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Basic Library Description

The Walter Schroeder Library was opened in 1980. It was named for Walter Schroeder, a Milwaukee businessman and civic leader. Its fundamental purpose is to help with the academic research and information requirements of the students, faculty, and staff of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The library additionally provides help to all support programs and departments on campus.

The library also makes efforts to provide access to non-academic and recreational types of resources and information. For example, in direct response to student input, the library established a paperback book lounge area. The lounge area features a large variety of paperback books, including novels and New York Times best-sellers.

Picture by Dr. Steven Reyer

The library is appropriately located in the library building. The library occupies the first and second floors; the General Studies Department (including the Technical Communications program), the Mathematics Department, and part of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) Department are all on the third floor, as well as classrooms.

The entrance to the library is on the second floor of the library building. Located on the second floor in the library are the following:

  • Circulation area and front desk
  • A color copier and a CVST terminal (use the CVST terminal to add money to your MSOE Raider plan or check your Raider balance)
  • The AudioVisual Department
    • A 24-hour advanced reservation is required to check our equipment!
  • The Reference section
  • The lounge area for paperback books, current newspapers, social events, special lectures, library exhibits and new book displays
  • Ten PC desktop machines
    • The Library is an Open Computer Lab
    • Desktop PCs feature Internet access
    • Desktop PCs feature access to the MSOE domain, including MyFiles and MyWeb
    • MicroSoft Applications are available (Word, Access, Excel)
    • Networked printer is available
    • Two EPSON Perfection 1660 Photo 1600x3200 DPI scanners
  • Seven study rooms
    • Study rooms 207 and 208 may be reserved
  • Sections A through Z of the book collection is located on this floor
    • LC classification system (alphanumeric call numbers) For a brief, one-page explanantion of how the LC classification system works, click here
    • LC subject headings (controlled vocabulary)
      • For example, "integrated circuits," not "computer chips"
    • Approximately, 45,000 book volumes.
      • More than one-half of the book collectionis devoted to engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry
  • Three PCs with restricted Internet access are available for searching the library catalog
  • The Fred Portz, Sr. Special Chemistry Collection
  • The entire Second Floor of the library is a "Talking Floor." Talking, socializing, group study, and cell phone use are permitted on the entire floor.

Located on the first floor of the library are the following:

  • The print periodical and magazine collection
  • Some special collections are located on this floor (e.g., Senior Design Projects)
  • The MAC Lab
    • 12 Power Mac G5 Computers (each MAC features a 2.0 GHz processor, 1 GB memory, the MAC OS X Tiger operating system, and applications, including Adobe Creative Suite 2 and QuarkXpress 6.5)
    • Ports for 12 laptop connections
    • All students should be able to access the lab with their ID cards
    • The Lab includes a flatbed scanner
    • Networked printer
  • Five PC desktop machines
    • The Library is an Open Computer Lab
    • Desktop PCs feature Internet access
    • Desktop PCs feature access to the MSOE domain, including MyFiles and MyWeb
    • MicroSoft Applications are available (Word, Access, Excel)
    • Networked printer is available
  • A color copier
  • The microfiche collection: The microfiche collection contains microfiche copies of several journals, in addition to more than 10 year's of technical papers published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
  • Two microfiche reader/copiers
  • The University Archive is located on this floor
  • The entire First Floor is a "Study Floor." No talking, socializing, group study, or cell phone use are permitted on this floor.

The library is wireless AND wired for laptop connections!

Many of the study carrels on the first floor have laptop connections, and all of the study rooms are wired. A total of 12 network connections are afixed to three columns on the South side of the library next to the windows overlooking Cathedral Square. A total of 8 network connections are in the Southeast corner of the library in the reading area next to the Fred Portz, Sr. Special Chemistry Collection. The library also has wireless hubs on both floors. With wireless technology, users can connect to the network or the Web from virtually anywhere in the library.


Library Help Resources

Try the following resources to help you with questions about the MSOE Library.

 

  • The MSOE Library Homepage
    • Available at http://www.msoe.edu/library
    • Check out the red navigation bar on the left -- links to major resources are located here
    • Check out Library Resources for information on holdings (such as magazines) and services (such as Interlibrary Loan)
  • The START Library Tutorial
    • Created by three Technical Communications students
    • START stands for STudent Academic Research Tutorial
    • An excellent introduction to the MSOE Library and library resources that can help you with research papers
  • Walter Schroeder Library User's Guide
  • The Library Staff. At least one staff person is on duty at all times when the library is open.
    • You can send email messages to the librarians (see their email addresses in the staff listing above). You can also reach the library by clicking on the library webmaster email links on all of the library webpages.