The Frances Penrose Owen Science and Engineering Library serves the College of Engineering and Architecture, the College of Sciences and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences on the Pullman campus of Washington State University. The Fischer Agricultural Sciences Library collects materials in the subject areas of crop sciences, entomology, environmental sciences, horticulture, landscape architecture, mycology, plant pathology, soil sciences and weed science.

When the Owen Library was opened in 1977, it was planned to be a building that would never need to physically expand. Librarians and teaching faculty of the day thought that the use of microforms would create a library collection that would grow in volume at an extremely slow rate. Instead, electronic materials, principally electronic journals, are starting to make this goal more reachable, despite large increases in our holdings of printed books and journals over the years. These electronic materials also allow WSU students, faculty and staff to use more and more of Owen’s collections 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether  they are on campus or elsewhere in the state

The Owen Library includes a map room, public computers, a creativity station with a scanner, Acrobat, and Photoshop, wired study carrels, laptops for in-library use, and a wireless network. The WSU Emeritus Society is located on third floor of the Owen. Their office phone number is 335-8090.

Please note that as of October 2008 we will no longer be using Copicards to pay for printing and copying. To pay for printing any copying you must have money on your Cougar Card, the same card you use to check out books. To put money on your Cougar Card online, just go to the Cougar Card website, click on Add Cougar Cash, and follow the instuctions. If you need to put cash on your Cougar Card, or have problems with your card, go to the Cougar Card office, CUB Room 60.

To refund money on an exising copicard, please take the card to the Library Administration Office, Holland 221 between the hours of 8:30am-12noon and 1:00pm-4:30pm. If your Copicard was purchased with a departmental IRI take the card to the finance person in your department.

Library Hours

Contact the Owen Library

The Owen Science and Engineering Library is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of College Avenue and Library Road. Limited, metered parking is available directly behind the library on Nevada and Washington Streets. For further parking help, contact Parking and Transportation.

For questions about reserves, loan periods, fines contact the Circulation/Reserves desk at (509)335-2672. For help with a research question contact the Information/Reference desk at (509) 335-2674. The Owen Science and Engineering Library is also on Facebook. Stop by to search the library catalog, keep track of announcements and events, and view videos.

Reference Services

Owen librarians provides research assistance to WSU students, staff, faculty, and residents of Washington State in person, by email, instant message, or phone (509) 335-2674.

Owen Reference Librarians work in specific subject areas to acquire journals, books, and other library materials, provide one-on-one consultations for research questions, and teach library instruction classes. For more information about library materials in your specific subject area contact your subject librarian.

Library Assignments

Professors who intend to give their students an assignment that requires use of the library are encouraged to contact the library, or fill out the Library Assignment Form to make the librarians aware of your assignment.

Collection Areas and Subject Resources

Agricultural Sciences

Engineering

Human Health Sciences

Sciences