The Multicultural Library

Located on the second floor of the Lorna Sundberg International Center, the Multicultural Library is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Evening and weekend visits are possible by appointment.

About the Library

The Multicultural Library opened in 1987 during the 15th anniversary of the International Center. Today, the Library’s mission is to complement the Center's programs and provide a collection of materials that foster intercultural exchange, education, and understanding. Our resources include books, maps, posters, audio/visual resources, and files with information on the culture, arts, architecture, and history of countries around the world. The Library offers reading materials on adjusting to life in the Charlottesville area as well as traveling, studying, and working abroad. The Multicultural Library supports the information needs of our international speaker’s bureau, international students/scholars and their families, local teachers, the University, and the Charlottesville communities.

Students, faculty and community members are invited to visit the Library and browse the collection. Library materials may be borrowed for two weeks, with the exception of videocassettes, which have a one week loan period. Telephone renewals are possible.

Library resources have been significantly enhanced during 2004 through the generous support of the Parent's Program of the University of Virginia Fund.

Library Collection

The International Center Library offers an extensive and unique collection of multicultural materials including books, videocassettes, audio recording, posters, maps, and magazines relating to the world’s countries and cultures.

Book Collection
A collection of books highlighting the history, cuisine, arts, cultures, and architecture of countries around the world. Also available are books on travel, study abroad, social customs, and life in the United States, as well as, dictionaries, atlases, and encyclopedias.

Poster Collection
Colorful and attractive images of the geography, monuments, indigenous art, and architecture of more than forty countries. Perfect for classroom presentations.

Video Collection
A diverse assortment of lively and informative videos depicting the sights, sounds, societies, and traditions around the world.

CD and Audiocassette Collection
A collection of traditional, holiday, and ceremonial music from many cultures. Recordings of folk tales and stories are also available.

Magazine Collection
A small selection of magazines including National Geographic and Transitions Abroad.

Country/Cultural Files
A unique compilation of colorful and up-to-date brochures, articles, newspaper clippings, and other publications highlighting the arts, cultures, and societies of most countries of the world. This collection also includes information on travel and sightseeing abroad and in Virginia, Washington D.C., and neighboring states.

The KOHA Electronic Catalogue

Enter KOHA

Koha is an open source library system created in New Zealand in 1999 by Kaltipo Communications systems Ltd. A Team of volunteers from around the world maintains it.

To locate an item in the International Center Multicultural Library, type in a search work and click enter. A listing of all the books on that subject will appear in the next screen. For more specific information about a title, click on the title. There is an advanced function for more specific searching. This allows a user to enter title, author and other information.

If you want to look for books, CDs, videos, or posters in the IC library, click here, then type in the title, or keyword to search the library database. You can also click the Advanced Search (More Options) if you know the author, subject, etc. If you find anything that interests you in the Library, please pay us a visit at 21 University Circle to check out or read the item here.

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