Information for Graduate Students

Welcome to the GW community! Below, you'll find the resources and services we think will be most helpful for you.

• Get Help
• Inside the Library Buildings
• Articles, Books, and Other Materials
• Software and Technology
• Skill Building

Ask Us

If you have questions or need help, there are many ways to contact us. Librarians and library staff are always here to help you:

• In person: Ask Us Desk at the entrance to Gelman Library, or the front desk of Eckles Library or the Virginia Science & Technology Campus (VSTC) Library.
• Email: AskUs@gwu.edu
• Phone: (202) 994-6048
• Chat with a librarian

• Make an appointment for a remote research consultation with a librarian or instructional technologist for more in-depth research assistance.

For more information, visit the Ask Us page. You can also use the "Ask Us" icon at the top of each webpage.

Inside the Library Buildings

Hours 

Gelman Library is open 24-hours, 7 days per week, during the academic year to accommodate your busy lifestyle. Hours may change for holidays and intersessions, so please check online. 

Graduate Student Study Spaces

The Graduate Student Study Room is a quiet study space on the fifth floor of Gelman Library, accessible via a tap of your GWorld card. The Global Resources Center on Gelman's seventh floor is open exclusively to graduate students outside of it's staffed hours, also via your GWorld card. Learn more about available study spaces on the Gelman Learning Spaces page. 

Reservable Study Rooms

Gelman Library group study rooms offer GW students a private, enclosed atmosphere for group study. Whiteboards are found in every study room. Reserve your group study room.

Closed study carrels are available for reservation by GW graduate students only. Closed study carrels are located on the 4th and 5th floors of Gelman and offer a private, enclosed atmosphere for individual study. Reserve your closed study carrel.

Lockers

Lockers are currently available for rent in Gelman Library on the 4th and 5th floors (located in the hallway past the bathrooms) and the Graduate Study Room (Gelman 503). Learn how to rent a locker for the semester or academic year.

Articles, Books, and Other Materials

Find Materials

Use the online catalog to locate books, articles, and journals. Visit the Find Materials page to find databases, videos, course materials, datasets, research guides, including one just for Graduate Students, and many other types of materials. 

Online Resources 

A large percentage of our resources and services are available online, accessible to you wherever you are!

• Online Books: Access to thousands of e-books from most major publishers.
• Online Articles/Journals: Access to thousands of scholarly journals and millions of articles.
• Online Newspapers: Keep up-to-date with website access to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Additional news sources are available through our over 700 databases.  

Shared Borrowing with Local Partner Libraries

If we don't have it, one of our local area partner libraries may! Partner library print resources will show up in our library catalog, so you have one-stop searching to find all GW and partner library resources. When Covid restrictions are lifted at partner libraries, you can visit the partner libraries to study and check out books. Until then, you can request that the books are brought to your favorite GW Library for pickup. Access to partner library online resources is only available onsite at the partner library location. See Libraries of the Washington Research Library Consortium for more information.

Software and Technology

Specialized Software

GW students have access to many different software packages depending on your school and program. Library computers are equipped with specialized research and programming tools as well.

Check Out Multimedia Equipment

Video production equipment loan, including cameras, lights, microphones, and smartphone accessories, is available to all GW students, faculty, and staff with a GWorld card.

Skill Building: 

We offer a regular series of specialized workshops on topics such as data analysis, learning Python, and Adobe Creative Suite. We also offer you access to thousands of useful skill-building videos via LinkedIn Learning (log in using your GW email) and Safari Tech Books (choose "Institution not listed" and use your GW email to create a free account).