There are separate sequences for the Books, Periodicals, Reference collection, Special Reserve, Newspapers, Examination Papers, Student research reports, Dissertations & thesis, and Government Publications. All materials are arranged in the open shelves according to the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Scheme.
Books: These cover all subjects the university offers.
Periodicals: The current issues of periodicals are displayed on periodical racks so that users may be made aware of newly received periodicals. Back issues are kept in the periodical shelves and can be obtained on request. Periodicals are available in the Reference libraries/ sections.
Reference Collection: This collection consists of major reference books/ materials such as Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, Yearbooks, Handbooks, Directories, Prospectuses, Atlases, Pamphlets, Research reports and Thesis/ dissertations and Textbooks. Reference books have the location symbol “REF” in the catalogue and spine label. Material of the reference collection may not be borrowed. Reference collection is located in the first floor of the Main Library.
Special Reserve: Consists of books in high demand which have been selected from the ordinary stock in connection with a particular course of study. These are shelved behind the issue desk and may be borrowed for a limited time per person and are to be read in the library or reading room only.
NOTE:
o Special reserve books must not be left on reading tables, but should be returned to the Issue Desk at the end of the period for which they have been issued.
- It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure that the loan is cancelled.
Newspapers facility: The library purchases local Tanzanian daily and weekly newspapers for readers use. These include Daily News, Sunday News, The Guardian, The African, The East African, Sunday Observer, Mzalendo, Uhuru, Zanzibar Leo, Rai, Mwananchi and Nipashe. The current papers are filed in newspaper sticks and are open for consultation by readers. Back issues are available on request from the staff on duty at the issue desk.
Government Publications: The collection contains official publications mainly reports of governments and international organizations. Efforts are made to collect all government publications from the Ministries and their departments. Currently, the library receives different government publications such as MKUZA, HIV/AIDS, Census report, Constitution, Gender issues, and Bank of Tanzania (BoT) reports. International Organizations include United Nations (UN) whose documents consist of those issued by the main UN bodies such as the General Assembly, Security Council as well as those issued by various UN Agencies including UNESCO, UNCTAD, FAO, ILO UNIDO, WHO, UNEP, UNICEF etc. These may not be removed from the library.
Examination Collection: The library attempts to build up a collection of examination papers of the University and other institutions of its kind. These will be available at the Issue Desk on request and are treated like Special Reserve books.