Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Community members are welcome to use the library. Miller Nichols Library is open to the public, and all books and physical materials can be used by anyone who visits. Guests are welcome during any of the library's open hours, with the exception that a current UMKC ID is required to enter the building after 11 pm. Community members can get a 2-hour guest log on to a library computer, which provides guest access to many of our electronic subscription resources. Individuals who join the Guest Borrower Program may borrow a limited number of items.

The library catalog lists all the books and eBooks available at UMKC. If you know what book you need, type in the title to search and see if UMKC Libraries has it as as an eBook or a print copy you can check out. For more help, check out our UMKC Libraries Catalog Tutorial.

See printing prices for black and white, color, single or double-sided, and 11x17. 

Add money to your printing quota using the RooBucks account system. Quotas will be refreshed each Spring, Summer, and Fall.

There are printers in both Miller Nichols Library and the Health Sciences Library. Log on to any library computer to send a document to the nearest color or black and white printer. The printers are shown on the library floor plan maps. To print from your laptop, use the UMKC Web Print website to upload your document, and then send it to a library printer.

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended for large research projects and in-depth reference help. Appointments are needed during intersession and during the summer. You can also schedule class instruction.

You can reserve the tabling space that is located in the Miller Nichols Learning Center foyer by contacting the UMKC classroom scheduling office. Email your request to reserve the space to RegistrarScheduling@umkc.edu. 

There is no dedicated space for tabling in the Health Sciences Library. Try contacting the UMKC Office of Student Involvement for more options for tabling spots on the Health Sciences Campus, or on the Volker campus. 

We do not have textbooks at the library but we encourage you to search our resources in case we happen to have purchased a book your professor is using as a textbook. Go to the UMKC Bookstore in person or online to find your textbooks.

Zotero is a research tool that librarians love and recommend to students and faculty because it is both free and easy to use. We also created a Quick Start guide and a tutorial. If you have any questions about the initial setup, please contact us.

After you graduate from UMKC you are welcome to use library resources by visiting the library in person, including a 2-hour guest log on to a computer which provides guest access to library journals and databases. Individuals who join the Guest Borrower Program may check out a limited number of items. Remote library access and services such as InterLibrary Loan are not available to UMKC alumni. 

Connect to the UMKCWPA network and use your UMKC username and password to log on.

Adjust the wireless network settings on your phone or laptop using the  instructions for your type of device.

You can request books and articles from any library in the world by placing an Interlibrary Loan request. 

Log in with your UMKC username and password and request the item you need. You'll get an email when your book or article is on its way. 

You can stop by the Service Desk at Miller Nichols Library or the Health Sciences Library and ask to see a librarian, or go online to make an appointment for a session with a librarian. Appointments can be in person or online. Librarians are also available via email, phone, or live chat. Learn more about your options or schedule an appointment on the Meet With a Librarian page.

No. LaBudde Special Collections is open to the public.

The UMKC Libraries don't have current or online access to the Kansas City Star. We do collect the Kansas City Star but it is on microfilm. See the dates for microfilm for recent issues plus historical access back to 1885. For online access to the Kansas City Star, sign up for free for a local public library card.

No, UMKC Libraries doesn’t manage the Miller Nichols Learning Center (MNLC), even though it is connected to the main Miller Nichols Library building. We are not in charge of the classrooms, lecture halls, or the tabling space in the MNLC foyer. However, library staff are in charge of clearing out and locking the MNLC space at night when the library closes, and opening the MNLC exterior doors in the morning when the library opens. 

Are you struggling to choose a research topic? Here are some things to consider:

• Know your assignment parameters, and choose a topic that fits. Does the assignment provide you with any guidelines on what your topic should be?
• Choose something that's of interest to you. If you don't feel engaged with your topic, the research and writing are going to be boring for you. Think back on what you've covered in class. Is there a subject that grabbed your attention? How might you explore it further?
• Focus your topic to fit the project. Once you've decided on a general topic idea, do some searching in a library database or a news site. This is a good way to see how others have approached that subject. Narrow in on an approach that's manageable and of interest to you. You can always broaden your scope if you can't find enough materials on your topic.
• Still unsure? Talk to your instructor, review this topic tutorial, or chat with a librarian. We'd be happy to guide you toward the right topic and scope for your project.

Yes! Select a color printer when sending a document to print from a library computer, or use the UMKC Web Print website to upload a document from your laptop and send to a color printer in the library at one of these locations:

• Miller Nichols Library across from the Service Desk on the first floor
• Music/Media computer lab on the ground floor of Miller Nichols Library
• Health Sciences Library across from the Service Desk

The Miller Nichols Learning Center (MNLC) has the same hours as the Miller Nichols Library. See the full hours list for hours by day of the week and semester.

When you are unsure of how to start your research, Library Research Guides are an excellent place to begin. Click on the link to the field of study your topic aligns with. You’ll find several suggestions of appropriate research tools for that field of study. Still having trouble? That’s what librarians are for! Contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Yes, with some restrictions. See Circulation Privileges and Loan Periods for details.