• How do you find public or academic libraries in your area?

  Your local telephone book should provide the names and locations of your public libraries. Look in the yellow pages under the heading "Libraries." Depending on your phone book, public libraries may be listed under government section or "blue pages" as well. For academic libraries, you can usually find information on the school that the library supports under the yellow page headings "Colleges & Universities" or "Universities." Some phone books also have college/university information listed under "Schools" in their government section or blue pages.

  Several library listings are available online at the following:

Public Libraries.com

Libweb

Yahoo! Directories

OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network)-Find an Ohio Public Library

State Library of Ohio-Library Information

OhioLINK Member Libraries

Very often, both public and academic libraries will have their own Web sites where you can access online catalogs of their collections. These catalogs are quite useful because you can determine what items are available prior to making a visit to the library. OhioLINK Member Libraries allows you to access the online catalogs of various academic libraries participating in the OhioLINK (Ohio Information and Library Network) system. Then, the links below are to the sites (or email addresses) of those public libraries within the four county service area of the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College (i.e., Gallia, Jackson, Meigs and Vinton counties):

Gallia County:

DR. SAMUEL L. BOSSARD MEMORIAL LIBRARY--Gallipolis, OH (http://www.seorf.ohiou.edu/~xx129/)

Jackson County:

JACKSON CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY--Jackson, OH (http://www.jacksoncity.lib.oh.us/)

OAK HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY--Oak Hill, OH (http://www.oakhill.lib.oh.us/)

SYLVESTOR MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY--Wellston, OH (http://www.smwpl.lib.oh.us/)

Meigs County:

MEIGS COUNTY DISTRICT PUBLIC LIBRARY--Pomeroy, OH (http://www.meigs.lib.oh.us/)

Branches:

EASTERN PUBLIC LIBRARY--Reedsville, OH (Library Clerk--Diane Hawley, email-- hawleydi@oplin.lib.oh.us)

MIDDLEPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY--Middleport, OH (Library Clerk--Sharon Mattox, email-- mattoxsh@oplin.lib.oh.us)

RACINE PUBLIC LIBRARY--Middleport, OH (Library Clerk--Linda Cozart, phone-- 740-949-8200)

Vinton County:

Herbert Westcoat Memorial Library--McArthur, OH http://vintoncountypublic.lib.oh.us/

• What if the library in your area does not have the item you need?

  Traditional Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services, which allows materials to be borrowed from other libraries, should be available to you through your public library. Contact the public library in your area about its circulation procedures and how to establish borrowing privileges. With academic libraries, however, you may have to be a student or employee to utilize ILL services. Again, contact the library about its policies because they can vary from library to library. For example, the Davis Library has a community patron program for non-students residing in the University's four county service area. These community patrons are eligible for Traditional Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services, but not those offered through OhioLINK.