Collections
The Browsing collections include popular fiction and non-fiction books, audio books, CDs, DVDs, VHS videos, graphic novels, and video games. These collections are all housed on the main floor of the Library between the Circulation and Reference Desks. Many of the browsing collection titles are paid for by Library fines and fees. Browsing collection titles can be checked out for loan periods that vary by collection. 
BROWSING BOOKS
The Browsing Books collection includes leased and owned popular fiction and non-fiction titles that are arranged by Library of Congress call number. Non-fiction books are marked with stickers to quickly identify them. Fiction books will have call numbers beginning with P (the Library of Congress literature classification). Every year, some of the leased books are added to the Main Collection while older books are cycled out to make room for new titles.
BROWSING BOOKS AUDIO
The Library has a collection of classic and popular audio books on CD and MP3 CD. The MP3 CDs can be downloaded to computers or MP3 players or played with any MP3 CD player. The regular CDs can be played using any CD player.
BROWSING CD
The University has two music CD collections. The Browsing CD Academic Collection (formerly housed at the Center of the Arts) and the Browsing CD Collection. Both collections may be searched by using Research@UWW. The Browsing CD Academic Collection is arranged by Library of Congress call numbers. The Browsing CD collection is arranged by genre and artist/title. See the Browsing CD displays near the Law Collection for more details on the shelving arrangement of the Browsing CD Collection.
BROWSING DVD
The DVD collection is located directly across from the Circulation Desk. The collection is split into two categories: Academic and Feature Film. The Academic DVDs are arranged by Library of Congress call number with Oversize Academic DVDs shelved at the end of the collection. Feature Films include popular U.S. and foreign films as well as television shows and are arranged alphabetically by the first three letters of the title.
BROWSING GRAPHIC NOVELS
Graphic novels use both text and images, in sequential art format, to tell a story. Because the term "graphic novel" refers to format and not content, graphic novels represent both fiction and non-fiction works. The collection is arranged in Library of Congress call number order. Graphic novels that are intended for younger audiences will be kept in the Curriculum (PreK-12) Collections. Graphic novels may be found using Research@UWW, which assigns most of them subject headings of either "graphic novels" or "comic books."
BROWSING VHS
The Library still has a collection of VHS tapes, mainly on academic topics. The collection is arranged by Library of Congress call number and Oversize VHS tapes are located at the end of the collection.
BROWSING VIDEO GAMES
The Video Game collection is intended to support the University's Media Arts & Game Design Program and therefore is restricted to UW-Whitewater faculty, staff and students. The collection includes representative games for Wii, WiiU, Play Station 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita. The Library does not collect every game in every format.
GREAT MINDS
The Great Minds Collection showcases titles selected by librarians and faculty to represent great thinkers, writers and ideas of the world. Three sets of classics form the core of the collection: Great Books of the Western World, Gateway to the Great Books, and the Harvard Classics. The collection draws on ancient and contemporary classics and also features books that highlight important concepts in various disciplines. UW-Whitewater faculty and staff may make suggestions for titles to add to Great Minds. Or they may wish to contribute an annotation for one of their favorite Great Minds books to be posted on the Andersen Library Blog. See the Great Minds guide to submit your suggestions or write a blog entry.
The Curriculum Collection is intended to support coursework and research dealing with children's and young adult literature. Several university departments make use of this collection and it contains a variety of representative materials to support their curricula.
More information about the Curriculum Collection
JUVENILE COLLECTION
A small, representative collection of children's and young adult fiction and non-fiction is shelved in the Curriculum Collection, located on the east end of the second floor. The Juvenile Fiction, Non-Fiction and Easy book collections circulate for regular loan periods.Books for the Juvenile Fiction, Non-Fiction and Easy Book collections are selected based on recommendations from faculty and from award winning book lists. For lists consulted, see the Library Collection Development Policy, Additional Guidelines section F. Curriculum Collection.
More information about the Juvenile Collection
TEACHING TOOLS
A small collection of models, games, kits and manipulatives for teacher education is shelved in the Curriculum Collection, located on the east end of the second floor. This collection has regular loan periods.
More information about the Teaching Tools
PreK-12 TEXTBOOK COLLECTION
The Library provides a representative collection of PreK-12 textbooks for the students in the College of Education and Professional Studies. The PreK-12 Textbook Collection is shelved in the Curriculum Collection which is located on the east end of the 2nd floor. This collection also houses curriculum guides, and some curriculum materials that include resources for teachers which are accompanied by student materials or editions. Materials in this collection circulate for regular loan periods.
More information about the Textbook Collection
TESTS COLLECTION
This collection of standardized tests and other classroom measurement instruments is available to students or area teachers for purposes of evaluation of the assessment instrument. The Tests Collection is shelved in the Curriculum Collection which is located on the east end of the second floor. Tests may be checked out at the Circulation Desk for 28 days.
More information about the Tests Collections
CURRICULUM GUIDE COLLECTION
Andersen Library no longer actively maintains a dedicated print collection of curriculum guides from local, state and federal education agencies and professional associations. Curricula and standards documents are readily available online. Print copies that are acquired will be located in Government Documents or the Main Collection as identified in Research@UWW.
Find additional information regarding the location of curriculum guides and educational standards here: More information about the Tests Collections
The Library has hundreds of online databases that provide access to many resources in a variety of formats including:
- Current and historical journal, magazine, and newspapers articles
- Ebooks
- Streaming films and music
- Legal cases, statutes and regulations
- Digital images
- Company, industry, and investment information
See the Library's A-Z list of Databases for full listings of databases by title and by subject. The Database Funding spreadsheet (coming soon) will specify the funding source for each database.
Main Collection
Most of the Lenox Library’s print books are in the Main Collection and Main Collection Oversize. They are located on the lower level of the Library. These books may be checked out for regular loan periods.
Reference Collection
This collection of background material for research, including encyclopedias and dictionaries, is on the upper floor of the Library. Reference Collection items maybe be checked out for one day.
Periodicals Collection
Lenox Library carries the Janesville Gazette, Beloit Daily News and USA Today on the upper floor. Most library periodicals are online through the databases and ejournals shared with Andersen Library. Lenox Library has a small collection of older bound periodicals on the lower level. Periodicals are for in-library use.
CD Collection & Video Collection
Lenox Library has small collections of academic and popular sound recordings and DVDs. Items are available for 14 day loan periods.
The Main Collection of circulating books is housed on the third floor and is arranged in Library of Congress call number order (A-Z). Oversize books are shelved together at the end of the alphabet and are designated in Research@UWW as Main Oversize Collection. 
NEW ARRIVALS ISLAND
When new materials are added to the Main, Browsing DVD, Browsing Video Game, Browsing CD and Browsing Audio Books Collections, they are shelved at the New Arrivals Island before moving to their permanent locations. These books may be checked out for regular loan periods.
Most periodicals are housed on the first floor of Andersen Library; they are alphabetically arranged and non-circulating. The collection is divided into Current issues, Bound volumes, Newspapers, and Microforms.
Due to space restrictions, some low-use titles are stored on compact shelves in "STORAGE." Patrons can request retrieval of these storage items at the Circulation Desk.UW-Whitewater subscribes to many electronic journal collections and databases that index periodical articles. For a complete listing of journals, magazines and newspapers, please use the Journals tab on the homepage to search for a title or subject. Full-text electronic journals, magazines and newspapers are available through UW-Whitewater subscription and can be found using the same Journals search.
The Reference Collection is intended to assist patrons in locating specific factual information as a starting point for their research. The materials include atlases, bibliographies, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, research companions, statistical overviews, and gazetteers. Highly sought after sources, such as exam study guides are also kept in the Reference Collection. Article indexes are available online, but this collection has some print indexes to older material. Reference Collection items circulate for one day. Material at the Reference Desk is available for in-library use during Reference Desk hours
The Arts Media Center collection is located in the Center of the Arts, Room 16 (lower level). Materials from this collection support the programs in the College of Arts and Communication. Although the collection also contains sound recordings and archival recital tapes, only LP records are reflected in Research@UWW. The CDs from this collection were transferred to Andersen Library in 2012. Material generally does not circulate, but may be used in the Arts Media Center.
Andersen Library is a selective depository for U.S. and Wisconsin government documents. The Library also receives a few materials from international organizations, such as the UN and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Documents provide information useful in many fields, including business, economics, education, health & medicine, history, law, science, and social policy. They come in many formats, including paper, microfiche, videos, CD-ROMs/DVDs and Internet files. Most of the Library's documents are on the first/lower level (south side of the floor).
See below for more detail on Federal, Wisconsin, & International documents.
Also see the guide: How to Find Government Documents/Information
Assistance: Reference Service staff provide assistance with identifying, locating, and using documents housed in Andersen Library, available from other libraries, or provided on the Internet. The Library has an official policy statement on public service provided for depository materials in electronic formats, including Internet resources.
Copying, Printing, Scanning, & Circulation: A photocopier, microfiche readers, scanners, and printers are available. Printing (black & white) from computer workstations is free for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students and staff, but non-University patrons must pay 10 cents per page. Color printing costs $1 per 8.5x11 page for all patrons. Photocopies cost 10 cents per page. Scanners are available for use at no charge unless files are printed (provide your own storage for files if you wish to save them, for example, to a USB drive). The Library's computers require a campus login, but a guest login is available at the service desks. Most documents may be checked out by campus and community borrowers, except periodicals and titles that are rare or especially fragile. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students and staff may be able to request that documents held by other libraries be sent to Andersen Library through the UW Request service (if owned at another UW library) or through the ILLiad Interlibrary Loan Service. Non-campus patrons must request such service through their home academic institution's library, or through their local public library.
Andersen Library has been a Congressionally-designated participant in the Federal Depository Library Program since 1963. Through this program, federal government agency publications are distributed to nearly 1,400 depository libraries across the U.S. to ensure free public access to government information. The Library provides public access to selected documents in tangible formats like print, and also provides access to federal government resources and law/legal research resources on the Internet at Library computer workstations with downloading and printing capabilities.
The south side of the Library's first/lower floor houses most of its federal documents, including microfiche documents in cabinets in the south east corner of first floor. Federal documents in CD-ROM/DVD format are kept in locked cabinets on the 2nd floor; ask for assistance at the 2nd-floor Reference Desk.
The Library's catalog ("Books, Media and more (UW Whitewater)") lists most federal documents in Andersen Library published since 1976 and and some older titles, with links to many that are online. A government-produced listing, the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) may be used to identify U.S. government agencies' publications, including those Andersen Library does not receive:
- The Catalog (CGP) on the Internet lists publications since 1976 (earlier records records for older titles are being added over time)
- paper Monthly Catalog (and preceding titles) located near Andersen Library's Reference Desk list documents published before 1976
- Hathi Trust Digital Library contains many digitized, searchable older documents that either have been removed from Andersen Library's holdings, or that may never have been part of the collection before
Most federal documents are arranged by the Superintendent of Documents ("SuDocs") classification system, which groups documents by authoring agency. For example, all publications from the Dept. of Commerce have classification numbers that begin with C (for Commerce). However, Internal Revenue Service materials' classification begins with T because the IRS is an agency within the Treasury Dept. Congressional materials have classification numbers that begin with X or Y (C being in use for Commerce). An explanation of the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification scheme is available on the Internet.
Documents not available in Andersen Library may be available in other libraries, including other selective federal depositories in the state. Wisconsin's two comprehensive federal depository libraries are nearby: UW-Madison Memorial Library (designated 1939) and Milwaukee Public Library (designated 1861).
Andersen Library and Lenox Library are among the more than 40 libraries participating in the Wisconsin Document Depository Program, the purpose of which is to ensure free public access to state agency documents. Andersen and Lenox Libraries are partial depositories, with an emphasis on education, labor, economic, and legislative materials. The Libraries also provide public access to state government resources and law/legal research resources on the Internet at Library computer workstations with downloading and printing capabilities.
Wisconsin government documents in Andersen Library are located on the south end of the first/lower floor (near Special Collections). In Lenox Library, these materials are on the back wall of the lower level. The Library's catalog ("Books, Media and more (UW Whitewater)") lists all Wisconsin documents available in the collection, as well as many that are available online.
Most of the Library's Wisconsin documents are arranged by the Wisconsin State Document Classification System (Widocs), which groups publications by authoring government agency. Each number begins with an abbreviation for an authoring agency, e.g., publications from the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration have classification numbers that begin with A and materials from the Legislative Reference Bureau have classification numbers that begin with LEG. Publications of the State Legislature, such as the Wisconsin Statutes, have classification numbers that begin with Z. A guide to the Widocs classification system is available in the Wisconsin Document Depository Program Manual for Depository Libraries (Wisconsin documents collection LIB 6/2:D 4/4/1994).
Wisconsin documents that are not available in Andersen Library may be available from other libraries. The most comprehensive collection of Wisconsin documents is at the State Historical Society Library on the UW-Madison campus.
All intergovernmental organization publications held by Andersen Library are listed in the Library's catalog "Books, Media and more (UW Whitewater)" Most of these publications are included in the 3rd-floor Main Collection of books. The Library also provides public access to international government resources and law/legal research resources on the Internet at Library computer workstations with downloading and printing capabilities.
MINDS@UW-Whitewater is designed to store, index, distribute, and preserve the digital materials of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. MINDS@UWW is part of the MINDS@UW, a digital repository for the entire University of Wisconsin System. MINDS content may include research papers, pre-prints, datasets, teaching materials, photographs, videos, learning objects, conference papers, or other intellectual property in digital form. The content is then distributed through a searchable Web interface. Student research includes theses and undergraduate research projects.
Faculty, staff, and emeriti faculty should email a completed signed agreement form and a copy of their research to minds@uww.edu. All faculty research submissions will be accessible via Research@UWW, Andersen Library's online catalog.
Students - Doctoral Dissertations
Students writing doctoral dissertations will be required by the Graduate Office to submit an electronic copy of their dissertation to ProQuest Dissertations and MINDS@UWW. The UWW School of Graduate Studies page has more information, including Dissertation Guidelines. All doctoral dissertations will also be accessible via Research@UWW, Andersen Library's online catalog.
Students - Undergraduate Research
Students participating in Undergraduate Research Day will be invited to submit a copy of their display poster to MINDS@UWW. The agreement form may be printed out and sent to Macaela Willadsen, Coordinator of MINDS@UWW, Andersen Library L1125. All undergraduate research project submissions will also be accessible via Research@UWW, Andersen Library's online catalog.
Students - Graduate Projects or Papers
Students submitting graduate projects or papers may be asked by their departments or advisors to submit copies of their projects or papers to MINDS@UWW. The agreement form may be printed out and sent to Macaela Willadsen, Cataloger, Andersen Library L1125. All graduate research submissions will also be accessible via Research@UWW, Andersen Library's online catalog.
That will depend on the arrangement with your publisher. The FAQ - MINDS@UW page discusses this topic in more detail.
If you would like to have a bound copy of your dissertation, thesis, or paper, Grimm Book Bindery in Madison offers binding services in a variety of styles. Please see their How to Order page for information, pricing, and order forms.
If you have questions about submitting your work, please email minds@uww.edu.
If you wish to make a donation in kind, please download and fill out the Library Gifts Policy Form (PDF).
All donations are reviewed by subject Librarians for inclusion in our collection. If an item is not added to our collection it is sent to Better World Books through their library program. Either way, your donation will directly benefit the Library.
Guidelines for material the Library will accept:
- Books in good condition (no rips/tears/brittle pages; no mold or mildew; no excessive marking) published in last 20 years OR before 1930
- Book exceptions:
- Pivotal texts in a field that are older than 20 years are acceptable
- College textbooks published only in last 10 years are acceptable
- Children’s textbooks published before 1960 are acceptable
- Book exceptions:
- Media in good condition:
- DVDs and CDs of any era
- Console-based video games published in last 10 years (Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, WiiU)
We do not accept:
- Journals, magazines & newspapers
- Mass market paperbacks (usually 4” x 7” paperbacks printed on cheap paper)
- VHS or other legacy video formats
- Cassette tapes, vinyl records or other legacy audio formats
- Any other format the Library does not currently collect
