A guide to locating biomedical print journals in the library
Biomedical journals, whether in print or electronic format are listed in Lens. If you are having difficulty using Lens or want to confirm the availability or location of a journal, please contact Crerar Reference at (773) 702-7715 or through Ask a Librarian.
Where are the print journals?
There are several locations in the John Crerar Library where biomedical sciences journals are found. In general, most* biomedical journals are located on the first or second floor of Crerar:
- Recent journal issues shelve on the first floor by title
- Older issues and volumes shelve on the second floor by title
In Lens or the Library Catalog, you may see the following locations for journals:
- Crerar, 1st Floor Biomedical Journals = first floor, east of the Reference Desk, shelved by title. As soon as a journal is checked into the Library it will display in the catalog, even if staff have not carried it to the floor yet. If you can't find the most recent issue of a journal, ask for further assistance at the Reference Desk.
- Crerar, Bookstacks = second floor shelved by title. Most older issues of biomedical journals shelve by title on the second floor.
- Crerar, 1st Floor Reserve Desk = first floor, behind the Circulation/ Reserves Desk.
- Crerar, Dewey Collection = lower level arranged by Dewey call number order in compact shelving. Currently there is little information in Lens about which volumes are available, so you will need to check the shelves in person. As a general rule, the most recent issues are no later than 1984. Take the stairs at the west end of the building, and turn left.
*Some multidisciplinary journals that contain information on the biomedical sciences, such as Nature and Science, may shelve with either the biomedical or physical sciences journals; check Lens for locations of specific journals. Some journals in the biomedical sciences shelve on the third floor or on the lower level by Library of Congress Classification. For example, titles related to the laboratory animals (SF) (third floor) and biotechnology (TP) (lower level). Please check the catalog carefully. If the journal does not have a "Shelved by Title" note, and you see that a call number outside of the QH-R range is also on the record, then go the third floor or lower level, depending on call number, and locate the bound journal by its call number. Confused? Please ask for assistance at the reference desk.
Note: Journals are building-use only and cannot be checked out. Please see reference or circulation staff for more information.
What if the journal is off the shelf?
If you've looked for a journal that that is supposed to be on the shelf try these steps:
- Look in the re-shelving areas behind the Circulation/Reserves Desk and on the book carts at the top of the stairwells on the second or third floors, depending on call number.
- Look in the photocopier rooms on each floor.
- Check at the Reference Desk to be certain of your information.
- Stop at the Circulation Desk and fill out a Search Form. (We'll do the looking from this point on.) Searches take between 1-5 working days.
What if the Library doesn't own the journal I need?
Use the Library's free Interlibrary Loan service to request a copy of the article(s) you need.
If you have any questions about resources or services available to the biomedical sciences community please contact Deb Werner, Biomedical Reference Librarian or Christa Modschiedler, Biomedical Bibliographer & Reference Librarian. You may also email the Crerar Reference Staff.
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