KITP Reading Room
The KITP maintains a small collection of essential journals and books in room 2303. Current journals are displayed near the door, while back issues are shelved. Current (paper) preprints are also displayed near the door for a few weeks, and then discarded. Suggestions for acquisitions are welcome, as are donations.
This library contains the following journals: Physics Reports, Review of Modern Physics, Nature, Physics Today, Science, Scientific American, and a miscellaneous collection of reference books. All other journals are available online. All of the materials may be taken freely from the Reading Room for copying and immediate return. Books and journals may be checked out for one day only, following the procedure outlined in the notices in the library.
Books are shelved according to call number (according to the US Library of Congress system). Books and journals may be borrowed under these guidelines:
- Try to keep a book for no longer than one month.
- Library books may not leave the building.
- Fill out the information on the clipboard by the door.
- Please do not reshelve books and journals. Simply place them on the cart or tables.
Online catalog of the KITP library
Papers Archive
In most fields of physics the Preprint Archive, created at Los Alamos, is the preferred means to distribute preprints.
The scientific work by KITP visitors and members can be reported to the KITP papers archive.
UCSB Main Library
For extensive holdings of books and journals, you need to go to the UCSB Main Library, in the center of campus, a 5 minute walk from the KITP building. The Sciences-Engineering Library (SEL) is on the second floor of the older north wing in the Main Library. The people at the SEL Desk (east side 2nd floor near elevators) can help you find things. You check out books at the Loan Desk in the ground floor lobby; you must first obtain a library card by identifying yourself as a KITP member.
The UCSB Library houses its physics collection in the Sciences/Engineering section which is located on the second floor of the two-story portion of the building. Library cards are issued at the Library Circulation Desk near the west side entrance. Several card-activated copy machines are located on the second floor of the Library, and KITP members may obtain copy cards from the Visitors' Assistant in Room 1232.
Many journals are available as Electronic Journals. From any computer on campus, you can also access journals online through their own website under UCSB subscription privileges.
Latest paper journals are placed in racks (east side SEL), except for a few hot items such as Science and Nature which must be asked for at the SEL Desk. Books and bound journals are shelved in the stacks to your north, according to the Library of Congress system, so
- QA1-QA999 Mathematics,
- QB1-QB999 Astronomy,
- QC1-QC999 Physics.
The library copy machines are money-operated; you can also buy a card for heavy use. Brochures about the many library services are available near the SEL Desk.
The Interlibrary Loan service is available for materials not present at UCSB. For instance, they can email you a copy of an obscure journal article.
The library catalog for the whole UC system is available online on the UCSB Library website.