You can now search for and request materials held in Special Collections and University Archives directly from Worldcat! This includes books and periodicals from our Rare Book, National Trust Library, Mass Media and Culture, and State of Maryland collections.
When you come across an interesting title in Worldcat and the location is is located as the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library (HBK), use the ‘Request from Special Collections’ link to request the item. You will be prompted to register for a special collections research account (don’t worry, it’s a quick process you only have to do once). Then select your date of visit, submit your request, and our staff will place it on hold for you in the reading room.
Here’s something you’ll find in Worldcat if you search for Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tale, The Raven:
This is a first edition of The Raven and Other Poems published in 1845 while Poe was alive and writing in Baltimore, Maryland! Interested in taking a look? Select the ‘Request from Special Collections’ link to place it on hold for you in the Maryland Room.
Why can’t you find this item on the shelves in Hornbake Library? Items from Special Collections and University Archives have characteristics which set them apart from other libraries, including their rarity, format, or subject matter. So unlike the University’s main library, where you can browse and pull books off the shelves on your own, Special Collections and University Archives materials are located in closed stacks, meaning the bookshelves are only accessible to library staff. And because of their value and uniqueness, items in Special Collections and University Archives cannot be checked out. That’s why you see our items listed as Non-Circulating/On Shelf in the catalog record.
What do you do once you’ve made your request? To view this edition of Poe’s The Raven, visit the Maryland Room, located on the first floor of Hornbake Library. If you made your request in the online catalog, we will have it on hold for you when your arrive. If not, you can ask the librarian at the desk for help searching and requesting materials in our collections. We also have book scanners you can use to scan pages of books and publications to a USB for free!
Learn more in our visiting the Maryland Room in our Using Special Collections Libguide. Or, check out some of our frequently asked questions.
Special Collections & University Archives 