Feb. 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
While Hamersly Library offers book checkouts for students like any other school library, they also offer many other services that students can take advantage of.
Various spaces within the library are a good resource for students who need a place to work. There are study rooms located throughout the library that can be reserved or used on a first-come-first-serve basis. The third floor of the library is also a quiet floor, meaning anyone who works up there must be silent, a great opportunity for students who need silence to focus.
Located to the left on the first floor, students can also find the Writing and Research Center, where they can get help on their writing or with research if needed. Students can make an appointment or come in during walk-in hours. Tutors can help with any type of writing, such as academic or scholarship.
Online through the library website — which can be found in the Portal toolbar — students can find resources like citation guides to help with formatting and references.
Hamersly Library also offers many different types of equipment that can be checked out, such as Chromebooks, video cameras, photo cameras, camera accessories, audio recorders, computers and laptops, tablets, e-readers, iPads and microphones. Because equipment can be required for specific courses and it is often in high demand, lending policies can be more restrictive and replacement fees can be higher. Additionally, specific equipment, like Chromebooks, are prioritized for students who receive Pell Grants and Oregon Opportunity Grants.
Phone chargers can also be checked out for students who may need them.
There are other items available that can be used for recreational activities. Projectors and projector screens are available for checkout if students want to do a movie night, and various board games can be checked out for a board game night. Games available include Apples to Apples, Bananagrams, Catan, chess, checkers, Clue, Cranium, Exploding Kittens, Jenga, List or Twist, Loaded Questions, Monopoly, Operation, Paint Chip Poetry, Really Loud Librarians, Salem 1692, The Deep, This or That, Uno, We’re Not Really Strangers, Where Should We Begin and regular playing cards. Wii consoles, along with various Wii games like Super Smash Bros and Wii Play are also available.
In room 201, there is a digital production studio that has equipment for video and audio recording as well as editing. Reservations are required and can be made at the information desk on the first floor.
Whether in need of academic resources or recreational equipment, students can go to Hamersly Library to take advantage of these many amenities.
Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu
