Libraries

Periodicals: Introduction

Although periodicals are housed in two branch libraries on campus, and other floors of the University Library, the majority of print-based publications are located on the Third Level.

For a subject approach to periodical information, the necessary indexes, abstracts are in the Reference unit on the Second Level. The Periodicals Holdings List (PHL) records the electronic, full-text titles and the paper holdings of all periodicals owned by Western Illinois University Libraries.

The PHL provides such essential information as:

  1. Links to full-text articles in popular and scholarly e-journals.
  2. The alphabetical placement of the title in the periodicals stacks.
  3. The library's holdings for that title.
  4. The location of the holdings (Periodicals level, other levels of the University Library, or branch library).
  5. The format of the holdings (noted if in microfilm, microcard, or microfiche).

Both bound and unbound current and back issues of periodicals are shelved alphabetically in the Periodicals Main Collection which covers three wings of the Third Level: southwest (A-E), northeast (F-M), and northeast (N-Z).

Periodicals in microform are located in the cabinets in the center of the A-E wing on Third Level. There are three kinds of microform materials: microfilms, microfiche, and microcard. The microfilms are divided into two collection: journal titles and newspaper titles. Operating instructions are attached to the microform readers. Microfilm and microfiche Reader-Printers are available from coin-operated copiers located in the microform collections.

Information about the periodicals collection is available from the Circulation Desk or Reference Desk on Malpass Library's main level.