The UNK Calvin T. Ryan Library is your go-to resource for research, study spaces, academic support, and access to materials that fuel your success. Whether you're looking for help finding sources, a quiet space to focus, or affordable textbooks, the library is here to support you every step of the way.

Explore books, journals, technology rentals, and collaborative workspaces—all designed to enhance your academic experience. Visit library.unk.edu to discover more, or check out the overview below.

Research Assistance

Librarians are available to support your needs—in person, over the phone, or via online chat. Visit the Ask A Librarian page to learn how to connect.

Research Guides: Research Guides are created by librarians to guide you on how to find relevant research. These guides cover a range of topics, from general subjects and how-to guides to specific, course-related information. Many are also linked directly on your Canvas course pages.

Choosing and Using Library Databases: You can find a complete list of library database subscriptions on the A-Z Databases page. Don’t know where to start? Check the subject-specific Library Guide for guidance or ask for help.

Citation Guides: Not sure how to cite your sources? Use these guides to find the right citation format based on your discipline:

MLA: Liberal Arts and Humanities
APA: Social Sciences
ASA: Sociology
Chicago/Turabian: History and Fine Arts

Information Literacy: Learn how to find and evaluate quality information, use it effectively, and avoid plagiarism. Get started with the Information Literacy Guide.

Open Nebraska (ONE)

The Open Nebraska (ONE) initiative provides free or reduced-cost digital course materials, including Open Educational Resources (OER), to make your education more affordable.

Faculty across Nebraska participate by adopting openly licensed, high-quality materials that can replace expensive textbooks. At UNK, many courses use OER or low-cost resources—ask your professors or stop by the library to find out more.

🔗 Start here to explore OER materials

Library Spaces & Maps

The Library is home to a wide variety of services, study spaces, and support offices. Study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you or your student group would like to reserve a room, complete the Study Room Reservation Form.

First Floor

3 study rooms
Meditation room
Librarian and staff offices
Circulation desk (including laptops for checkout)
Dean's Office
Department of Communication
LoperTECH Service Desk

Second Floor

Basement

Curriculum collection
Children’s books & juvenile graphic novels
Curriculum Department offices
Classrooms
Study rooms

Borrowing Library Materials

By signing in to your library account, you’ll be able to:

Access a broader range of search results
Save items or searches for later
View your loan history
Renew items or request materials
See available journals and databases

Sign in whenever you're doing research for the best results and access to full services.

Interlibrary Loan / Document Delivery (ILL/DD)

Need a book, article, or media item the UNK library doesn’t have? Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to request materials from other libraries.

This free service is available to all students, faculty, and staff.

You can request: books, articles, DVDs, musical scores, CDs, and microfilm
Ebooks are not available through ILL
Submit your request using the Interlibrary Loan Request Form

General Library Information

Calendar of Events
Check out events and class sessions happening in the library: Library Calendar

Library Hours
Stay updated on library open hours: Library Hours

Contact Information

Administration Office: (308) 865-8535
Circulation Desk: (308) 865-8599
Find your Subject Librarian
View the Library Staff Directory