The GCU Library serves as the foundation of academic support for all learning and research pursuits of GCU students, faculty, staff and administration. The Library also serves the greater community by providing access to quality research materials, such as peer-reviewed journal articles.
Check out the headings below to view resources available through the library, along with tips for troubleshooting issues on the website. Refer back to our Library Login article for more information regarding logging into the GCU Library.
The Library Homepage
The Library homepage can be found by visiting http://library.gcu.edu/. The homepage is broken up into several sections, which include:
The Research & Resources section contains search options for finding Books, Journal Articles, Research Guides, and more.
Locating Resources
The library contains resources from various databases. It is important that you log into the GCU Library before attempting to view any articles contained in any individual database. You can do this by going to http://library.gcu.edu/ and selecting the type of resource you would like to view. If you need help locating a specific resource, we recommend contacting the library directly for assistance.
After you select the article or database you are looking for, you will be prompted to login by entering your GCU username and password.
Specific resources may require additional login information, such as with EBSCO related materials. Technical Support does not assist with creating this account, but you can contact the library for help and more information about EBSCO.
The library is available to assist students by phone, email, live chat, and in person on campus.
You can find the Library’s hours of operation under the Hours and Contact us sections. Please refer to the Library’s homepage when looking up their hours of operation, as they can change seasonally.
Contact Information
The library’s contact information can be found on the Library Homepage. We have included their phone contact information below as well:
Ask a Librarian
This service is available on the Library Homepage for all students, faculty, and staff of Grand Canyon University. You can post questions and a Librarian will respond to your question within 24 hours! The Librarians are also available by appointment for one-on-one instruction sessions during library hours.
If you are interested in setting up an appointment, include a date and time when you submit your question.
The Additional Resources section provides the following resources:
Tutorials and Webinars
The GCU Library Team has created tutorials to assist with research needs. Take a look at the tutorials on the Library website.
If you experience issues accessing any Tutorials, you may need to Install and/or Update Adobe Flash Player.
The library also hosts webinars to help with research and online library navigation. Click here to be taken to their webinar calendar.
Citation Assistance
The GCU Library has a great Citation Guide that can be found from the Library homepage by clicking on the How Do I...? tab, and then selecting Cite Sources from the drop-down list. This guide provides information about how to avoid plagiarism and cite sources properly.
You also have access to GCU Style Guides and Templates, the GCU Writing Center, and other formatting resources under the About this guide section on the left.
Refworks
Refworks is another resource available to students who need assistance with citations. For assistance creating an account with Refworks, refer to: http://libguides.gcu.edu/refworksandendnote/. GCU librarians can also assist with registering for and using Refworks.
The Stay Connected section provides links to the Library’s social media pages. You can also view a live Twitter feed that includes important updates from the GCU Library.
Session Timed Out
You may occasionally encounter an error message in the library that states the session timed out. If this occurs, refresh the page and log in again if necessary. If you are unable to log into the library, but can log into your LoudCloud classroom and GCU Portal without an issue, we recommend resetting your password. If any other error messages occur, try the following troubleshooting steps as well:
- Add *gcu.edu to your browser’s trusted sites
- Turn on your browser’s compatibility mode
- Clear your cache and cookies
If you are having a problem looking at video content, verify that you have the most up-to-date version of Adobe Flash.
Blank Page or Gray Page
If you are opening a PDF version of an article, you may find that the page doesn’t load and appears gray. This is common when your browser’s PDF viewer is correctly disabled. If this happens, please check the bottom of your page for the download or search in the Downloads folder on your computer.
Report a Broken Link
A broken link is a link found in the GCU Library application which leads you to a webpage or resource that has either moved or is no longer accessible through that particular link. The Report a Broken Link form, also located on the Library Homepage, is used to report a broken link. This form is also used to report broken library links you find in your LoudCloud classroom.
In the past, some library links in LoudCloud classes were blocked by firewalls due to port access not being allowed. The library has updated this system and links should no longer be blocked by firewalls. If a link is being blocked, check the link to determine if it uses port 2048 or 2443; if it does, please contact your instructor for an alternate link.
A link using one of these ports may look like this:
https://login.library.gcu.edu:2443/login?url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/
If you find a broken link, report it to the library so they can fix it.
ContentServer.asp Error
If you are receiving a ContentServer.asp error when trying to access a Journal Article, it is due to the most recent Google Chrome update. Even if you have the setting to automatically download PDF files rather than open them in Google Chrome turned on, it will not download the article.
To download the article to view, select the Download PDF in the upper left-hand corner.