Welcome to the Fun Stuff at Bell Library Guide! All of these resources are available to students, staff, and faculty! You can always come into the library to use our technology or check out books, or you can access our electronic resources like databases and ebooks from home!
This guide only covers the "fun stuff," but if you're looking for scholarly resources, we have research guides for all areas of subject. Check them out at https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/
Bell Library also subscribes to some streaming video databases, like Kanopy! it's like Netflix, but has more documentaries, PBS specials, and adaptations of literature. It also has lots of historical films, award winning films, and films in the Criterion Collection.
You can search in Kanopy itself or use the search box below to search through all streaming videos available at Bell Library.
We have an awesome DVD collection at Bell Library, including movies and popular TV shows. If you'd like to browse, you can visit the DVD shelves on the second floor in the corner near the windows.
If you're searching for a particular DVD in the library's catalog, remember to grab the call number, which will look like this: PN 1992.77 .D63 2012, General Media. Take that call number up to the DVD section and use it to find the corresponding DVD case. Take the case to the Circulation Desk and they'll get the DVD for you to take home!
The tutorial below does a great job showing you how to search for books and ebooks and how to access ebooks. Remember, if you're searching for a physical book you can limit the results of your search to just those in a particular collection by selecting "Print books" from the filters on the left hand side of your search results.
The library has books for fun reading as well as serious academic reading. Use the Quick Search on the library's homepage and limit your results to "books/ebooks" to see what books are available.
Our Popular Reading section, located near the Circulation Desk, is updated monthly with new popular books. This is where you can find fantasy books, horror books, cookbooks, graphic bovels, biographies, and more!
If you find a book you love in the Popular Reading section and you want to tell other folks how great it is, fill out a "Patron Picks" card and we'll highlight the book with your recommendation attached.
If you're looking for something for younger readers (or young-at-heart readers), check out the medium-height shelves on the second floor packed with books for all reading levels.
When you find a book you'd like to read in the Juvenile Collection, grab the Call Number, which looks like this: PZ7. R79835 Halm 2003, Juvenile. Take this number up to the medium-height shelves on the second floor and use the guides on the sides of the shelves to find the corresponding book. If you need help, feel free to ask one of the folks at the Circulation Desk to help you find what you need.
If you don't care what kind of book you get, you just want to see what we have, feel free to just search through all of our books! Our physical books will tell you what section they're in (Main, Oversized, Juvenile, or Popular Reading) and will include the Call Number so you can find the book in the corresponding shelves.
While we can't subscribe to books on Kindle or other e-readers, we do have lots of electronic books available for you to read using internet browsers. Just search for the book you're interested in and click the book's title to access the ebook. If you're off campus, you'll need to duo push login, but then you should be good to start reading!
If you need anything Bell Library doesn't own, Interlibrary Loan is the service that can find those materials to you!
Usually, we'll be able to get the material in a few days, but a hard copy (like a full book or journal issue) will take us a little longer.
Don't forget: If you are currently a registered Distance Learner with the Registrar's Office or designated as a Remote Researcher; you can have books from Bell Library’s Main Collection, and borrowed interlibrary loan materials, shipped directly to your home for free. We also supply a prepaid return label for your convenience.
Want to learn a language? We can help!
Check out Mango Languages below or search through the library catalog (use the "Search all Books" box in the middle of this page) to find books that will help you get the skills you need!
Want to make a 3D printed Baby Yoda? Want to laser etch your initials into a crystal orb? Starting to sew your own clothes? Editing a podcast? The I-Create Lab can help you with all of this and more!! Use the link below to learn about all of the technology in the Lab, reserve your spot on a machine, and learn if there are costs associated with using the technology.
Bell Library has several gallery spaces on both the first and second floors. Galleries rotate and feature student work, staff and faculty art shows, a cell phone photography show, part of the CCISD annual art show, and even hosts galleries designed by campus organizations. The galleries are always changing, so remember to swing by the library often to see what's new!
Bell Library subscribes to lots of newspapers and magazines. These are usually located in the atrium on the first floor for you to browse. They aren't available to be checked out, but you can come sit in the library and peruse at your leisure!
You can also access a variety of news sources online. Check the guide linked below for more information.