Libraries have long been pillars of community, and it’s no different at West Virginia University. As an online student at WVU, your success is supported by world-class library services and staff who strive to support remote learners. During our conversation with WVU Online graduate, Elizabeth Smith, she mentioned the libraries and their resources as a must-use for online students. Elizabeth cites access to a breadth of databases as her top study tip, but the available resources don’t stop there!
In collaboration with WVU Libraries, we’ve put together a collection of resources available to make your life easier and your work better.
Expert Help, Wherever You Are
As an online student with WVU, you’ll never be on your own when it comes to research and writing. Through the “Ask a Librarian” service, you can chat, email, or call a librarian for help with citations, research strategies, and more. If you need deeper support, you can even schedule a one-on-one consultation with a librarian who specializes in your area of study. This is just one way WVU ensures that online students have the same expert guidance as those on campus.
Digital Materials Collection
Both on-campus and online WVU students get access to the library’s extensive collection of digital materials that you can access from anywhere. Browse the selections of e-books, databases, journals, periodicals, videos, and more. Aside from resources tailored to academics, there are countless other stories and information available for you to explore. You also get access to a Libby account, a free app where you can enjoy e-books, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. You can stream titles with Wi-Fi or mobile data, or download them for offline use and read anytime, anywhere, making borrowing and reading digital texts even easier.
Course Materials Made More Accessible
Some professors will make their online course materials like e-books or study guides available through the library. This offers access to free options for materials and makes completing assignments and studying for exams much more efficient.
Research Guides for All Disciplines
As an R1 university, we know how important research is, so ensuring you have the tools you need is important to us. Research needs vary by discipline and project, so thankfully the WVU librarians have created several guides to help online students find the most relevant resources for their work. These guides are broken down by subject area and discipline, helping you keep your search focused on the topic at hand, filtering out some of the less relevant results. These guides host key resources and databases to make finding what you need easy.
Workshops for a Variety of Skills
Online students have access to several workshops available to help with anything and everything related to writing and researching, from publication help to copyright best practices. Many of these workshops are especially helpful for graduate students, offering instruction and advice for thesis or dissertation work. The submission process can involve several steps, and the library will guide you through each one.
The Library is Here to Help!
As an online student at WVU, you’ll have access to library services designed to support remote learners. From research help to digital resources, everything is built to make your academic experience more manageable. These tools are available no matter where you're studying from.