Ask a Librarian: Research Help FAQ

In Primo, there is a Sign In in the top right corner. For Messiah users (students, educators, staff), click Patron Login and use your Messiah login information. For full access to the library’s e-resources, Messiah users should sign into their library account. 

For Community users (alumni, Friends, etc.), click Sign In in the top right corner. Next, click the Library Staff Login and use the last 8 digits of your card and the login credentials provided to you by the Circulation Desk staff.

Questions? Email CirculationDesk@messiah.edu, call 717-691-6006, ext. 3860, or view the Circulation webpage

Check the hours at Café Diem

Primo is the online library catalog. Primo also allows a user to simultaneously search databases, journal articles, newspapers, streaming videos, and streaming audio. You can limit your search by location, such as Main Book Stacks or Music Score. Search here

Messiah students and staff with messiah.edu login accounts have access to all e-resources off-campus. By using Primo or individual databases, you will be directed to the Messiah CAS login page. Use your Messiah username and password to proceed. Access is available off campus with or without connection to the campus VPN (Global Protect).

Primo is always available for searching, regardless of location, but off-campus access to e-resources is not available to alumni, Friends, community patrons, and retirees.

There are three group study rooms available to patrons in the library (Rooms 116, 118, and 119. Any patron can call (717-691-6006, ext. 3860) or visit the Circulation Desk to sign up for a study room in advance of the date of their requested reservation. Patrons can select which date, time, and room they prefer. 

Same-day reservations can be made by signing up on the clipboard on the individual rooms. Groups consist of 2 to 6 people. Rooms can be reserved for up to 3 hours per day. The rooms are first come, first served, if there are no active reservations.

All returned library materials should be placed in the outside book drop (to the right of the main front entrance) or at the Circulation Desk. The book-drop is always available even when the library is closed. All browsed library materials should be placed on the designated carts throughout the library and should not be re-shelved. The mailing address is:

Murray Library
Messiah University
One University Avenue
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
ATTN: Circulation Dept.

For general questions, please contact CirculationDesk@messiah.edu or 717-691-6006, ext. 3860. Contact librarians at library@messiah.edu with other questions you may have.

View the Staff Directory

A peer-reviewed journal is a periodical where all of the articles are critically analyzed by experts in that discipline before being accepted for publication. Other characteristics of a peer-reviewed journal (also referred to as Scholarly, Academic, or Refereed), are that it contains original research by experts in a field, written for other experts or students, and cites previous research extensively inside the text, in footnotes or endnotes, and in a bibliography at the end.

To find peer-reviewed articles, search Primo. Next, type your search into the box provided and click Search. On the next page you can narrow your results by checking the left-side limiter to "Peer-reviewed Journals."

Murray Library offers free Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services to Messiah students, employees, emeriti faculty, and Friends of Murray Library. Before requesting through Interlibrary Loan, please make sure the desired materials are not available through Primo.

To make a request, please visit the Interlibrary Loan web page and click Request Item.

After logging into ILLiad, look for the "New Request" section in the left-hand navigation. Click the appropriate request type, and fill out as much identifying information as possible. Submitting more information helps to guarantee you get the right material. When finished click "Submit Request."

• Articles or single book chapters can take anywhere between 12 hours to 1 week to arrive. Received by email as a PDF.
• Books can take between 2 days to 2 weeks to arrive. Pick-up at library circulation desk.

Murray Library welcomes visitors throughout the year to enjoy the library and Café Diem. Our building hours may change depending on the academic schedule, so please review the full library hours. Guests and visitors are welcome to use the library’s collections and spaces. Free self-service document scanning and Messiah Guest Wi-Fi is available.

Borrowing privileges are freely extended to the Messiah University community including students, employees, family of employees, retirees, and alumni with proper ID cards, issued by Falcon Exchange. Free library cards will be issued upon request to Pathways Institute members, Hoverter Course students, and ACLCP students/staff with proper ID.

Paid Borrowing Privileges: There is a $35 annual fee to register as a Friend of Murray Library and to get a Murray Library card. This yearly fee extends all privileges to your immediate family and is transferable, making additional registrations unnecessary. Registration fees—payable by cash, credit, or check—are accepted at the Circulation Desk in the Library during open hours.

Articles from newspapers held Murray Library can specifically be found in Primo Newspaper Search. This includes millions of individual articles from several news databases.

New York Times: 1980-present
   • Preceded by The New York Times (Historical), 1851-2017

Wall Street Journal: 1984-present

Washington Post: Dec 4, 1996 - present

See Newspapers Library Guide for more current and historic collections

Due to space limitation both in the stacks and for storage, we no longer accept donations. We recommend the Simpson Library Book Donation Drop Off Center located at 114 North York St., Mechanicsburg or contact a public library near you

The library subscribes to several streaming collections. Search in Primo and limit a search to Video/Film. Search here

Search within individual collections, like Swank, Films on Demand, and Digital Theatre Plus: https://libguides.messiah.edu/streamingvideo

If you cannot find a particular film, search Just Watch to find free or paid streaming options that may be available to you. Interlibrary Loan cannot borrow or secure access to streaming access but can request DVDs. This is a free service to Messiah patrons and Friends.

During the academic year, the Archives is open Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays. Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the Archives (archives@messiah.edu) to confirm staff availability prior to visiting. Due to staffing limitations, the Archives is closed to researchers during summer months (June-August).