For new students : the Library Top Ten !

Today we welcome our guest bloggers -- the Circulation student workers.

Now that fall is officially here, classes are in session, the flag football and ultimate Frisbee teams are practicing hard, the student workers at the Circulation desk here at Morton Library wanted to share with you our Library Top Ten. We hope that this information will inspire you as you study, guide you to the books and journals you need to find, and grow fuller into the realization that our library is truly a wonderful and magical place.

10. A wonderful card for a wonderful place: your library card is required for access to the building and to check out books. Did you know that you might not have to take your card out of your wallet or back pocket to get in? We at the Circ desk love seeing your sweet moves to avoid taking that card out. Make sure that you don’t lose your card though, it’s $10 to replace it!

9. While we’re on the subject of cards, let’s talk about copy cards. You need one of these to make copies at any of the 3 copiers on the first floor of the library or to print in the computer lab. You can purchase a copy card at the machine underneath the stairs at the south end of the library on the first floor. $0.50 buys you a card and then you load money onto that card for copies. Copies are $0.10 each. These machines only take cash though, so have it ready. If you run into problems, one of us at the Circ desk would love to help you!

8. Because our library is such a wonderful place, we know that you want to spend as much time as possible here. While you are here you are more than welcome to make use of open study carrels on the second floor, any of the group study rooms found throughout the library, or any of the numerous comfy nooks. When you are done with your books though, PLEASE don’t put them back on the shelves. We have re-shelving carts located on each wing of each floor. Please leave your books there and they will get re-shelved so you can come back tomorrow and get some more studying done. Please make use of these carts, they are there for you, and they help us make sure that books are available to everyone!

7. Did you know that you can buy used books from the library? Next to the Circ desk we have a great collection of used books for sale. One of us even found a textbook for class there this semester! Hard covers are $1 and paperbacks are $0.50. We can only take cash and checks for book sales, photocopies, and the occasional (and we hope very rare) overdue fine.

6. Overnight Reserves are a wonderful resource of our library. In our overnight reserve room, located on the north side of the first floor, you will find the textbooks you use in your classes and a variety of other texts that your professors have chosen to place on reserve. The purpose of this is to make a single book available to as many people as possible. These books are to be read in the overnight reserve room and shouldn’t be removed except to make copies. There is one lovely exception to this rule. You can check out overnight two hours before closing. Make sure to have them returned by 9:30 the next morning, overdue fines are $.50 per hour and they add up fast! Accumulate more than $10 of fines on your library account and we are no longer able to allow you to check books out until the fine is paid in full.

5. The Reference room -- books here remain in the library at all times. Some of the biblical commentaries you’ll find here on the west side of the first floor are also available to check out, just check in the stacks in the basement and you might just be in luck! The Reference room also has our current periodicals. They are shelved alphabetically with the most current issue of each publication on top. Just lift up the shelf to see if there are other issues to peruse. Bound periodicals, located on the east side of the basement are also shelved alphabetically. We spent all summer working hard to get this section in shape, and we’re proud to make it as easy as possible for you to find the bound periodical you are looking for. We also keep our oversized books next to the bound periodicals, so there’s plenty to explore down there!

4. One of our favorite tips for using the computer catalog is clicking the button that says “Is it a phrase?” This allows you to search for an entire phrase in order rather than the computer picking out key words. Computers are located on every floor and should be used for catalog searches. There is a computer lab in the basement that can be used for other tasks, such as email or viewing social media sites. Our computers are wonderful and you can access tons of online journals and publications. Come and ask us about it at the Circ desk, we’d love to show you!

3. Did you know that you don’t have to drag all of your books into the library just to renew them? You can access your library account online from anywhere. All you need is the long number beneath the barcode on your library card. This is your user name when you sign in and your password is the first three letters of your last name. Once you are signed into your library account you can store records, request books, and renew books!

2. As much as we would love to be able to provide you with a 24 hour service and access to the library, we do have to head home ourselves for sleeping, eating, and studying. We shut Circ computers down 15 minutes prior to closing. Once these computers are shut down we are unable to check anything out or renew anything, so make sure you get down to the Circ desk before then so we can help you out!

1. Lastly, we are always here to help. Please don’t ever hesitate to ask and we will do everything we can to get you the answers you need. Enjoy the library!

The Circ Workers