Moore Reading Room
Operating Hours
Summer 2022
Monday-Thursday
1:30pm-5pm
Promoting student-centered learning. The MRR features access to computers, scanners, printers, software programs for writing and presentations, electronic resources, traditional media, and Department of Religious Studies course reserve materials. We have space for group work as well as quiet study spaces.
Supporting open access research. The Moore Reading Room is home to the Religion in Kansas Project, a digital archive documenting the religious lives of Kansans in an open access format. All Religion in Kansas works are archived through KU ScholarWorks and the Religion in Kansas Project website. The Moore Reading Room is dedicated to furthering KU’s mission of providing research to serve our communities, free and accessible to all.
Providing electronic information resources. Using your KU login, you can access KU Libraries’ more than 110,000 full-text journals instantly from any computer in the MRR. You also can request and quickly receive items not available in the library’s collection through KU's interlibrary loan (ILL). Many items in the Moore Reading Room's collection are directly linked to electronic resources through the MRR catalog, providing access to the items anywhere. The MRR also creates digital exhibitions of subjects of interest and special collections in the MRR.
Help if you need it. MRR staff provide one-on-one help with reference questions, database searches, and more.
The Moore Reading Room (MRR) is the library of the University of Kansas Department of Religious Studies, located in 109 Smith Hall. The MRR's collection, under development for over 100 years, explores the religious practices and experiences of people around the world. In addition to the religious studies library, the MRR is home to two special collections: the Kansas Bible Chair Collection and the Religion in Kansas Project Archive. The MRR provides access to a wealth of materials and resources, including online academic databases and e-books, and KU students voted it one of the best places to study on campus. It is also known for its beautiful two-story "Burning Bush" stained-glass window, which filters colored light into the room in the afternoons and lends a serene atmosphere to the space.