Qatar Library
Welcome to the CMU-Q Library
The CMU-Q Library’s services and resources support the academic and research programs at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Access to a large collection of databases, ejournals, and ebooks are provided both on-site and remotely.
The Library houses a physical collection of more than 15,000 print volumes in major disciplines of Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computational Biology, Computer Science, and Information Systems, as well as general education topics including math, physical sciences, economics, and history.
Materials can also be borrowed from other institutions in Education City.
Library staff members are on-site during all open hours, and can provide assistance in both researching and obtaining resources.
CMU-Q Library policies have been developed with your input to help everyone make the best use of our physical and digital resources. Violations of Library policies may lead to expulsion from the Library facility, fines or worse.
- Respect Library hours and Library staff. Per the Carnegie Mellon Code, “students … are expected to meet the highest standards of personal, ethical, and moral conduct possible.”
- The Library is a quiet zone (unless you are in a group study room). Conversations should be taken outside – your voice carries across the Library louder and farther than you think.
- Group study rooms may be reserved via the Exchange Calendar and are available for active use only.
- Select Calendar on http://exchange.qatar.cmu.edu.
- Addresses are @ Qatar [1153] and @ Qatar [1155].
- Maximum time per group per day: 2 hours.
- Do not leave your stuff in group study rooms during class or breaks. Unattended items may be moved outside the room.
- Bookings that do not follow these guidelines are subject to cancellation by Library staff.
- Individual study areas are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and are available for active use only. That is, you may not “hold” a desk by leaving your stuff on it during class or breaks. Unattended items may be moved outside the cubicle.
- If you are not using a Library PC/Mac, please choose a seat without a computer. Priority must be given to students using the Library’s computers. Take advantage of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) stations if you need to plug in a personal device.
- CMU-Q students, faculty, and staff may access Bloomberg Professional and Eikon services on one terminal in the Library. Ask Library staff for details and location. Additional Bloomberg/ Eikon terminals are available in The Q-Smart Lab and classroom 2035.
- The Library is not responsible for lost items. Left items will be moved outside the Library at closing.
- While it is acceptable to bring snacks and covered drinks into the Library, refrain from eating full meals in the facility. Please enjoy your lunch or dinner in the cafeteria, majlis, or lounge. Despite your best efforts, smells, crumbs, noise, etc. disturb others when you dine in the Library ... and attract insects. Yuck!
- Help keep the Library a clean and safe place to work and study. Clean up after yourself.
- Defacement or destruction of furniture, printers, books, magazines, iPads, calculators, etc. is considered destruction of University property and all incidents of this nature will be reported to Security and Student Affairs.
- Loan periods:
- Books = 30 days (books on course reserve will vary)
- Magazines = 7 days
- DVDs = 7 days (DVDs on course reserve will vary)
- iPads/Kindles = 7 days
- Presentation clickers, wireless mice = 2 days
- Calculators, adapters, converters, chargers, scissors = Same day return; staff will hold your CMU-Q ID at the desk
- Headphones = In Library use only; staff will hold your CMU-Q ID at the desk
- Textbook reserves = In Library use only; staff will hold your CMU-Q ID at the desk
The Library team is here to help you, please ask for assistance.
Also, these policies apply to everyone so do not hesitate to remind your fellow students of proper behavior. Again, the Carnegie Mellon Code states that “… individuals are expected to uphold the standards of the community in addition to holding others accountable for said standards.”
Together, let’s make our Library the best space on campus to learn, research, study, collaborate, innovate, and SUCCEED!
Faculty, staff, and students at CMU-Q have access to the full range of research databases and electronic resources available to students at the Pittsburgh campus. Additionally, the Qatar community has access to a variety of extra resources purchased specifically for us in Qatar.
To access the databases available to all University users, visit Research databases.
To view the range of special resources available for CMU-Q users, visit our Qatar Library Guide.
The Library provides access to thousands of electronic magazines, journals and newspapers. Check out eJournals by title to see if your favorite publication is available.
CMU-Q users might be particularly interested in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
PressReader.com provides the CMU-Q community access to daily newspapers from all over the world – check for favorites from your home country or town.
Print copies of local and international newspapers in English and Arabic, such as the Peninsula, can also be found in the Library.
All of the Library’s 15,000+ print books can be borrowed and taken out of the Library, and new titles are added regularly.
The Qatar Library provides access to more than 3,700 titles (and growing) in eBook format via Kindle. Students, staff, and faculty can borrow a Library device to access the full range of Kindle titles.
Thousands of eBooks are available through the Library’s various databases. The most direct way to access these is through a search in the Library’s catalog.
The Arabic Language collection includes several hundred titles of significance to Arabic language and cultural studies, including literature, history, biography, and poetry. Click here for more information.
A significant collection of Arabic language eBooks is also available to our users through the Qatar National Library’s Al Manhal database.
Visitors to the Library will find special Careers and Test Prep collections with materials dedicated to career planning, job searching, interviewing, and resume building, as well as getting into graduate school and practicing for graduate school entry exams such as the MCAT and GRE.
Visitors to the Library will notice that this collection features travel guides, inspirational works, and travel writing to get you prepared for the next semester break.
The featured titles and new books collection near the front of the Library highlights popular, newsworthy, general interest, and leisure items from our collection, from award-winning fiction to business blockbusters. Make sure to stop in regularly to see what’s new.
The Library has more than 1,000 DVDs in its media collection, ranging from documentary to feature film titles, available for all CMU-Q users to borrow. Downloadable digital films and multimedia are currently available for faculty for classroom use; inquire for details.
You can find more music, film, and video content from the main campus library.
CMU-Q users, by virtue of their residence in Qatar and membership in the Qatar Foundation Education City community, are able to access numerous collections from our partner institutions in the vicinity. These collections include:
Qatar National Library
Georgetown University Library
Virginia Commonwealth University Library
Weill Cornell University Library
Texas A&M University Library
Northwestern University Library
An increasing number of scholarly books and journals are becoming available to everyone, for free, via “open access.” While the CMU-Q Library does not provide access to such materials, they are of course available for use by faculty, staff, and students, and the Library strives to make high quality sources of such material known and easily discoverable by our users. Examples of “open access” material include CMU’s KiltHub Repository, the free e-book provider Project Gutenberg, and the Directory of Open Access Journals. You can learn more about open access here.
All Library staff are able to answer quick questions about how to access and search our catalog; how to find books on the shelves; how to use Library technology and equipment; and other general service questions. Just ask in person during all open Library hours, or contact the main Information Desk at 4454-8683, or email us at library@qatar.cmu.edu.
Undergraduates
Individual and small-group consultation is available for students engaged in course research projects on a drop-in basis during the hours of 8am-5pm, Sunday-Thursday. Students are also welcome to make an appointment with a librarian for research consultation. Appointments are typically 30 minutes. We can offer:
- Guidance using the Library’s search systems and/or databases.
- Recommendations for databases and resources suited to the topic.
- Help with search techniques and strategies, including keyword development.
- Assistance with citation software such as Zotero.
- Assistance with citation styles such as APA.
Contact a librarian for more information or to make an appointment.
Faculty and Staff
Individual and small-group consultation is available for faculty and staff on a drop-in basis during the hours of 8am-5pm, Sunday-Thursday. Faculty and staff are also welcome to make an appointment with a librarian for research consultation or instruction. We can also visit your department meetings to share information or instruction on request. We can help you to:
- Develop and deliver a research instruction lesson/session to your students, in-class, or as a stand-alone workshop.
- Receive an in-depth orientation or overview of our resources in your discipline.
- Understand and navigate Library search systems.
- Learn the content and features of a specific database.
- Discuss any research problems you have encountered.
Contact a librarian for more information or to make an appointment.
Assistance with research from a qualified librarian, including literature search and review, is available for faculty members on a space-available basis.
Sometimes, borrowing material from another of our nearby libraries is the best way to get you what you need. If you know of a book at another Education City library that you would like to borrow, let us know and we will arrange to borrow the book on your behalf – we will even have it delivered to the CMU-Q Library for you.
The Library orders and distributes print and electronic textbooks for the Qatar campus. Faculty can learn more about textbook selection and ordering from their academic departments or the Director of the Library.
Students bring a copy of their course schedule to collect their books from the “textbook store” in the Library from 8am-4pm during the first few weeks of every semester.
At least one spare copy of each textbook is kept on reserve at the Library’s Information Desk for quick reference. Ask Library staff for assistance finding the one you need. Current semester textbooks on reserve are available for use only within the Library. Students may use only one textbook at a time. Staff will hold your CMU-Q ID at the desk. You may not remove a current semester textbook from the Library for any reason, at any time.
Lost Textbooks
Replacing lost textbooks will incur a fee on the student's account. Ask Library staff for assistance with replacement textbooks.
Textbook Opt Out
Students may elect to opt out of receiving textbooks, and thus not pay the textbook fee, for any given semester. Ask Library staff to complete an opt-out form. The opt-out period begins on the sixth day of classes and ends on the fifteenth day of classes (or the tenth day of classes in summer session). Late opt outs may be accepted only with prior approval by Enrollment Services. Freshman students may opt out only with prior approval by Enrollment Services.
Students who elect to opt out may not take any version of the textbook out of the Library (e.g. a new copy, an electronic copy, or a used print copy from the Library's collection). All current semester textbooks held by the Library will be on reserve for in-Library use only.
Before electing to opt out, students should review their course syllabi and/or discuss the option with their instructors to verify whether or not the course requires access to the textbook during class time, for open-book exams, or when the Library is closed. NOTE: If you opt out, you will not be able to remove a current semester textbook from the Library for any reason at any time, including tests/exams.
Once a student opts out for a given semester, s/he may not opt back in. Once a student collects his/her textbooks for a given semester, s/he may not return them in order to opt out. Opt out is an all or nothing decision; that is, a student may not claim any textbooks if s/he wishes to opt out. This includes eTextbooks. If a student receives an eTextbook for a course, including an eTextbook integrated into the learning management system (e.g. Canvas), s/he may not opt out for that semester.
Finally, it is important to remember that textbooks are hand-selected by instructors for each course to support and enhance student learning. Students who opt out of textbooks may adversely impact their educational experience.
The Library provides access to two reservation-based, small-group study rooms. These rooms (1153 and 1155) may be reserved via the Exchange Calendar and are available for active use only. Both rooms are equipped with a large screen and laptop hookups, ideal for working on presentations.
- Select Calendar on http://exchange.qatar.cmu.edu.
- Addresses are @ Qatar [1153] and @ Qatar [1155].
- Maximum time per group per day: 2 hours.
- Do not leave your stuff in group study rooms during class or breaks. Unattended items may be moved outside the room.
- Bookings that do not follow these guidelines are subject to cancellation by Library staff.
In good weather, consider settling into a spot in our outdoor poetry garden. We have provided shade, comfy seating, lighting for when the sun goes down, and plenty of Wi-Fi.
The rest of the Library is filled with nooks, a lounge, and workspaces for independent quiet study. Find your favorite spot on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you would like access to a book, article, or journal that we do not already have, contact us so that we can acquire it. The best option for acquiring material depends on the details of your request – we may borrow it from another library in Education City; purchase a hard copy and have it shipped over; or purchase an electronic copy which can be downloaded to a University device. Get in touch with the main Information Desk, or your favorite Library staff person, for a quick consultation to determine the best route.
Borrow an iPad, Kindle, presentation clicker, calculator, headphones, digital camera, camcorder, or microphone from the main Information Desk. Charge up at one of our mobile device-charging stations. Sit down and work at either a PC or Mac workstation, or connect your own Apple device to an oversize screen and keyboard for productivity.
The Library’s printer room offers self-service printing, scanning and photocopying. Printers are restricted to 20 papers per print job. Double-sided printing is the default. After hours, printers are avilable in the ARC, student lounge, and rooms 1032, 1185, 2035, 2062, and 2163.
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Doha, Education City
Ground Floor, Room 1156
4454-8683
library@qatar.cmu.edu
Director | Teresa MacGregor
Office 1152 | 4454-8591
teresam@qatar.cmu.edu
Library Associate, Acquisitions Coordinator | Evangeline Castillo
4454-8594
ebcastil@qatar.cmu.edu
Library Associate, Facilities Coordinator | Shaima Sheriff
4454-0298
ssheriff@qatar.cmu.edu
Library Associate, Administrative Coordinator | Fabeena Ummer
4454-8593
fummer@qatar.cmu.edu
Library Associate, Textbooks Coordinator | Sindu Velsar
4454-8592
svelsar@qatar.cmu.edu
