Library Guide For New Students

• Library Computer Workstations
• Novell Username & Password
• Wireless Network Coverage
• Research Services
• Interlibrary Loan / Document Delivery
• Electronic Reserve
• OSCAR - Library Catalog
• eBooks
• Journals, Magazines & Newspapers
• Databases
• Government Documents

Library Computer Workstations

By logging on to a Library computer workstation using your Novell username and password, you will have access to Microsoft Office 2003, Macromedia Studio 8 and SPSS 15. Guest logins will not have access to these productivity titles. The computers in the Student Technology Services computer labs support other applications in addition to these titles. Computer lab locations and hours can be found on the Student Technology Services website.

IMPORTANT: Inactive Library computer workstations reboot every 20 minutes and will delete any file you have saved to the computer's hard drive. If you are using a library workstation to write a paper please be sure to backup your document using a portable storage device. Flash drives may be borrowed at the Circulation Desk located in the Library.

Novell Username and Password

In order to log on to the SCU campus network, you will need to login to Novell with your username and password. If you don't know this information, it can be found in your ecampus account using the following instructions:

• Login to ecampus
• Choose Personal Portfolio
• Choose SCU Electronic Information

It will list both your GroupWise and Novell usernames and passwords. The Novell password is good for the first three times you log in. By the third time, you must change your password. If you have forgotten your password or the one in ecampus is not working, you need go to the IT Service Center in person with your ACCESS card to have your password reset.

Wireless Network Coverage

SCU maintains an extensive wireless network for student use on campus. The Information Technology group maintains the wireless network help pages where information on configuring and troubleshooting connectivity issues is available.

Research Services

There are several ways to obtain assistance with your research from library staff.

In person at the Information Commons Desk

Current Information Commons Desk hours are available online. Holiday, summer and inter-session hours will vary.

Telephone

To contact the Information Commons Desk while it is open, call 408-554-4658. Assisting students, faculty and staff in person at the Information Commons Desk is our first priority so, if you call while the Desk is open and a staff member does not answer your call, please leave a message with a callback number and a Library staff member will contact you shortly.

E-Mail

You can send a question to the Information Commons Desk by email. If you send your email while the Desk is open, it will be answered shortly. If you send email while the Desk is closed, your email will be answered when the Desk next opens. To email a question to the Desk, use our online form.

Contact a Subject Specialist

There are eight subject specialists to assist you with your in-depth research and they may be contacted by telephone or email.

Online Reference

A Librarian can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by selecting the "Online Librarian" option under the Ask A Librarian service link. This service differs from email in that it is real-time and you are conversing with a 'live' librarian. This free service is provided by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) and you may be assisted by a librarian from any of the AJCU institutions: from Boston College to Xavier University in Cincinnati. All are librarians qualified to assist you and will do so using SCU resources including the SCU catalog, databases, etc. This is a perfect service for when you need immediate assistance and the Information Commons Desk is closed.

Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

If you want a book or an article not available at SCU, you can obtain it through the Library's Interlibrary Loan services. This service is FREE!

Obtaining Books

Our LINK+ service is the quickest way to obtain books not available at SCU - typically within 3 to 5 business days. If a search in the library catalog, OSCAR, indicates that the book you want is not available at SCU, then click on the blue LINK+ button located on the right hand side of the screen:

If a book is not available through our LINK+ service, then you can request it through interlibrary loan online. Books requested through interlibrary loan come through the mail, so allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Obtaining Articles

If you want an article from a publication that the Library does not have access to either in paper or online full-text, you can request it through the interlibrary loan service. Articles typically arrive within 3 to 5 business days. There are a number of delivery options, including email.

Access to materials on Electronic Reserve

ERes allows you to access course syllabi, assigned readings and other course-specific documents. Your professors will inform you if you are required to access ERes for a particular course and, if so, will give you the password. You can access ERes from any computer connected to the internet.

OSCAR - The Library's Catalog

The Library has a collection of some 750,000 books and 3,500 journals, magazines and newspapers. The catalog, OSCAR, is used to search for books, journals, newspapers etc. OSCAR can be used to locate materials in the Library by searching title, author, keyword, subject, etc. OSCAR can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet.

Searching in OSCAR will show you what books and journals we have in the Library. However, to search for individual articles within a publication you must use the various article databases available through the Library's website.

eBooks

Through OSCAR you have access to hundreds of eBooks, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Library maintains an eBooks page describing what collections are available, and how to search and access them.

Journals, Magazines & Newspapers

The Library subscribes to hundreds of journals in both print and electronic formats. Current print issues are available individually and older issues are bound together by year. The Library also has a large collection of documents on microform, including microfiche, microfilm and ultrafiche. Print journals, newspapers and magazines are kept in the Interim Library. In addition to hundreds of print subscriptions, you also have access to online electronic journals. Many of these electronic journals are 'fulltext' and can be read and printed from any computer connected to the Internet.

To find out if you have access through the Library to a particular journal, magazine or newspaper, go to the Library homepage and look under Electronic and Print Journals by Title and Subject.

Databases

The Library subscribes to many online databases in all subject areas. These databases are accessible from any computer connected to the internet.

If you are not familiar with a database, it is worth your time to read the description under its link and to take a look at the help menu in the database itself. When accessing databases from off campus, you will be asked to login by entering your name as it appears on your ACCESS Card, and the 14-digit barcode number on the back of your ACCESS Card. If you experience difficulties using or accessing databases from off-campus, please contact the Information Commons Desk at 408-554-4658.

Government Documents

The Library houses an extensive U.S. Federal Depository Collection containing a variety of government documents, data and statistics useful in all areas of research. Many government documents and statistics, e.g., 2000 Census Data, are available via the Internet. The Government Documents staff maintain a list of links to these resources.

For assistance with accessing government documents in print or online, please go to the Information Commons Desk in the new Interim Library. The Documents telephone number is 408-554-5385. George Carlson, Government Documents Librarian (gcarlson@scu.edu) and Christa Bailey (cbailey@scu.edu) will be happy to assist you with your research.

Last updated September 24, 2007