RUC Library

We are a health-sciences-focused library located on the 5th floor of the Roanoke Community Hospital Building. This library serves the information and research needs of the Radford University community in Roanoke, Virginia.

As a member of that community, you can work with health sciences librarians (in person, via chat and email, and through phone calls and Zoom sessions.) We have a collection of specialized, health-care-related books and materials at RUC and you can also use the books and other items housed at Radford's main campus library. You also have access to over 300 databases, a collection of popular reading fiction, a 20-computer lab & two combination printer/scanner/copiers. Additionally, you are welcome to attend our regular events and programming throughout the year.

For more information about how to get started using the RUC Library, please see this list of resources below:

  • Find places to study in the library (individually or as a group) as well as the location of library computers and printers using the RUC Library Map [PDF.]
  • Learn more about how to get the most out of your RUC Library experience by enrolling in our D2L Course called Using the RUC Library.
  • And before you get started searching our resources, please review our tips and tricks for Getting Started With Searching.

Free Online Textbooks Available on a Read-to-Know Basis

Contact Us

  • For assistance, email ruclibrary@radford.edu, call the front desk at 540-831-2272, or see staff directory below.
  • You can also use our chat service by clicking the "Ask RUC Librarian" button in the upper, left-hand corner of the page. This chat service is available 24/7, but is staffed by RUC Librarians during business hours.
  • To learn more about us, visit the page called "Meet the RUC Library" in our D2L course.
Price-Jamie

Jamie Price (Asst. Prof.)
Head of RUC Library
jprice13@radford.edu
540-831-1661

Cooke-Rhiannon

Rhiannon Cooke
Circulation Coordinator
RUC LIbrary
recooke@radford.edu
540-831-1875

Santoro-MaryCatherine

Mary Catherine Santoro (Asst. Prof.)
Clinical Instruction and
Outreach Librarian
RUC Library, Research Services
msantoro@radford.edu
540-831-1823

Dent-Crystal

Crystal Dent
Library Specialist
RUC Library, Technical Services
cdent1@radford.edu
540-831-1346

Manzo-Christina

Christina Manzo (Asst. Prof)
User Experience and Assessment Librarian
RUC Library, Research Services
cmanzo4@radford.edu
540-831-1348
 

Using the RUC Library

               

Searching for Articles

As a member of the Radford University community, you have access to over 300 databases.

To find a particular database or browse the full list of titles, use the A-Z databases list.

Searching a wide selection of EBSCO databases is often a great place to start your research. You can search all of our EBSCO databases (including titles like CINAHL and MEDLINE) at once by using the link above and manually selecting the databases you'd like to search, or clicking "Select / Deselect All" in the top, left-hand corner of the screen.

We also provide lists of databases recommended for particular subjects or programs based in Roanoke, like the ones below:

Some of the RUC Library's most used resources are:

Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)

PubMed  

  • To learn how to get started searching in PubMed, see our online How-To Guide.

Google Scholar

UpToDate

Remember that you can always get articles from other libraries completely free of charge via interlibrary loan. For more information, see our instructions on Getting a Book or Article the Library Doesn't Own.

Searching for Books & eBooks

You can request any books (whether print or eBooks) owned by either the McConnell Library in Radford, VA or the RUC Library in Roanoke, VA. To learn more about how to request a book from the McConnell Library (without driving there), please see our instructions on Borrowing a Book from Main Campus (without driving to Radford).

The catalog is a listing of the books, eBooks, and other items the library has for patrons to use. You can search the catalog in many different ways, including by title, author, or subject and the catalog entry will give you information about which library has the item, whether is it a physical item (such as a print book) or digital (such as an eBook), and whether or not the item is currently available.

If you qualify for our library mailing services (check the qualifications here), you can always request that print books be mailed to you by selecting the “Mail" option in the "Pick Up Options" dropdown menu when placing a hold.

You can also request access to books, articles, and other media the Radford University Libraries do not own free of charge via interlibrary loan. For more information about the interlibrary loan process, please download our instructions on Getting a Book or Article the Library Doesn't Own.

How-To Guides

How-To Guides are a great on-demand resource because they are available 24/7, which makes them ideal for troubleshooting questions that come up outside of regular library hours. How-To Guides contain helpful information and resources on a particular subject. They are created by librarians and are specific to the Radford University Libraries. For guides specifically for healthcare subjects, visit RUC Library How-To Guides or choose one from the list below:

Still have questions? You can also use our chat service by clicking the "Ask RUC Librarian" button in the upper, left-hand corner of the page. This chat service is available 24/7, but is staffed by RUC Librarians during business hours.

Printing, Copying, and Scanning

All members of the RUC community have access to a 20-computer lab and 2 combination printer/scanner/copiers located within the RUC Library. To learn how to do common tasks like printing, copying, and scanning, please see our instructional pages below:

Events & Social Media

The RUC Library regularly updates their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram with informative library trivia, photos from library events, and updates from the library mascots: Slim B. Nobody and his pet rats Pratchett and Magrat.

For a complete list of all future library events, please visit our RUInvolved page.

For Faculty

Course Reserves:

Professors wishing to place a book or other item on reserve for a course should fill out and submit the following Course Reserves Form to Crystal Dent at cdent1@radford.edu.

Instruction Requests:

RUC faculty seeking library instruction or assistance for classes should contact Clinical Instruction & Outreach Librarian Mary Catherine Santoro at msantoro@radford.edu.