Princeton University Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544-2098
609.258.4820

Since its founding more than 240 years ago, the library system at Princeton has grown from a collection of 474 volumes in one room of Nassau Hall to over 11 million holdings in 19 buildings throughout the campus. Firestone Library is the main library, and assumes primary responsibility for the humanities and social sciences.

Within Firestone Library are several specialized Departments:

• Rare Books and Special Collections
• General and Humanities Reference
• Social Science Reference Center
• Circulation Services
• Microforms Service
• Interlibrary Loan Services
• Reserve Collections & Services

Current periodicals and newspapers can be found in the Periodicals & Newspapers Reading Room which also becomes an after-hours study area during reading and exam periods. You may also be able to utilize the graduate study and seminar rooms or the Scribner Room. If you are a junior or a senior Princeton University student, you may be eligible for a carrel (private study room) in the library.

Information Center
Firestone, 1-7-D
Telephone (609) 258-4820
Mary W. George, Head

Located opposite the Circulation Desk in the lobby of Firestone Library, the Information Center is the place to go for directions and for advice about using Princeton's catalogs and collections. Student assistants there can help identify and locate materials in any campus library and will refer users with more complex questions to the appropriate library unit or specialist.

Information Center Hours during the academic year are:
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Hours during break weeks, intersession, and holiday periods:
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Hours during the summer (mid-July until Labor Day):
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Locating Library Materials
For information on books and materials held by the Libraries, the first resource to consult is the Online Catalog. The Online Catalog contains records and holdings information for items cataloged from 1980 on for most locations, including many items published before 1980 - especially periodicals and serials. The Electronic Card Catalog in Firestone contains records for 1,750,000 other titles cataloged before 1980 and should be consulted along with the Online Catalog for comprehensive library holdings. In addition, some information on library holdings must be found elsewhere:

• Books Not Found in the Stacks
  If you do not find the book you want in the stacks, always ask the Circulation Desk. The book may be charged out to another borrower, or absent from its shelf location for other reasons, such as assignment to the Reserve Room, sent to the Bindery, reported lost, or in transit to another location.

• Recalls
  If the book is checked out to another borrower, you may place a "hold" on the book and it will be recalled for your use. A recall notice is mailed to the current borrower, who MUST return the book to the Circulation Desk. Failure to return a recalled book promptly results in fines and suspension of borrowing privileges. When the book is returned, a notice of its availability is mailed to your current address, and the book is held at the Circulation Desk for up to seven days before being reshelved in the stacks. Prompt response to recalls ensures that materials are readily available to all borrowers.

• Traces
  If there is no record that the book is checked out, you may ask that a trace, or search, be performed. A full trace for a missing book may take as long as two weeks, but approximately one third of these books are found within one week. If you have not received notification concerning a trace within 10 working days, please consult the Circulation Desk.