Library Services

The College of Western Idaho Library eagerly supports teaching and learning at the College by ensuring that students, faculty, and staff can locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. You’ll find the Library integrated into the Learning Commons spaces at CWI, alongside Tutoring and the Writing & AI Literacy Center. All Learning Commons services are free to students, faculty, and staff.

Why do you still need a college library?

  • Because information is everywhere, but good information can be difficult to identify. We can help you sort biased news from factual information.
  • Because textbooks are crazy expensive. Use the ones in the library for free.
  • Because studying at home is distracting. We provide computers, wifi, and flexible study areas, including group study rooms.
  • Because many course assignments require scholarly resources, such as peer-reviewed journal articles, that are rarely found for free online. We've got them.

Individual research assistance is available during library hours in person, by phone, chat, and email, while an interactive FAQ and chatbot are available for 24/7 assistance on the library’s website. CWI librarians offer customized research instruction sessions upon request for any college course or group. In addition to our physical collection, the library provides online access to articles, journals, newspapers, eBooks, and streaming video from over 80 online research databases.

The library provides specialized services including:

  • Request It! -- Tell us what you need and we'll track it down for you and get it in your hands ASAP.
  • Holds -- Ask us for an item in our collection and we'll send it to your nearest CWI Library location, or for those who live more than 30 miles away, we'll mail it to your home (postage paid both ways).
  • Librarian Appointments -- Pick a time and location that work for your schedule and we'll make a librarian appear for one-on-one help with research assignments.

For more information, to view hours and locations, and to connect with a librarian, please visit the Library webpage or email library@cwi.edu.