The Reference Collection

The Reference Collection is comprised of the most frequently consulted books, including specialized dictionaries, lexicons, Bible commentaries, etc. To make these books available at all times, they may not be checked out, except by special arrangement. Scanner/copiers are available to scan or copy pages needed from Reference books.

Many Reference books are available as ebooks. opens new windowGale eBooks (GVRL) and opens new windowCredo Reference are two of the ORU Library's largest collections of e-reference works.

Librarians are available at the Library Services Desk to help users find Reference works and find resources in the library and online.

Circulating Books:

Books are shelved on the 1st and 2nd floors of the J.D. McKean Library. They are classified, for the most part, according to the opens new window Library of Congress Classification System (LCCS).

The leisure reading (LRC-L) is a collection of popular Christian novels. These are located on the last row of shelves on the 2nd floor.

Faculty check out is 90 days, with option to request a longer period or renew as needed.

No late fees are charged for circulating books.

Reserves:

Books and media which are required for course assignments may be place on Reserve for students to use in the library for short-term check out (2-4 hours or overnight). For more information visit https://library.oru.edu/facultyservices/courseReserves 

DVDs:

DVDs are shelved on the last row of shelves on the 2nd floor of the J.D. McKean Library. They are available for 3-day check-out. Faculty may request longer loan period as needed. You may browse an alphabetical list of the over 375 DVDs online or search the opens new window Library catalog by title, subject or keyword. If you need a video for a class or want to recommend videos to be added to our collection, please send the titles to the liaison librarian who serves your program.

Audiobooks and other audiovisual materials:

Audiobooks (LRC-AV) are shelved on the last row of shelves on the 2nd floor of the library. They are available for two-week check-out. Faculty may request longer loan period as needed.

You may browse this alphabetical list of over 275 audiobooks. (See also a small EBSCOhost collection of downloadable audiobooks available online.)

Streaming Video:

AVON - Academic Videos Online

A comprehensive collection of academic videos curated across many disciplines such as business, theater, counseling, health, history, music and many more. Our subscription allows for limited public screenings (as long as no admission is charged and is viewed on ORU campus), includes permission for classroom showings and ability to embed into D2L. Content includes documentaries, interviews, feature films, news programs, demonstrations, raw footage, etc.

Counseling and Therapy in Video

This series contains more than 2,400 hours of footage from actual therapy sessions, training videos, and reenactments conducted by renowned counseling professionals. Materials are curated and developed to meet the educational and research needs of a variety of counseling curricula.

The majority of the library's current periodical subscriptions are now online, but a small collection of current print magazines, journals and newspapers are located on last row of shelves on the 2nt floor of the Library.

Back issues of periodicals in print and and microfilm format are being relocated to the Library Annex and are available on request. 

The Library relies on the faculty to assist us in selecting relevant books, journals, videos and other resources to build a library that supports our curriculum.

Please send information on any materials you recommend for the library. The library liaison for your department will gladly receive your input.

For more information and to find your library liaison, visit the opens new window Library Collection Development Guide.