Dear Cardinal Parent,

Hi, I’m Terri Holtze. I have been a faculty member in the University Libraries for 10 years. I’ve worked with a lot of students in that time – at the reference desk, in class sessions, and in private appointments. When I was asked what I would tell parents of freshmen, I thought about all the advice I’d doled out to students in my classes and came up with the…

Top Ten Things Your Freshman Should Know about the University Libraries:

1. Bring your Cardinal Card. You use it to print, copy, check out items, get into the After Hours Study, renew
   your books, and request items from the Robotic Retrieval System.
2. Know your ULink ID and password. They can be used to access hundreds of databases and thousands of
   electronic journals from home.
3. Minerva, the catalog, does NOT search for articles. Use the Subject Guides to find the best article databases
   for your topic.
4. 15-minute rule: if you’ve been searching for something for 15 minutes unsuccessfully, ask for help. You can
   get help from a reference librarian at the reference desk, on the phone, through e-mail, or by making a research
   appointment.
5. Dress in layers: you never know what the temperature is going to be in the library.
6. The library is more than books: you can also check out laptops and DVDs.
7. The Tulip Tree Café serves espresso and Starbucks coffee, pastries, soups, salads, and sandwiches.
8. Ekstrom Library has an After-Hours Study area that stays open 24-hours during the Spring and Fall
   semesters.
9. If the library doesn’t have a book or article you need, we’ll get it for you (free) through Interlibrary Loan.
10. As a part of the Metroversity Library system, UofL students can check out materials from other area
    libraries including Bellarmine University, Indiana University Southeast, Jefferson Community College,
    Louisville Free Public Library, and Spalding Universit