visit Murphy Library Administrative Office, Room 111, with your documents, fill out a short form with your send/receive information, and have the fax sent.

How much does sending or receiving a fax cost?

The fax service costs $.50 per page to send/receive national and $1.00 per page to send/receive international. Cash or checks only.

How do I get to library resources from off campus?

Many resources, such as the library catalog, library guides, and other web pages are accessible to anyone, from anywhere, without having to log in. However, most information databases require users to log in with their UWL credentials. Find specifics at the off-campus access and troubleshooting pages.

What technology tools and equipment do students, faculty, and staff have access to in Murphy Library?

Flip UltraHD video cameras, iPads, laptops, Kill-A-Watt electricity meters, an Xbox 360 gaming system and games, headphones, a large-print keyboard, a combination keyboard, a trackball with scroll ring, and other items are available for checkout at the Murphy Library Reserves Desk.

How long may I borrow a specific piece of technology?

Please see our table for loan policies for individual technologies.

Does Murphy Library have a lost and found?

Yes! The lost and found is located on the first floor at the Circulation desk. Items not claimed within one week are turned over to the University Information Center and Police Services, which is located in the new parking ramp near Carl Wimberly Hall.

Can I have an exam proctored in Murphy Library?

Murphy Library does not proctor exams. Counseling and Testing, Room 2106, Centennial Hall, can proctor exams for students in correspondence and online courses.

Can I suggest materials to be added to the Murphy Library collection?

Patrons are invited to request materials be purchased for the Murphy Library Collections. Before making a request, please read our General Library Collection Management Policy for guidelines regarding what types of materials will be considered for purchase. Please make your recommendations via our purchase request web form.

How can I give feedback about Murphy Library services, collections, and facilities?

We invite your feedback on all library services, collections, website, and facilities Please make your suggestions via our suggestion/feedback web form.

May I volunteer at Murphy Library?

We welcome and appreciate volunteers. There are opportunities for volunteers to assist Murphy Library in a variety of ways. If you are interested in volunteering at Murphy Library, please submit the volunteer form to the Library's Administrative Office or call 785-8520 for more information.

What projects can volunteers be involved in at Murphy Library?

Depending upon your experience, educational background, time available, and interest, there is a wide array of activities for volunteers, such as

Correcting OCR text for library digitization projects.
Assisting with semi-annual library book sales and other special events.
Developing library displays.
Working on special inventory or cataloging projects.
Working on fundraising campaigns.

If you are interested in volunteering at Murphy Library, please submit the volunteer form to the Library's Administrative Office or call 785-8520 for more information.

Where can I print in Murphy Library?

Students can print from any computer within Murphy Library. Computers located in the Reference Area, main floor work space, and the Quick-Print stations all send print jobs to the Pay-for-Print station located near the reference desk. Students will need to release their print jobs at the release stations using their NetID and password. For a complete listing of print stations and more information on Pay-for-Print, visit the ITS printing page. 

How do I print in Murphy Library?

When you print from most of the computers in the library, your document will be sent to the print release station. You will need to release your document from the print release station by entering your NetID and your Pay-for-Print system information. For more information, please visit the ITS printing page.

Can I print from a personal laptop or tablet?

Yes, students can print from personal laptops or tablets as long as they can connect to the campus wireless network. Please see the remote printing section of the ITS printing page for full instructions and additional information. Library staff assistance is also available at the reference desk during desk hours.

How much does printing cost?

Using your Pay-for-Print account, you will be charged $.05 a page for black and white prints and $0.60 for color prints. Students start each academic year with $1.20 in the printing account. You may go to the ITS printing page for more information about printing and to add funds to your account.

What book and physical resources does Murphy Library have?

All of the books and physical resources available to you at Murphy Library are listed within the library catalog . Feel free to search the catalog on your own or ask a librarian at the reference desk or circulation desk to direct you to pertinent material.

How do I search for books/physical resources in the Murphy Library?

All books and physical resources in Murphy library are searchable through the library catalog . You may also check for books at libraries within the entire UW System collection through the system catalog, Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Loan system. If a book is listed at a library other than Murphy Library, you may request it and receive the book within 2-4 days (if listed at another UW System Library) or within a few weeks (if requested through Interlibrary Loan).

How do I find a book/physical resource within Murphy Library?

If you find a book or physical resource through the library catalog, you will be given the general area where the material is located in the materials catalog listing. These include:

Second Floor Stacks, Second Floor, Murphy Library
Alice Hagar Curriculum Center, Second Floor, Murphy Library
Reference Section, Main Floor, Murphy Library
Course Reserves, Main Floor - Circulation Desk, Murphy Library
Bound Periodicals, Basement, Murphy Library
Microfiche/Microfilm, Main Floor Murphy Library
Multimedia and Periodicals Section, Main Floor, Murphy Library
Government Documents Repository, Basement, Murphy Library
Maps and Flat Files, Basement, Murphy Library
Special Collections, Main Floor, Outside Murphy Library

If you can't find the material in its specified location, please ask for assistance at the Circulation Desk or Reference Desk.

Which materials may I check out?

The circulating collection consists of books, government documents, maps, and microforms. There is no limit to the number of items that you may check out from the general collection. Reference books, periodicals, and materials housed in the Area Research Center do not circulate.

How do I check out materials?

If you would like to check out materials from the library, please bring them to the Circulation Desk with your student/faculty ID or a community borrowing card. Please review our Borrowing privileges page for more information regarding borrower responsibilities, lending times, and library fees specific to students, staff/faculty, community members, and Viterbo and WTC students.

What office supplies does Murphy Library have available?

Murphy Library has basic supplies for student and faculty use within the library. Staplers, scissors, hole punches, rulers, and other supplies are available at the Circulation Desk for use within the library. Paper, envelopes, folders, and binders may be purchased at the campus bookstore.

How do I cite a specific source?

Murphy Library has several resources covering how to write citations in many different formats. Print citation and style guides for various disciplines are located on the shelves next to the Reference Desk. Librarians are also able to help with citations during the Reference Desk open hours. Students can also look over our Citing Sources guide for online support and additional resources.

Can Murphy Library help me find material on a specific subject?

Students, staff, and faculty can interact with our reference librarians through our reference desk to receive research help face to face, over the phone, via chat, or through email. Check out these services here:

Reference Services web page
Reference Desk Phone: 608.785.8508 or toll-free at 800-881-4454.
Reference Desk "Ask-a-Librarian Chat": Click the "Chat with Librarian" link on any library page
Reference Desk email

Our librarians maintain individualized resource guides for certain classes and all subjects. These guides are curated lists of books, materials, and databases centered around a course ( ex. BIO210, CST110, ENG110, ESS115, etc.) or a general subject (ex. art, business, education, medicine, etc.). You can check out all of these guides at the course guides page and the subject guides page.

Students and staff may also request an individual research consultation from one of our librarians via e-mail, phone, or our web form anytime during the spring semester, summer session, and fall semester. Consultations are not available during winter session. During a consultation, librarians will discuss possible research options and will direct you to the different resources available through our library.

Where is Murphy Library located?

Murphy Library is located on the UWL campus near the Recreational Eagle Center, Hoeschler Tower, and Cowley Hall of Science buildings. Please see the Campus Map for more information.

Our mailing address is:

Murphy Library
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1631 Pine Street
La Crosse, WI 54601-3748

What campus offices are housed within the Murphy Library Resource Center building?

Murphy Library houses Upward Bound, Disability Resource, Special Collections and Area Research Center, Alice Hagar Curriculum Center, Writing and Learning Center, campus computer labs, and, of course, Murphy Library. For building maps and facilities, please visit our Maps and Facilities pages.

What kinds of study spaces are available at Murphy Library?

Murphy Library has a broad range of study spaces available to students, staff, and faculty, including the collaborative learning commons, quiet study spaces, computer labs, group study rooms, individual study carrels, seminar rooms, and a SmartBoard room. Please check our study rooms page to see all of our spaces.

What kinds of group study/project spaces does Murphy Library have available?

There are separate group study rooms throughout each floor of the library, each with its own amenities, tools, and guidelines for use. Almost any public space on the library's main floor may be used for group work, but patrons must observe our quiet spaces and code of conduct rules for the second and basement spaces. For more information about all of our study spaces, please see our study rooms page.

Can I reserve a group study room for my next project or group?

All groups study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. View our study rooms page for a full listing of group study rooms and for maps listing all of the group study spaces.

How do I reserve a student, graduate, or faculty study carrel?

Please view our Graduate Student Carrel application to apply for a carrel and to review the rules regarding the use of the carrels.

Where is the Learning and Writing Center located in Murphy Library?

The Learning and Writing Center is located on the second floor of Murphy Library next to the Alice Hagar Curriculum Center. Please visit the Learning and Writing Center pagefor more information regarding the services available and hours of operation for the center.

Can I donate materials (books, periodicals, photos, etc.) to Murphy Library?

Murphy Library welcomes donations of books and other library-related materials to enhance our collections. The scope and size of Murphy Library's collection is due in part to the generosity of past and present donors.

Materials are evaluated and accepted for inclusion in our collections based on their relevance to the university curriculum and research needs of library users as determined by the library's collection policies. Murphy Library reserves the right to decline or dispose of donated materials in a manner that best benefits the library and its users.

All donations become the property of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the State of Wisconsin and may not be reclaimed at a later time. Murphy Library can neither accept gifts on long-term loans, nor can we accept gifts where the donor places restrictions or limitations on use or disposal of such gifts. Generally, library policy dictates that gift material becomes integrated into the existing collections and is subject to the same conditions of use. Please read our General Library Collection Management Policy for more information regarding material donations.

How can I make a Financial Contribution to Murphy Library?

Financial contributions to Murphy Library are always welcome. Please visit the Murphy Library fund page for information regarding donations to the Murphy Library Giving.