At Reeves Library, we're committed to supporting the academic success of both Westminster College faculty and students. Our extensive collection provides a strong foundation for your curriculum-based research, with a wealth of physical and digital resources.
But learning goes beyond the classroom! We also offer a curated selection of popular titles and leisure reading materials, along with access to diverse online resources. So, whether you're diving deep into a specific course topic or exploring a personal passion, Reeves Library is here to fuel your curiosity and broaden your horizons.
Explore the various areas of the collection below, and remember you can search the physical collection through Locate, and our digital collection through Discover or our Database A-Z list.
The main collection of Reeves Library is housed in the WC Main Book Stacks. These are the main stacks on the 1st floor (both 1 West and 1 East). This collection includes most of the titles found in Reeves Library. The collection is organized by the Library of Congress call number system and includes academic nonfiction, fiction, and popular titles.
The following are the main categories organized in the Library of Congress. Click each category to see it broken down further:
Reeves Library is dedicated to growing the physical collection to exhibit what is currently relevant to the students, faculty, and staff. New releases and titles requested by faculty and students will be displayed here. This collection will be regularly updated monthly. During the breaks between semesters, the collection will be downsized, and older titles will be moved to the regular stacks. This will make room for new titles each semester.
This collection is on the 1st floor near the library front desk. Interested in seeing all the books on the new shelf? Check out the collection in Locate.
Reeves Library keeps a small collection of popular circulating fiction and nonfiction titles on our easy-to-browse shelves on the 1st floor. This section is our Leisure Collection. If you are looking for something to read, this is a great place to check.
Browse the full leisure collection on Locate.
The children’s collection is designed to be for educators by educators. The books chosen for this collection reflect gold standards for children’s literature and important topics and representation that can assist education students once they are in the classroom. These materials may also serve purposes for literature classes, such as children’s or teen literature. The secondary purpose of this collection is to provide leisure materials for our library users and their families.
These books can be found on the 3rd floor of Reeves Library. Browse the entire juvenile collection through Locate, or click on an individual collection below to see it in the catalog.
Coretta Scott King
Given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.
Caldecott
Awarded annually by the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children
Newbery
Awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Show Me (Grades 1-3)
Promotes literature, literacy, and reading in Missouri elementary schools for grades one through three and promotes recognition of authors and illustrators of books that are favorites of Missouri children in these grades.
Mark Twain (Grades 4-6)
Books should interest children in grades four through six and should be of literary value which may enrich children’s personal lives.
Truman (Grades 6-8)
The Truman Readers Award encourages students in their early teen years to express their unique voices through exploring new literary genres, communicating with their peers about young adult literature, and honoring authors writing for young teens.
Gateway (Grades 9-12)
Books of interest to young adults in grades nine through twelve and appeal to their needs, interests, and reading levels.
Categories:
Picture
Picture books are stories told to children. Pictures help children understand what they are reading, allowing them to easily analyze the story and develop a sense of what the story will be about. These books are usually larger in size and feature illustrations and graphics on every page. Picture books can cover a variety of topics such as fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, animals, nature, people, and events. They can also reflect modern issues such as family, friends, emotions, and gender.
Easy Reader Beginner Chapter Books
Easy Reader Chapter Books are the building blocks to larger chapter books featured in our other collections. These are books that fit the traditional shape of a book to get young readers used to holding them in their hands. The pages feature larger text with limited words, as well as words that are easy to understand. There are pictures throughout the book, but possibly not on every page. These books can range from stories that are only a few pages to introductory chapter books like Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, etc.
Poetry
Poetry features books that rhyme, are in verse, or song. This can be a variety of reading levels, featuring books that are pictures, to young adult novels in verse. This section will be utilized if readers are interested in easy repetition or songs to higher-level classic poetry for teens.
Biography
Biography features a variety of reading levels and are books that are true or researched accounts of someone’s life. This can feature picture books, easy readers, novels, and more. These are separate from nonfiction.
Mythology & Folklore
Mythology & Folklore features books that tell stories that are prevalent throughout various culture, religions, and history. These can be larger story anthologies, chapter books, and picture books telling stories from specific cultures and geographic regions, as well as informational books to learn more about mythologies, religious-based stories, and folklore. This also includes classic fairy tales, which are a form of folklore and vary based on geographic region.
Middle Grade Fiction
Middle-grade books are a step up from easy-reader chapter books but aren’t yet the reading difficulty of young adult texts. These topics are also appropriate for middle-grade readers, as well as feature topics that are relevant to this age group. These books will all be fiction.
Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are books that are written entirely through images. There are small bubbles of text throughout, but the story is told through graphic panels. These can be a variety of reading levels. These are not books that feature heavily illustrated novels (like Diary of a Wimpy Kid) but are specifically drawn in the graphic novel style through panels of images.
Young Adult
Young adult fiction is the most advanced literature in the juvenile collection. This can be due to the language and text, but also the subject matter. Books for young adults feature topics relevant to teens but also help prepare them for the adult world. Topics usually cover friendship, romantic relationships, family issues, drug use, social justice, racism, gender and sexuality.
Nonfiction
These books feature a variety of reading levels but feature nonfiction content. These are informational books about true events, people, and places. They are researched and often feature realistic images and photos. They cover topics like history, geography, and science.
Education Curriculum Resources (ECR)
The books in this section feature materials for current and future educators. These can be reference materials, lesson-planning aids, and other items that can assist in planning a curriculum.
In partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning, Reeves Library houses the faculty professional development collection. These titles are purchased and maintained by Reeves Library and reflect current trends in higher education.
This collection can be checked out by any Westminster faculty, student or staff, and can be found on the 3rd floor.
The Reference Collection at Reeves Library is housed on the North side of the 4th-floor balcony. These books are large research materials and encyclopedias, which are all designed to be in-library use only. However, these materials can be checked out and removed from the library under special circumstances. Chat with a librarian to check these items out.
The Government Documents collection is housed on the South side of the 4th-floor balcony. This collection features items from when Reeves Library was an official government repository. These are pieces published by the U.S. Government. Many of these items can also be found online through resources like HeinOnline.
The Jordan Collection was donated by A.J. Jordan, one of the early faculty members of Westminster College. This collection was donated when he passed away and includes many texts on geography, religion, literature, history, and other various subjects. The majority of this collection was published between 1880-1930. These books are mostly in library use only, and are housed on the 1st floor of Reeves Library.