10 Things Library Staff Would Like You to Know

Teachers know, the secret to success lies in reading the directions.  At least in part.

It turns out part of the successful use of library resources lies in simple things students do to get ready.

Library staff offer these tips to share with your students:

1. Bring to the library:  your student ID card, change or small bills for copiers and printers, your syllabus and assignment handouts.
2. Ask a librarian when you start your research, don’t wait until you’re at the end.  (You can chat online.)
3. Start your research 3 times sooner than you think is needed; it just about always takes more time than you think.
4. Pay your library fines now so you can register for next semester!  (Ask about a promissory note.)
5. Share your smile with everyone and promote stress reduction.

Then there are the just plain great things to know:

1. The library has hundreds of textbooks for 2 hour loan.  Ask a librarian for help finding the call number.
2. New books arrive constantly – visit the new book shelves.
3. Watch a popular video in the Media Center, or check it out.
4. Read about 80,000 ebooks on your computer from any location.
5. Look up millions of articles in the library databases, in your jammies, from home.

“Readiness is all.”
Hamlet (although in a completely different context..)

Library hours, numbers, and services.

Finding Your Textbook on Library Reserve

Does the SCC Library have your textbook on Reserve?

Many of your students have already discovered this quick search:

Calling All Call Numbers ~ Including Yours

Students go through 2 library lines to get their textbook, first to find the call number (not the same as ISBN) in the catalog and second to pick up the textbook at the circulation desk.

Instructors can put the textbook call number in the syllabus to save time.  Find your textbook’s call number in the library catalog with this simple search:

If you don’t find your textbook, take out your last name and try again.  Still not there?  Can you donate a copy?  If not, email Yolanda Escobar and ask the library to put a copy on reserve.  We stretch available dollars to buy as many textbooks as we can.  Sooner is better – best to let us know before the semester starts..

Do You Use Open Access Textbooks?

Several instructors at SCC have adopted freely available Internet textbooks that help students afford school.  Do you use open access textbooks or other classroom materials for your courses?  Does your department advocate for their use?  Add a comment with your name, course and the URL of your course material and we will compile a starter list of open access resources used at SCC.  Speak up if you would like to help expand this list @ SCC and in the district.
It’s in the air!

 I hope your favorites are missing from these examples so you will add to the list:

Books and textbooks

• Flat World Knowledge
• Open Book Project
• Open Library

Journals

• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOJA)
• BioMed Central Journals
• Directory of Open Access Scholarly Journals in Education

Student Ambassadors Rock the Library

SCC student ambassadors Vivian Bui, Joseph Crenshaw, Angelica Duran, Natalie Medina, Donald Peat, and Shinesh Prasad have made a powerful contribution to the early success of their peers these first 2 weeks, helping the new kids find call numbers for their textbooks, add courses with permission numbers, print from D2L, search for classroom locations, manage cranky copy machines, and change eservices passwords.  Then they brought brownies! It doesn’t get any better.

New students seemed especially happy to get help from their peers.  Brilliant program.

Shinesh fixes the printer with the wave of a hand.

The Library Has Your Textbook!

Does the library have your required text?  Now more than ever, the answer is a resounding , “YES!”  And it’s easier than ever to find your book in LOIS, the library catalog.  Sit back and relax as you enjoy an edutaining video, narrated by librarian Jeff Karlsen, showing just how easy it is to find your textbook in the library reserve collection.  Share the video with your students and post the textbook call number in your syllabus.  We thank you for your support!

Got a question?  Ask a librarian.

Students Get Out of Line ~ With Your Help

Most students must go through 2 library lines to get their textbook, the first one to find the call number (not the same as ISBN) in the catalog and the second line to pick up the textbook at the circulation desk.

If you are able to put the call number for your textbook in your syllabus, your students can go directly to circ.  Here’s how:  Find your textbook in the library catalog by doing a keyword search for author’s last name and a couple of words from the title, e.g. martin gay beginning algebra.

Hit enter.  The call number appears in the center column of the search results, e.g.: QA152.3 .M353 2009.

Here’s a video of the process:  Find textbooks (keyword search)

Textbook Tales

Welcome Back!

The big news in the library is not so new: Students need textbooks. Is your textbook on reserve?  If not, can you donate a copy to the reserve collection?

Are we imagining it or are more faculty choosing textbooks that cost less?  And is there a trend toward adopting open access textbooks and materials?  What are you doing to save your students’ cash?

SCC Faculty: Save Your Students!

Students need these two types of library materials:

Reserve textbooks. Students borrow textbooks and course materials hundreds of times per day (8,323 times in March!)  You can help keep the reserve textbook collection up to date by donating your Summer and Fall 2011 textbooks now. Bring these textbooks to the library circulation desk on the second floor of the LRC.  Email Yolanda Escobar with your questions.

Books and DVDs that you would like the library to purchase for the general collection (not reserve textbooks). Students borrowed general library books 4,548 times and media 948 times in March!  You can help students find books and media on the topics you assign.  Email your department’s librarian now with your suggestions for curriculum-related books and media to add to the general collection.  You can donate these materials, too.

All of your book and media donations help stretch library funds.

(See the library catalog, LOIS, for books and media currently in the library collection.)

Welcome Back ~ to the LRC

You have enough to do right now, so we’ll list just a couple of brief reminders.

The SCC Library home page links to:

• Information about library orientations.  You can request a customized orientation here or view the schedule for drop-ins.
• Tips for putting textbooks and media on reserve.  Students need access to your required textbook.  Bring a copy to the library circ desk if you can.  You can also put items on ereserve.
• Find books and media in LOIS, the library catalog:  Is your textbook on reserve?  How many copies?  Is a DVD included?  Etc.!
• Print a handout on MLA and APA citation style.
• Watch a video on doing library research.
• Find millions of published articles in the library databases.
• Look up library services at the Outreach Centers.

Library hours are a bit diminished, but we are here to help.  Call, email, text, or IM (during open hours).

Video on finding reserve books in LOIS