SHASTA COLLEGE LIBRARY
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I qualify
for a Library Card?
All Shasta College students, faculty,
and staff members are eligible for a Library Card. In addition, residents
of Shasta, Trinity, or Tehama counties who are 18 years of age or older
and possess a valid California Driver's License or California ID Card may
obtain a Community Card. Community Card holders have the same library privileges
as Shasta College students, faculty, and staff with the exception of interlibrary
loan service, which is available through local public libraries. The Library
also issues a Courtesy Card to visiting patrons who cannot qualify for
a Community Card. A picture ID is required. All materials loaned to Courtesy
Card holders must be used within the Library and are due back by the end
of the day.
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How do
I get a Library Card?
Simply stop by the Circulation Desk
(the front desk in the Library) and present your valid California Driver's
License or California ID Card. If you are a student at one of the Shasta
College Extended Education sites ask your site/center secretary for a Library
Card application. If you are a student enrolled in a Shasta College Internet
course and you live outside of Shasta, Tehama, or Trinity counties, complete
the Library Card
Application (for Internet Students Only) form.
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Is there a cost
for a Library Card?
No, Library Cards are free.
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How do I
find a book?
You can search through the Library's
collection of books by using WEBCATalog,
the Library's online catalog.
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How long can
I borrow a book?
The loan period for circulating
materials is two weeks for all users.
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What is my Library
PIN? Why do I need one? Can I change it?
Your Library PIN (Personal
Identification Number) is a four digit code that is assigned by
the Library. When you receive your Library Card your PIN will be your birth
month and date (for example, if you were born on April 7 your PIN would
be 0407). Your PIN is used to authenticate you when you want to check your
user status or renew materials via computer. It is possible for you to
change your PIN to another four digit number, however your PIN will be
reset to your birth month and date each time you change your status (add/drop
a class, change of address, etc.) at Shasta College.
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Does the Library
charge a fine for overdue books?
Yes, we do charge fines for overdue
materials and they are as follows:
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Books - 25 cents per book, per business
day
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Magazines - 50 cents per magazine, per
business day
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Audio Cassettes - 25 cents per cassette,
per business day
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Can I renew my
books online?
You can renew your books
online via the Library's WEBCATalog
by clicking the area marked "My Account" located near the top of the screen.
Next, follow the "Renew My Materials" link. Your User ID# is your library
barcode number and your PIN is your birth month and date. Click on the
items that you would like to renew, then click the "Renew Selected Items"
link. Note: There is one renewal each time that you check out an item and
WEBCATalog
will not allow you to renew your books if they are overdue or if you have
any outstanding Library fines. In addition, you cannot renew any books
that have been placed on Hold by another patron.
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When is the Library
open?
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Fall and Spring Semesters
Monday - Thursday: 7:45AM - 8:45PM
Friday: 7:45AM - 3:45PM
Saturday: 10:00AM - 2:00PM
Sunday: CLOSED
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Summer Session
Monday - Thursday: 8:00AM
- 7:45PM
Friday - Sunday: CLOSED
The Library is closed all major holidays
and during semester breaks. For further information please check the current
Library
Hours web page or call (530) 225-4777. Many Library resources such
as WEBCATalog,
Articles
& Databases, and Internet
Reference are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Where can I get
help?
There is usually a staff
member available at the Reference Desk, which is located in the
southwest area of the building. If no one is available there, please use
the beeper on the counter to page someone who can help you. Off-campus,
please call the Reference Desk at (530) 225-4975. If you need help when
the Library is not open, consult the Library's Help
web page, leave a message on the Reference Desk answering machine, or send
e-mail via the Library's Ask
A Librarian web page. You will receive a response to your question
within 24 hours (except during weekends, holidays, and semester breaks).
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Where are
the restrooms?
Restrooms are located in the
foyer, near the southwest corner of the building.
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Where are
the magazines and periodicals and journals located?
The Library maintains subscriptions
to many computerized databases that index and contain the complete text
of millions of articles. To access these databases, see the Library's Articles
& Databases web page. In addition, the Library has subscriptions
to several hundred printed magazines and newspapers, the latest editions
of which are located between the main book stacks. Older editions are arranged
alphabetically by title on the shelves in the northwest corner of the building.
The Library also has microforms of selected older periodicals, as well
as microform reader/printer machines, which are near the west stairway.
Ask a staff member for assistance.
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How do I get
on the Internet? Where can I use e-mail?
There are a number of Internet workstations
for your use located in the Library. You may access Yahoo!
Mail or MSN Hotmail or other free,
web-based e-mail services for academic purposes only. Ask a staff member
if you need assistance. Please, no chat or games on Library workstations.
Access to the Internet from home is available through a number of Internet
service providers (ISPs), including free ISPs such as those listed on the
Library's Internet
Reference web page.
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Does the
Library offer free e-mail to students?
Access to free, web-based e-mail
providers is available via the Library's
Free
Electronic Mail web page. Please limit your use of e-mail to course-related
purposes when using the Library's Internet Workstations.
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How
can I learn how to use the Internet?
A staff member can give you some
initial assistance. The Internet itself offers dozens of tutorials that
show you how to use this powerful resource and there are some listed on
the Library's Internet
Search web page. If you are looking for a classroom learning experience,
Shasta
College offers a course entitled Internet Basics (MIS 81). You
can check the online Shasta
College Schedule of Classes for days and times this class is offered.
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What is
the Library's web address?
The Library's web address or Uniform/Universal
Resource Locator (URL) is http://library.shastacollege.edu/.
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What Library
computer can I use to find articles on a given topic?
You can use almost any computer
in the Library to locate magazine and newspaper articles. Simply point
the Netscape browser to the Library's Articles
& Databases web page. Consult a member of the staff if you need
help getting started.
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Can
I access the Library's catalog on my home computer? Which databases can
I get from home?
The Library's catalog, WEBCATalog,
is available via the Internet so you can access it from home if you have
an account with an ISP (see the Library's Internet
Reference web page for a listing of free ISPs). Nearly all of the Library's
research databases are available from home as well via the Library's Articles
& Databases web page. Watch for additional databases to be added
in the future.
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Which web browser
should I use to access Library resources?
Library resources are best viewed
using Netscape Communicator, which is available for free from the
Netscape
web site.
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Does
the Library have electronic access to other libraries?
Yes, most libraries now offer access
to their online catalogs via the Internet. See the Library's Internet
Reference web page. Ask a staff member if you need assistance.
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Can
I print or download or e-mail from the computers in the Library? How much
does it cost?
There is a charge of to 10 cents
per page to print from the Library's computers. You will need to
purchase a VendaCard® which costs $1.00 and comes encoded with an initial
fifty cents. You can also use your VendaCard® to make photocopies.
Some databases and most web sites allow you to download information to
a formatted diskette. You can purchase a diskette at the Circulation Desk
for $1.10. In addition, most databases will allow you to send information
to your e-mail account.
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Where can I
make copies? How much do they cost?
There are two photocopiers located
near the Circulation Desk. Copies cost 10 cents per page. One copier accepts
change while the other requires a VendaCard®.
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Are
there computers for word processing available in the Library? Are there
any typewriters?
Nearly every Library workstation
has the Microsoft Office suite of products available and this includes
MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access as well as Microsoft Publisher.
In addition, the Shasta
College Writing Center, which is located in Room 208 of the Learning
Resources Center (at the top of the east stairway), has many computers
available for word processing. Because demand is now so small, the Library
no longer has typewriters available.
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Is there a
scanner available for use in the Library?
There is a stand-alone scanner
available for you to use to scan images and documents at no cost. The scanner
is located across from the Reference Desk. You will need an IBM-compatible,
formatted floppy diskette or Zip disk to save your scanned items. There
is text and image manipulation software available for processing your scanned
images on the Reference computer adjacent to the scanner.
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Where can
I find the reserve materials that my instructor assigned me to read?
Reserve materials are located
at the Circulation Desk. To determine items on reserve for your course,
go to WEBCATalog
and click the area marked "Reserve Desk," located near the top of the screen.
You can search for reserve materials by instructor, course number, or course
name. Jot down the call number for your reserve item and bring it to the
Circulation Desk where a staff member will assist you.
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Where can
a group study together?
There are three Group Study Rooms
(Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity) on the east side of the Library, near
the Fiction section. You can reserve a Group Study Room at the Circulation
Desk.
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Where
are the encyclopedias?
The Library has a subscription to
the Encyclopedia Britannica Online,
which is available on or off-campus. You can also access the encyclopedias
listed on the Library's Internet
Reference web page, where the Library has many print-based, subject-specific
encyclopedias in the areas of art, music, philosophy, science, etc., available.
If you need help with these specialized resources, please ask for assistance
at the Reference Desk.
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Where
is a public telephone?
There is a public telephone located
outside
the building near the southeast corner.
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Where can
I find a telephone number?
The Library no longer keeps printed
phone books (except for local Redding White and Yellow Pages) because the
Internet has become a wonderful source for finding this kind of information.
See the Library's
Directories
- Telephone, Fax, EMail, Web Site, USENET, Mailing List, & LISTSERV®
web page.
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Does
the Library have catalogs from other colleges?
No, however the Shasta
College Career/Transfer Center, which is located in Room 126 in the
Administration Building, maintains an extensive collection of college catalogs
and provides access to the CollegeSource
Online database from any computer on the Redding campus. CollegeSource
Online provides electronic access to over 19,000 college catalogs.
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Does the
Library have videos or films that I can borrow?
We have over 1,000 videos and films
and they are listed in WEBCATalog.
However, videos and films are for use within the Library only (faculty
members may check them out for classroom use).
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Can I find
a copy of my textbook in the library?
The Library has copies of some,
but not all, course textbooks. To see if we have the textbook for your
class go to WEBCATalog
and click the area marked "Reserve Desk" located near the top of the screen.
You can search for your textbook by looking through the Library's reserve
items. If you locate your textbook, write down the call number and bring
it to the Circulation Desk for assistance.
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What's a
VendaCard®? Why do I need one?
If you need to print from
the Library's Internet workstations, you'll need a VendaCard®.
You can purchase a VendaCard® from one of the VendaCoder machines located
near the Reference Desk. In addition to printing, the VendaCard® can
be used to make photocopies in the Library (the cost for printing or photocopying
in the Library is 10 cents per page). Here's how the it works: A one time
fee of $1.00 will buy you a reusable VendaCard®, which comes with fifty
cents encoded on it. When you need to add some value to it, you can do
so in increments of $1.00 or $5.00. You can then use your VendaCard®
to get print-outs and make photocopies in the Library. Your VendaCard®
can be used throughout your stay at Shasta College, so you'll only need
to purchase one.
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Where is the
fiction or popular reading section?
Recently the Library has begun to
acquire a collection of best-selling, popular fiction which includes many
of the most popular books available. These items are located in the area
between the main book stacks. There is also an older collection of fiction
located on the east side of the Library, adjacent to the Group Study Rooms.
Use
WEBCATalog
to search the collection and get the call number for your book. In addition,
the Library has a collection of paperback books located along the northeast
wall.
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How do I get a
book or article which the Library does not have? How long does it take?
The Library can acquire material
for you through a process known as Interlibrary Loan (ILL). You
can fill out an ILL form online via the Library's Interlibrary
Loan web page or pick up a form at the Reference Desk. Allow ten working
days for delivery. A staff member will contact you when your ILL book or
article arrives.
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Why is the Library
so noisy sometimes?
Please be aware that the Library
is part of the Learning Resources Center (LRC) and the LRC is a multipurpose
building. There are often classes coming and going from the building. In
addition, the Library is typically being used by many patrons at any given
time. If it is too noisy, consider reserving a Group Study Room or using
the Fireside Room as these locations are usually quieter. Please consult
a staff member for assistance.
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How do I
recommend the purchase of a book, video, journal, online database, or other
resource?
Contact any staff member. The majority
of our selections come as a result of faculty, staff, and student input.
Also, you can submit requests via WEBCATalog
by clicking the area marked "I Need Material." At the following screen
click "Recommend to Order." Enter as much information as you know about
the item you are requesting and click the "Send" button.
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Does the
Library have information about scholarships?
The Library has some printed scholarship
resources located in the Reference Collection and there are also some links
listed on the Library's Internet
Reference web page. The
Shasta
College Career/Transfer Center (Administration Building - Room 126),
has a large collection of information about scholarships.
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Why is it
so hot/cold in the Library?
Unfortunately, the Library's climate
control system is not engineered to handle significant changes in outside
temperature. Therefore, the building sometimes feels either too hot or
too cold.
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Can I find
information in the Library on repairing my car? If not, where can I get
this information?
Try your local public library as
our resources in this area are limited.
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Shasta College
Library - Frequently Asked Questions
URL: http://library.shastacollege.edu/faqs.htm
This page last updated:
04/08/02
Electronic Mail: webmaster@library.shastacollege.edu
