Information for Students
Welcome, Emerson College students!
Circulation and Borrowing Privileges
Reserve Desk
Reference Help
Places to Study and Research
Accessing Library Resources
Additional Information
Information for Professional Studies Students
Circulation and borrowing privileges
At Emerson
Members of the Emerson College community with a valid Emerson ID card are welcome to borrow circulating books from the Library, and CDs and audiotapes from the Media Collection. A current Emerson ID that has been validated at the Circulation Desk is required for checkout (limited privileges apply to alumni and Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs students). For complete information see circulation policies.
Renewals
You may renew books through the catalog using My Account, in person, or by phone (617) 824-8668. Books circulate for 28 days.
Requests
You may place a request for a book that is currently checked out and it will be held for you when it is returned. You may also place a search request for a book that is not on the shelf, and circulation staff will search for it, and notify you when it is found.
Intersession Borrowing
Items may be borrowed over intersession and summer, provided you are registered for classes in the next full semester. All policies apply to books checked out during intersession and summer.
In-house use of media materials
Videos, films, and DVDs may not be checked out of the Media Collection, but may be viewed there. Call (617) 824-8676 to book space and time.
Overdue and lost books
Books that are overdue are charged a 25 cents per day overdue fine. There are also charges for lost books. Please read the policies or ask at the Circulation Desk if you have any questions about charges and fees.
Consortium Borrowing Privileges
Emerson's catalog includes the nine libraries that make up FLO (Fenway Libraries Online). You can use materials at any of these libraries, and request books for checkout at most of them through My Account.
Borrowing from Other Libraries
If Emerson does not have what you need, Emerson ID cardholders have access to other local libraries. You can check out books from the libraries of the 13 colleges in the Fenway Library Consortium, and you can also use the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts on site. You may bring your ID to the Boston Public Library in Copley Square and get a BPL library card to check out material. You may also want to apply for an eCard online and get instant access to their extensive list of electronic resources.
Interlibrary Loan
If you need a book or article that is not at Emerson College, use the request option on the Other Libraries page of the Library's website to request items. Please notice that you will be asked if the item is in the catalog. Be sure to check the catalog first in order to select the appropriate option. Books that are in the catalog must be requested through My Account.
Reserve Desk
Reserve Readings
Faculty may put readings on reserve so that everyone in a class has the same opportunity to read the texts. In addition, a copy of every textbook ordered through the bookstore before deadline is put on reserve. Reserve books and articles may be used for two hours at a time inside the Library, and may not be taken from the Library. You can search for course reserves using the Course Reserves tab in the Library Catalog.
Electronic reserves
Some classes may have materials on reserve electronically, using WebCT. Check with your instructor about reading these reserve materials.
Laptop computers
The Library owns 6 laptop PCs that can be used inside the Library for 2 hours at a time. You can check them out at the Reserve Desk. Please read through the policy on using library laptops before reserving or checking one out. Laptops can be reserved in the blue notebook kept at the Reserve counter. Laptops are not available to Alumni or Department of Professional Studies and Special Programs students.
Museum passes
Emerson student IDs are good for entrance to the Museum of Fine Arts. The Library also keeps a limited number of Museum passes that may be checked out for 48 hours.
Reference Help
Reference Desk Hours
During regular semester hours, a reference librarian is on duty at the Reference Desk during the following hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:30 am until 11:00 pm
Friday from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm
Saturday from noon until 6:00 pm
Sunday from noon until 9:00 pm.Reference librarians can help students use the resources in the library, whether print or online, and can solve problems with printers and copiers.
Individual reference appointments
Students can make an appointment with a reference librarian for a personalized session focusing on your research project. Call the Reference Office at (617) 824-8675 or email reference@emerson.edu to set up an appointment.
IM Chat Reference
The library uses four IM clients. On AIM and Yahoo!, our screen name is EmersonReference. On MSN and Google Talk, our screen name is reference@emerson.edu. Add us to your buddy list and ask us your library and research questions.
Telephone reference
Call the Reference Desk at (617) 824-8674 during Reference Desk hours to speak directly to a Reference Librarian. We will answer reference questions by telephone when possible and appropriate, but if you have an involved, complicated research project, we may ask you to visit in person or to email us. Customers who are physically present in the library will be given priority over telephone questions.
Email reference
Email the Reference department to ask questions about research. The mailbox is checked every weekday and responses are usually sent within 24 hours.
24/7 Research Help
You can get online help 24 hours a day through the 24/7 Help service. This reference help comes from librarians at other institutions in Boston and in California.
Research Guides
For links to online resources and lists of print resources for various classes and subject areas, use the Research Help section of the Library's website.
Suggestion box
If you would like to leave a comment, complaint, or suggestion, please use the online suggestion box. You can also leave written comments in the wooden suggestion box near the Reference Desk. Responses are posted on the website and the bulletin board in the third floor lobby outside the Library entrance.
Places to study and research
Study rooms
The Library offers 5 study rooms for group studying. Two rooms seat 4 people, 2 rooms seat 6 and 1 large room seats up to 10. Each room contains a bulletin board and a whiteboard. Rooms may be reserved in 2-hour blocks at the Reserve Desk and keys to the rooms may be picked up there.
Note: Study Rooms are for studying purposes only. No auditions, rehearsals, videotaping, etc. See the study room policy.
Study areas
The Library offers a variety of study spaces, ranging from tables near the Circulation Desk where group work and talking are allowed, to 18 individual carrels along the lightwell and in the west stacks. The west stacks are designated a Quiet Study area. The Presidents Room has a variety of 4-person tables and individual comfortable chairs, and is considered a semi-quiet study area.
Accessing Library Resources
Members of the Emerson College community can access web-based resources available on the Library's website from home or anywhere else in the world. When you click on a database, you will be prompted to sign in with your ECnet username and password.
Additional Information
Lost and found
Personal items found in the library will be held at the Circulation Desk for 24 hours. Unclaimed items will be sent to Public Safety, located at 80 Boylston Street.
Library Tours
Reference librarians are always happy to give tours of the library. Stop by the Reference Desk or contact us to make an appointment. You can also take an online tour. Tours of the library are also given during orientation each semester. Check orientation schedules for dates and times.
