Information for professional studies Students
Services
Facilities
Locating Materials
Off-Campus Access
Additional Services for Matriculating Students
Suggestions, Comments, Complaints
SERVICES
Reference
A reference librarian is on duty at the Reference Desk Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m. Reference librarians help you with your research. Individual instruction in using library resources may also be arranged by contacting the Reference Office at 617-824-8675 or online through the Library’s website; click on Contact Us - Ask a Librarian. Several subject and course research guides are available at the Reference Desk and on the Library’s website under Research Help.
Instant Messaging and Virtual Reference
Chat research assistance with an Emerson librarian is available most afternoons and evenings through any of the major instant messaging services. Click on Ask Us! for access information and our screen names. Additionally, online help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, provided by the Boston Public Library and the Metropolitan Library in Los Angeles.
Reserve Materials
Reserve materials assigned by faculty for class reading are kept at the Reserve Desk. Available with a current student ID, readings and textbooks may be used in the Library for 2-hour periods.
Circulation
Use your current Emerson ID to borrow Emerson library materials, which circulate for 4 weeks or until the end of the term, whichever is sooner. Books may be renewed by telephone or online, unless the item is overdue or has been requested by another borrower. There is a 25¢ per day overdue fine. A $65 replacement charge will be billed for each item not returned within 6 weeks of the due date; this charge is reduced to $15 if the book is returned. These charges must be paid by cash, check, or ECcash at the Library.
FACILITIES
Study Areas
The Library has a choice of seating, ranging from comfortable lounge chairs and carrels to tables and small group study rooms. Food and beverages are allowed, except around computers.
Library Classroom
20 PCs with Internet access and the standard Emerson lab build are available for use in the Library Classroom when there are no scheduled Library instruction classes. The weekly class schedule is posted on the door.
Copying & Printing
Four copy machines and three print stations are located in the Library. Copies are 10¢ each, and the copiers accept coins, bills, and ECcash; printing is 7¢ per page, and printers accept print credits and ECcash only.
Locating materials
Library Catalog
From the Library's website, you can locate materials in the Library's collections by selecting Library Catalog. Limit your searches to material held by Emerson by selecting “Emerson College Library” from the Limit to (Optional) pull-down menu.
Magazine, Newspaper, and Journal Articles
To locate articles on a specific subject, consult the databases, indexes, and abstracts accessible from the computers and on the shelves near the Reference Desk. Databases may be general, covering popular magazines, or specialized, covering narrow scholarly areas—or a combination of both. Full text of articles may be provided; otherwise you’ll find citations for which you must locate the actual articles. Most databases are available from any networked campus computer or from off campus to students with an ECnet account.
A reference librarian can help you determine which indexes or databases are best for your topic. Also see the Library’s publication, How to Find a Journal, available at the Reference Desk or on the Library’s website under Research Help for detailed instructions on locating the full text of articles.
Off-campus access
Members of the Emerson College community can take advantage of most of the Library’s web-based resources, such as Academic Search Premier, JSTOR and LexisNexis Academic, from an off-site computer at any time. To access the Library’s resources from off-campus, you must have an Emerson College ECnet account and access to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
To obtain an ECnet account, stop by the Academic Computing Help Desk, located at 120 Boylston Street, 4th floor, and be sure to bring your Emerson ID. Once you have your ECnet account, it’s easy to access databases from your home computer. Just go to the Library’s website and click on Articles and More.
Additional services for matriculating students
Fenway Libraries Online
The Library Catalog provides access to the collections of Fenway Libraries Online (FLO), which includes over one million volumes owned by Emmanuel College, Lesley University, Massachusetts College of Art, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum School, New England Conservatory of Music, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Wheelock College. Items from these colleges can be requested from the catalog by choosing Place Request.
Interlibrary Loan
Materials not in the Emerson Library or other FLO libraries can usually be found in other libraries and borrowed for student use. To request a book or article, complete the online form on the Library’s website under Other Libraries.
suggestions, comments, complaints
Click on Ask a Librarian from the Library’s website for several ways of contacting the Library. You can ask a reference question, ask a circulation-related question, send suggestions, or recommend items for purchase. Responses to comments and suggestions are posted online and on the bulletin board outside the Library on a regular basis.
