Library for International and Public Affairs

Location:
Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs
University of Southern California
3518 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0048

Phone: (213)-740-1769
Email: LibIPA@usc.edu
 

About this library

The Library for International & Public Affairs (LIPA) is an interdisciplinary, graduate-level learning center that supports the current and anticipated research needs of students, faculty, staff, and alumni in political science, international relations, public administration, spatial science, public diplomacy, and urban and regional planning. The Library contains approximately 200,000 books, subscribes to more than 450 journals and other serial publications, and provides electronic access to a variety of scholarly resources. It also manages and provides access to a depository collection of U.S. federal government documents, a substantial collection of international documents, and serves as the regional depository in Southern California for all publications and digital resources of the European Union.

LIPA's mission is to provide excellent service and maintain collections that promote a diversity of worldviews and the free exchange of ideas guided by the principles of Article 19 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Directions

We invite anyone to visit our library and utilize its resources and services. The Library for International & Public Affairs is located on the northeast corner of campus (see interactive map). If you are driving to campus, the closest access to the library is the McCarthy Way entrance [213-740-3848], located at the intersection of West 35th Street and Figueroa Street. The entrance is open 24 hours a day. Public all-day parking in McCarthy Way Parking Structure is available for $20.00 Monday through Friday. Note that parking availability may change due to special events. For more information about parking on campus, visit the USC Transportation web site.

If you are taking the E Line [Expo] train to campus, get off at the Expo Park/USC station located in the median of Exposition Avenue at Trousdale Parkway. Walk towards campus along Trousdale Parkway until you reach the Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs (DMC) building on your right.

The library is located on the ground floor of the building and can be reached by using the northeast corner stairwell or the elevator. Entrances into the building and to the Library are wheelchair accessible with automated door openers.

Please note that all library services stop 15 minutes before closing, and all patrons are asked to leave before closing time.

Carrels and Study Spaces

The Library for International & Public Affairs has more than 200 reader seats to accommodate a wide range of study preferences, including both small and large group study tables as well as individual study carrels located throughout the book stacks and along the central atrium. Users have access to wireless network connectivity throughout all public spaces of the library as well as in the lobby before you enter. In addition, reconfigurable tables and chairs are available in the northwest corner of the library to support collaborative research and project-based group work.

Research Help

Library faculty are available for in-person research consultation by appointment or by asking to speak with a librarian at the circulation desk. You can email any of the following faculty in LIPA to schedule an appointment: Robert V. Labaree, Eimmy Solis, or Andy Rutkowski. Use the Ask-A-Librarian service for general telephone, email, and chat reference assistance or to find information about research help available at other libraries on campus.

Collections

Faculty within the Library for International & Public Affairs actively select print materials and online resources based on the current and anticipated research and curricular needs of the disciplines we serve. In addition, we also rely on recommendations from faculty and students to help build our collections. Requests to purchase books, subscribe to new journals, or obtain access to electronic resources can be done online using the USC Libraries' Recommend-A-Purchase service. LIPA abides by all policies of the USC Libraries regarding borrowing privileges for students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars, alumni, and non-USC users.

Note: Faculty requesting materials for course reserves should use the ARES online request system. If you are logging into ARES for the first time you must contact the USC Libraries' Integrated Document Delivery office at idd@usc.edu or by calling 213-740-4020 to have access privileges set to the 'Instructor' level.

Access to the Federal Government Collection

The general public is welcome to use the U.S. Federal Government Collection materials in LIPA. Federal depository law guarantees free and unimpeded access to the collection (44 U.S.C. § 1911). To access online electronic publications and electronic databases, LIPA maintains one public terminal. If you have issues entering the campus to access the federal government collection, please contact the Government Documents Librarian, Eimmy Solis at eimmysol@usc.edu.

Instructional Services

Library faculty offer tours of the library to anyone interested in learning more about our resources and services. In addition, we can provide specialized course-related sessions that teach students how to effectively conduct research using the library's resources and services. Instructors are encouraged to schedule sessions accommodating up to 20 students in the Multimedia Room or contact us to conduct an in-class research session. To make a request, contact any of the following faculty in LIPA: Robert V. Labaree, Eimmy Solis, and Andy Rutkowski.

Please also see the Library Support for Teaching Instruction for current information about library resources and services.

Giving to the Library for International & Public Affairs

We welcome and greatly appreciate donations to the Library for International & Public Affairs. Information about donating to the USC Libraries can be found here.