How do I put things on reserve for a class?

If you bring library books, your own books, or photocopies of readings to the circulation desk and fill out a form for each item indicating what it is and what loan period you think is appropriate, we will process them as soon as possible. Please allow for as much lead time as possible. We use Moodle for electronic reserves; other items are kept behind the circulation desk or, if appropriate, in the Music Library or in the Audio Visual Department. Note that the library will pay for necessary copyright permissions within reason; the department may be responsible for paying for permissions if the costs are deemed too prohibitive for the library's budget. See the Association of College and Research Library's Statement on Fair Use and Electronic Reserves for more information about copyright and fair use. Contact Sonja Timmerman (x7558) for more information. (All phone numbers on campus begin with 507-933...)

Can a librarian help my students learn how to do research?

Yes. We can do this in whatever way fits your goals. We've worked with many faculty over the years and have developed some effective ways to collaborate. Contact Barbara Fister (x7553) or speak with your department's liaison.

Can I use one of the library's electronic classrooms to teach students how to find and use electronic resources?

Yes. We have two hands-on electronic classrooms, one with twenty PCs and a smaller one with ten that are open labs unless reserved for classes. We also have a computer projector system in one of the Audio Visual classrooms. Check our instruction calendar for availability.

How can I recommend books the library should buy?

Each department has designated one of its members a liaison with the library, and there is a librarian who works closely with each department. Your department liaison manages a departmental account for library purchases and collects requests from faculty. The library also has funds beyond those assigned to your department to build the collection in interdisciplinary areas, women's studies, and diversity. We also set aside some money for new faculty in tenure-track positions to develop the collection for their teaching area.

If you have specific recommendations, pass them along to your department liaison or, if you are recommending books that don't necessarily fall within the department's curricular area, to the librarian/liaison who works with your department.

What about journals?

We typically meet once annually to consider all suggestions for new journals at one time. Because of the ongoing cost of journals, we are quite limited in what we can add, but certainly welcome suggestions. If you aren't sure if we have access to a journal in one of our electronic collections, check our journal locator.

How can I get the research materials I need that arent in this library?

We have a very effective interlibrary loan service. Working with the MINITEX regional consortium, we are able to borrow materials from the Universities of Minnesota and other institutions around the country. Articles are typically scanned so that you can retrieve them via an e-mail link; books are sent to the library by courier. For more information contact Kathie Martin (x7564).

How can I arrange to show a video in class?

Contact the library's AV department (x7571) to reserve videos or DVDs and AV equipment if it's not already available in your classroom. When you're ready to show the film, come to the library to check it out. Ginny Bakke (x7571) can answer questions you have about equipment, videos, and sources for renting or purchasing AV materials. You can search for videos in our catalog; for a subject search, use the format limit in the advanced search - or drop by and ask to browse the collection, which is shelved by Library of Congress call numbers.

Who do I ask when I have questions about the library?

The librarian who works with your department should be able to help with assorted questions, whether reference, collection development, or instruction for classes. Or you can contact any of the staff for assistance.

Is there a good web site that tells students how to document web and other electronic resources?

We have quick guides to MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, links more detailed information and sample papers on our Website.

Are there questions we haven't covered here? Feel free to contact us.