At the end of your class sessions in the library on September 27 and October 23, you completed a 3-minute survey. Here are answers to the questions you asked:
How can a librarian help with my research?
Librarians can help with almost any stage of a research project, including:
The Ask a Librarian / Get Help page of this guide explains how to get in touch with us.
What is the best kind of source for research?
It depends! Sometimes, your professors will ask you to find and use particular types of sources. When they don't--or if they give flexibility as to what kinds of sources to use--you'll need to determine for yourself what kind of source or information is most helpful. What kind of information do you need? What type of source is most likely to provide it? What type of source will your audience find most persuasive? Those are all questions you might consider.
As a librarian, I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a "good" source or a "bad" source. There are only good and bad sources for particular purposes. Figuring that out is a process that gets easier with practice. If you ever have questions, ask a librarian for help. We will be happy to chat with you!
How do I check out a book?
Bring the book, along with your student ID card, to the main desk on the library's 2nd (main) floor. The staff there will check it out for you!
How long can I check out a book?
The books in our main stacks (the shelves on the 3rd and 1st floors) check out through the end of the semester. The books in our smaller collections (leisure, graphic novels, self care, new books, etc.) mostly check out for one month at a time.
What if the book I want isn't here?
If that happens, you have two options: you can place a hold on Augustana's copy, or order the book from another library (I-Share).
Go to the book in OneSearch and be sure you are logged in. Open the description of the book and scroll down to the heading that says "Availability." Underneath that heading you should see two links: "Place a hold on Augustana's copy" and "Request from I-Share."
If you click "Place a hold on Augustana's copy" and then click "Send Request," the book will be held for you at our main desk when the current patron returns it. This doesn't speed up the process of getting the book, it just guarantees it will be set aside for your use when it's returned. When the book becomes available, you'll receive an email that says you can come pick it up.
If you click "Request from I-Share" and then click "Send Request," the book will be obtained for you from another academic library in Illinois. This usually takes 3-5 days, and it's completely free to you as a student. When the book arrives, you'll get an email. You can pick it up at the main desk on the 2nd (main) floor and check it out like any other book.
Are there things I can look for other than books?
Absolutely! Just in OneSearch, you can also find academic articles, news articles, magazine articles, videos, and more.
Augustana has many additional databases, too, with all sorts of different sources, including images (artwork, photographs, etc.), primary sources, statistics, government documents, audio ... the list goes on and on. Click the link and open the drop-down menu that says "Types" to see the different kinds of sources and find databases that have them.
How does access to articles online work?
In OneSearch, any article with a link that says "Available Online" (in green font, usually a little underneath the title) should be easily accessible. Click the "Available Online" link, or open the description of the article and go down to the heading that says "View Online." Underneath that heading, there will be links to different library resources that have the full-text of the article. Click on any of these links to get to the full-text.
How do I check out a study room?
On the library's home page, click the circle that says "Study Rooms." It looks like this:
On the page that comes up, choose the room you'd like to book, then click the box that corresponds to the day/time you want the reservation to begin. Scroll down. Open the dropdown menu to select the time you want the reservation to end. Click "Submit," then complete the rest of the form.
At the time of your booking, visit the main desk on the library's 2nd (main) floor. The staff there will give you the key.
What times are the study rooms available?
The study rooms are available throughout the library's open hours. You can find our hours here: https://augustana.libcal.com/hours/
How does printing work? Is there a limit to how much I can print?
Most printers in the library use a system that requires you to login or tap your ID card.
To print a document from a library computer, first bring up the print window. For "Destination," select either LibraryFindMeQueue or Find-Me-Printing. When all your settings look the way you want, click "Print." Then, go to any of the library printers and tap your ID card or login at the little screen. Once you do so, your document will print.
To print to a campus printer from your personal device, start by going to https://printing.augustana.edu. Login. Then select "Web Print" from the menu on the left-hand side of your screen and follow the steps.
All Augustana students have 500 pages of printing every year. You can buy additional printing if you run out.
Are food and drink allowed in the library?
Yes! We welcome food and drink. Please exercise care with our books and equipment and throw any garbage in the trash or recycling. :-)
