If you've never made use of the Sheridan Libraries, you're missing out. The system's vast resources are available to every member of the Johns Hopkins community, no matter your role—and in many cases, you don't even have to set foot in a library building.
"All you need is your JHED ID to access thousands of resources, including print and e-books, news databases, magazines, financial information, and a lot more," says Liz Mengel, the libraries' associate director of Collections & Academic Services.
Physically, the Sheridan Libraries stretch across several local sites, including the Milton S. Eisenhower Library on the Homewood campus and the George Peabody Library in Mount Vernon. Online, much of the collection is available through a few mouse clicks.
Recently Mengel and her colleague Heather Stalfort, director of Communications & Marketing for the Sheridan Libraries, gave us some insider tips on making the most of your access.
News
Your JHED ID gets you free subscriptions to both The Wall Street Journal (create your account at wsj.com/johnshopkins) and Financial Times (join here).
Also check out the EBSCO Flipster model, which provides full versions of The Atlantic, Forbes, and Fortune; and the PressReader tool, which offers digitized versions of thousands of publications across the world, including The Guardian, El País, Vogue, and more.
Beyond that, the library's vast news database gives you access to text-only versions of major news sources including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Baltimore Sun. That includes not only the current day's news but also archives of newspapers going back as far as the 1600s.
Print Books
Be a part of the "City That Reads"! The Sheridan Libraries collection contains more than 3.7 million books, many of which you can take home with you. Use the library catalog to reserve books online, then pick up later at your closest branch.
If you can't find what you're looking for, there's the BorrowDirect service, which dips into the shared resources of all the Ivy Leagues, MIT, Chicago, Duke, and Stanford. (More info on that here.)
When your book is ready for pickup, you can use the Hopkins Self-Checkout app to skip the front desk. The app also allows you to check out books directly from the shelves.
For latest releases in fiction and nonfiction, make sure to check out the McNaughton Collection at the MSE Library, located on the M Level near the guard desk.
E-books
Through JHU you have access to nearly a million e-books, which you can read directly online or download onto your tablet, laptop, or smartphone. Search through the library catalog to see what's available (instructions here.)
Films
The libraries offer more than 13,000 DVDs for checkout, including titles such as the Beastie Boys Video Anthology, Tom & Jerry's Greatest Chases, and Criterion Collection films, which include important classics and contemporary cinema from around the world. To find your film of choice for the weekend, use an Advanced Search of the library catalog, limiting by format and location. New releases come in frequently to the McNaughton Collection at MSEL.
Investing
Use your JHED ID to access Bloomberg Professional terminals (located in the MSE Library and four other locations), which provide company profiles, real-time financial news, and current and historical financial and real estate data. Or if you don't need to go that in-depth, check out Value Line, a stock analysis newsletter.
Events
Now 88 years old and 700-some members strong, the Friends of the Johns Hopkins University Libraries supports a variety of programming and events throughout the year. This fall, for example, the Friends hosted a lecture by award-winning book artist Maureen Cummings and an opening celebration for the exhibition City People: Black Baltimore in the Photographs of John Clark Mayden, currently on view at the George Peabody Library through February. Stay tuned for the spring 2020 schedule.
Interested in joining the Friends? View all your options here.
Social
Subscribe to the Sheridan Libraries blog to keep abreast of the latest happenings, and follow the libraries on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Questions?
The library's Help & Support page covers a lot of FAQs and includes a link to a live chat option.
If you need additional help or tips on using the Sheridan Libraries, call 410-516-8335, text 410-692-8875, or email ask@jhu.libanswers.com.
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