Western Libraries Accessible Tours

Welcome to Western Libraries! The main library is located primarily in two buildings: Wilson and Haggard, which are joined together on the second floor by the Mann Family Skybridge. Additionally, the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, and University Archives & Records Management are located on south campus in the Goltz-Murray Archives Building.

Wheelchair access to the library buildings is available on the first floor of Haggard Hall. Go in the doors and head to the elevator on your right. The Wilson building can be accessed through this entrance as well via the skybridge. 

The original Wilson building was constructed in 1927, with additions added to it in 1962, 1972, and in 1998-( when the skybridge was added.) The Wilson building was named after the first campus librarian, Mabel Zoe Wilson, in 1964. 

On the second floor of Wilson near the north entrance, you’ll find Zoe’s Bookside Bagels, (also named after Mabel Zoe Wilson), where you can purchase coffee, bagels, and other goodies. A popular spot, it can sometimes be a little busy, and it’s a great place to meet up with others or take a break on your own.

On the first floor of Wilson, you will find the Disability Access Center and Veteran Services and Outreach. You can get to both of these offices from within Wilson by taking the stairs or elevator near Zoe’s Bagels, or from outside the building using the exterior doors.

Close to the north entrance on the second floor of Wilson is the Tutoring Center, where you can get free peer-assisted tutoring for the math and science GUR courses you’re taking, as well as study groups for many math, chemistry, and physics courses. The Tutoring Center also provides study skills appointments - also peer-led - which focus on developing and strengthening study strategies that can ease the transition from high school to college.

While working in the Tutoring Center area, students have access to a wide variety of materials, including calculators, textbooks, and solution manuals. Almost half of all Western students use the Tutoring Center at some point in their time here and many find a second home in this dynamic learning community.

Past the Tutoring Center and heading into Wilson 2 East, you will find the Map Collection, which houses over 75,000 individual sheet maps, many of which focus on the Pacific Northwest and parts of western and northern Canada. The collection also contains a number of atlases, references materials and planetary and terrestrial globes. Types of maps include topographic, trail and recreation, geologic, and much more. The Map Collection also contains spaces for both individual and collaborative work, and is available for students to study and use during all hours the library is open.

The Daylight Lounge, on the second floor of the Wilson east wing,  is a nice, light-filled space great for both individual and collaborative work. Most of the books shown in this section are recent purchases that support Western courses and curriculum.

Across from the Daylight Lounge and near the north entrance of Wilson, there is an Information Desk. During open hours of operation, the person at the Information Desk can answer library-related questions and help with wayfinding.

Just around the corner from the Information Desk on the second floor of Wilson, there is an area known as “The Corner.” The Corner is an inviting cozy area for studying & reading, and sometimes the library will host partners from various university programs who will table about their program and provide useful information for students in this space. For example, in the past the representative from the Basic Needs Program has hosted a weekly info table in this area.

The main elevator on the second floor of Wilson is on the right after you pass the Information Desk coming from the north entrance, and there’s also a staircase that can be used if desired. This elevator is the only one that reaches the 6th Floor of the Wilson building, which is where Special Collections is located.

On the 6th Floor of the Wilson building you’ll find Special Collections. Rare books, historical children’s literature, and materials about campus and local history are among the many things you will find in Special Collections. There is also an exhibition gallery, open to all during Special Collections open hours.

The Libraries also has one off-site location over in the Archives Building on South Campus, which is where the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and University Archives and Records Management are located. Both units, along with Special Collections, are part of Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections.

HEREIn addition to connecting the two buildings, Wilson and Haggard Hall, the skybridge is a popular collaborative area filled with comfortable furniture, and some stand-up computer and printing stations.

On the second floor of Haggard Hall on the east side of the main staircase is the Hacherl Research & Writing Studio. Students of any level or discipline can drop in and work in the Studio independently at any time, and, if you have questions or want to bounce ideas off of someone, you can flag down a Studio Assistant who will work side-by-side with you to give feedback and equip you with strategies to handle challenges such as choosing a research topic, finding and evaluating resources, reading through dense sources, coordinating a group project, organizing your ideas, or proofreading your own writing effectively. You can also work with the Studio by chatting online, by texting a question, or by sending a draft asynchronously (even if it’s just a rough outline) to get feedback within 48 hours.

The Student Technology Center is located on the second floor of Haggard Hall next to the Hacherl Research & Writing Studio. The STC is a great resource for students! Funded by your tech fee, they offer laptops available for checkout, computer assistance, a variety of tech-related workshops, peer tutoring, editing rooms for video editing projects, and other advanced equipment and software.

On the west side of the second floor of Haggard Hall, you’ll find the Digital Media Center (DMC) & additional labs. The DMC is a fully equipped TV broadcast studio. The space is available for use by WWU classes and also hosts workshops for those interested in learning how to use the DMC. Students can make appointments to use the facility when free. DMC staff will be able to tell you more.

In addition to the computer and print stations on the second floor of Haggard, (which are open to all WWU students), there are two instructional computer labs, one in HH 245, (which is a small Mac lab), and one in HH 233 (which is a larger PC lab). Both are open for general use when not being used by classes and schedules can be found posted outside of these computer labs.

Located on the west side of Haggard Hall 2 is the Circulation Desk and Course Reserves. Like the Information Desk in Wilson, Circulation is a great place to start for any library related question you may have.

At the Circ desk you can check out materials using your WWU ID card, and pick up requests on hold, including items requested through Summit or ILLiad. Summit is a consortium of college and university libraries throughout the region. If Western doesn’t own something that you need, we can usually borrow it from another institution for you.

At the circulation desk you can also locate the Course Reserves – items that instructors have set aside for your class in order for you to check out. Additionally, here you will find the lost and found for the library. So if you’ve lost something, check here, and if you find something, please come turn it in so that we can try to reconnect it with its owner.

In the center of fourth floor Wilson, there is the Children’s Interdisciplinary Literature Collection. This particular children’s literature collection is a research collection, so while it is open to all borrowers and the materials can be checked out, you may find things that are different than what would be in a children’s book collection at a public library.

In the center of the fourth floor in Wilson is the historic Reading Room. The Reading Room houses the Northwest Collection (featuring works connected to the PNW’s unique cultural, historical, and environmental heritage). This room has very high ceilings, arched stained glass windows, and large oak tables. Although this room will sometimes host WWU events, when it is free, it is a popular space for quiet reading and studying.

The Bayview Study Lounge on the west side of Wilson’s 5th floor is another area devoted to quiet study space with comfortable furniture, study pods, lots of natural light and beautiful views of the bay.

The entire 4th floor and 5th floor are designated quiet areas. The west sides of the 4th and 5th floors, including the Bayview Study Lounge, have upgraded power and USB charging located between the perimeter windows.

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors of Wilson have Study Rooms around the perimeter of the building as well, which are available for student use on a first-come, first-served basis.