Current Newsletter: April 2021

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Reminder to Faculty: Film & Video Requests

We’re coming rapidly to the end of the Spring semester and the start of the Summer Session.  If you’re an instructor teaching a class in the Summer and would like to put films/videos on reserve for your students to watch online, here are few things to keep in mind:

• The Library needs a list of all the films and videos you want to put on reserve for the Summer Session.   This includes videos that you used in previous semesters or that are currently available online through the Library Catalog.  Licenses for streaming videos aren’t automatically continuous from semester to semester, so providing us with a list of your needs ahead of time will help make sure that you don’t assign a video that turns out to be unavailable at the last minute.
• All requests for reserve films & videos should be submitted to the Library by filling out a Film/Video Request Form.   You may list multiple titles on the same form as long as they’re for the same class. 
• We are able to convert DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and VHS tapes in the Library’s collection to streaming videos that your students can watch online; please check the Library Catalog for availability.  You may also lend personal copies of videos to the Library to be converted to streaming files, or request that the Library purchase titles that aren’t in our collection. 
• We use Panopto to host videos converted from DVDs and other physical media, and these videos can be embedded directly into your class Moodle page.
• Access to copyrighted films and videos on Panopto expires at the end of every semester to comply with Fair Use copyright law.  We can renew access to videos via requests submitted to the Film/Video Request Form, but students will not be able to watch expired videos from previous semesters.
• We can’t fulfil requests for films and TV shows that are only available through paid streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, etc.  We don’t have institutional licenses with these services and, unless it’s also available via an academic streaming video service (Kanopy, Alexander Street, etc.) or on physical media (DVD, Blu-Ray) we can’t provide access to these titles.
• Please submit requests for videos at least 2 weeks before you need them; we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fill requests on tighter deadlines.

Library to Move to Ex Libris Alma/Primo Platform and Discovery Service

A message from Kevin Mulroy, PhD, MLIS, College Librarian

Dear Members of the Oxy Community --

I’m delighted to announce that the Occidental College Library has seized upon an extraordinary opportunity to complete a major upgrade to our main information technology system, while improving workflows and accruing considerable cost savings. We’ve just come under contract with Ex Libris to switch from our current package of Innovative Interfaces International Sierra/OASys Integrated Library System and OCLC WorldCat Discovery to Alma/Primo, the leading and fastest-growing Library Services Platform (LSP) in higher education. Alma/Primo will provide us with a unified, integrated, Cloud-based approach to providing scholarly information resources and services, leading to an enhanced user experience.

Primo, which will replace OASys and WorldCat Discovery, will open up the wide world of scholarship for our users. Faculty members, students, and staff will enjoy using this exciting discovery service for three main reasons. First, through its simple interface, with clear filters and advanced search options prominently displayed, Primo enables an intuitive user experience and high retention in learning how to conduct research. Secondly, it offers an integrated and comprehensive search capacity. Primo allows searchers to access all of the content a library has to offer – analog, electronic, and digital – with one search. Our users will have increased confidence in the thoroughness of their search results. And Primo promotes librarian and other forms of support through its search results by connecting users directly to research appointments, guides, and tutorials. Thirdly, Primo adopts a sophisticated approach to relevancy ranking and provides great choices in how to display results, helping users to locate what they need quickly and efficiently. It also enables customization by resource type, with advanced search features, such as by title, keyword, newspapers, and special collections.

Alma, which will replace Sierra, is the most widely-respected LSP in academic libraries internationally today. It’s the only unified system, managing all collection types in a single interface. Alma will integrate with other key systems at Oxy, such as financials and student information systems, to facilitate efficiencies and remove duplicative effort. It has strong analytical and statistical reporting capabilities and features an innovative suite of APIs and other advances continuously produced by fellow-subscribers. In short, Alma will provide one-stop shopping for the Library and our users.

Alma has grown exponentially both in its range of products and its customer base. Until recently, Alma concentrated its efforts on large public and private R1 and R2 universities and library consortia. The company passed 1,000 clients worldwide in 2017 and has continued to grow at a striking rate. Many members of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries are subscribers. Within our own state, the entire University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems are Alma libraries, as is USC. More recently, however, Alma has switched its attention to small and medium-sized colleges and universities. Twenty-two of our peer members of the Oberlin Group of Libraries are now Alma customers. Locally, the University of La Verne and the University of Redlands have also become subscribers. Oxy will receive the same Alma package as large schools at a fraction of the price, and we’ll see substantial savings in the subscription costs we’ve been paying for our current system. Colleagues at other Alma/Primo libraries and Customer Testimonials suggest widespread satisfaction with the Ex Libris suite of products.

Our implementation of Alma/Primo will take five months, beginning this week. We’ll have one month of onboarding and planning, followed by four months of training, data migration, assessment, system implementation, user testing, and user training. We plan to Go Live in early June and will have everyone prepared and everything fully functional during the summer in preparation for the start of the fall semester. The implementation will be a demanding exercise for our entire Library staff, so please bear with us. During the spring semester, Sierra, Link+, and the Library’s other systems and services will continue to run as usual. Following the Alma/Primo implementation, we’ll continue to offer the popular and heavily-used Link+ resource-sharing service. We’ll carefully prepare our users for the coming change, and after we switch over, continue to offer training, workshops, and other support during the summer and fall.

Our decision to recommend switching to Alma/Primo came after a rigorous six-week due diligence review process, conducted by the entire Library staff, that resulted in strong support for making this change. Adopting the Ex Libris platform will place Oxy in a strong strategic position for the future. We’ll join an extensive and growing international client community and keep abreast of the latest systems developments in academic library technology. As a beginning, you can expect to see some exciting new additions to our Alma/Primo suite in 2022.

I’d like to thank VPs Wendy, Amos, and James and General Counsel Jon McNutt for their help in successfully concluding the Ex Libris contract negotiations. I’m especially grateful to James for his advocacy and for being such a willing listener.

These are exciting times for the Library and the College! We look forward to helping all of you acclimate to the new system and to continuously improving our support for your scholarly information needs.

With best wishes,

Kevin

Past issues

February 2021

Library to Move to Ex Libris Alma/Primo Platform and Discovery Service

A message from Kevin Mulroy, PhD, MLIS, College Librarian

Dear Members of the Oxy Community --

I’m delighted to announce that the Occidental College Library has seized upon an extraordinary opportunity to complete a major upgrade to our main information technology system, while improving workflows and accruing considerable cost savings. We’ve just come under contract with Ex Libris to switch from our current package of Innovative Interfaces International Sierra/OASys Integrated Library System and OCLC WorldCat Discovery to Alma/Primo, the leading and fastest-growing Library Services Platform (LSP) in higher education. Alma/Primo will provide us with a unified, integrated, Cloud-based approach to providing scholarly information resources and services, leading to an enhanced user experience.

Primo, which will replace OASys and WorldCat Discovery, will open up the wide world of scholarship for our users. Faculty members, students, and staff will enjoy using this exciting discovery service for three main reasons. First, through its simple interface, with clear filters and advanced search options prominently displayed, Primo enables an intuitive user experience and high retention in learning how to conduct research. Secondly, it offers an integrated and comprehensive search capacity. Primo allows searchers to access all of the content a library has to offer – analog, electronic, and digital – with one search. Our users will have increased confidence in the thoroughness of their search results. And Primo promotes librarian and other forms of support through its search results by connecting users directly to research appointments, guides, and tutorials. Thirdly, Primo adopts a sophisticated approach to relevancy ranking and provides great choices in how to display results, helping users to locate what they need quickly and efficiently. It also enables customization by resource type, with advanced search features, such as by title, keyword, newspapers, and special collections.

Alma, which will replace Sierra, is the most widely-respected LSP in academic libraries internationally today. It’s the only unified system, managing all collection types in a single interface. Alma will integrate with other key systems at Oxy, such as financials and student information systems, to facilitate efficiencies and remove duplicative effort. It has strong analytical and statistical reporting capabilities and features an innovative suite of APIs and other advances continuously produced by fellow-subscribers. In short, Alma will provide one-stop shopping for the Library and our users.

Alma has grown exponentially both in its range of products and its customer base. Until recently, Alma concentrated its efforts on large public and private R1 and R2 universities and library consortia. The company passed 1,000 clients worldwide in 2017 and has continued to grow at a striking rate. Many members of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries are subscribers. Within our own state, the entire University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems are Alma libraries, as is USC. More recently, however, Alma has switched its attention to small and medium-sized colleges and universities. Twenty-two of our peer members of the Oberlin Group of Libraries are now Alma customers. Locally, the University of La Verne and the University of Redlands have also become subscribers. Oxy will receive the same Alma package as large schools at a fraction of the price, and we’ll see substantial savings in the subscription costs we’ve been paying for our current system. Colleagues at other Alma/Primo libraries and Customer Testimonials suggest widespread satisfaction with the Ex Libris suite of products.

Our implementation of Alma/Primo will take five months, beginning this week. We’ll have one month of onboarding and planning, followed by four months of training, data migration, assessment, system implementation, user testing, and user training. We plan to Go Live in early June and will have everyone prepared and everything fully functional during the summer in preparation for the start of the fall semester. The implementation will be a demanding exercise for our entire Library staff, so please bear with us. During the spring semester, Sierra, Link+, and the Library’s other systems and services will continue to run as usual. Following the Alma/Primo implementation, we’ll continue to offer the popular and heavily-used Link+ resource-sharing service. We’ll carefully prepare our users for the coming change, and after we switch over, continue to offer training, workshops, and other support during the summer and fall.

Our decision to recommend switching to Alma/Primo came after a rigorous six-week due diligence review process, conducted by the entire Library staff, that resulted in strong support for making this change. Adopting the Ex Libris platform will place Oxy in a strong strategic position for the future. We’ll join an extensive and growing international client community and keep abreast of the latest systems developments in academic library technology. As a beginning, you can expect to see some exciting new additions to our Alma/Primo suite in 2022.

I’d like to thank VPs Wendy, Amos, and James and General Counsel Jon McNutt for their help in successfully concluding the Ex Libris contract negotiations. I’m especially grateful to James for his advocacy and for being such a willing listener.

These are exciting times for the Library and the College! We look forward to helping all of you acclimate to the new system and to continuously improving our support for your scholarly information needs.

With best wishes,

Kevin

 

Save the Date: Evan Kleiman on March 16   Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's Good Food, will join us on March 16 at 5pm for a talk about food writing in Los Angeles after Jonathan Gold.  The event is part of the Talking Books: Critser '80 Memorial Series.    RSVP for the Event Read about Black History  The library is proud to provide materials centering and celebrating black lives. Check out our Instagram Highlight for Black History, which has moved our physical display for the month to the virtual environment, featuring books and documentaries from our collection.  We encourage you to pick up one of these books at our curbside pickup. If you need assistance viewing electronic materials or assistance searching, contact a research specialist. If you would like to request an item be purchased, please contact acquisitions. Gathertown: A New Experience from the Language Advisors   Missing campus? Visit the friendly and multilingual Language Advisers in this virtual Johnson Hall space to get you immersed in the college experience!  Check out their hours and drop in to say ¡hola!   Trial Access to Newspaper Archive Occidental College currently has access to Newspaper Archive through March 3, 2021. Access more than 400 years of newspapers, obituaries and family history records from 32 countries and all 50 states - over 1/4 billion pages. You can search, read, save, and share them all.  If you find the database useful for your research, let us know by sending an email to library@oxy.edu.  Reminders Our chat service is running 9am to 9pm, Monday - Thursday, and 9am - 5pm on Fridays during the semester. Visit our web page and look for the Ask a Librarian icon History is happening now! Oxy College Archives invites you, the Oxy community—faculty, students, staff, and alumni—to archive your pandemic experience for college history. Visit Documenting Life in the Pandemic at the Library Special Collections website.

November 2020

Finals are just around the corner and we're here to help!

Get Help with Finals and Comps from Librarians Have a question or need some research guidance? Our librarians are ready to help!  Our chat service is running 9am to 9pm, Monday - Thursday, and 9am - 7pm on Fridays during the semester. Visit our web page and look for the Ask a Librarian icon. You can also virtually meet one-on-one with one of our specialists and get help with using our resources for class assignments and research projects. Schedule an Appointment Need a book? We'll get it to you! Did you know you can still check out books from the library, even if you don't live in the area? We've expanded our curbside pickup program to include shipping books to students and faculty.  Users can place holds on circulating items in the catalog or simply email requests to library@oxy.edu. Library staff will contact you about your delivery preference.  Looking for Peer Support? Learning a new software tool? Looking to build community with peers? Our team of Remote Learning Advisers for Technology (ReLATe) are offering drop-in hours to get you comfortable with software tools and share virtual space. We can assist you with technology, multimedia assignments and much more. Check out our drop-in hours and links at /academics/library/cdla/critical-making Archive Your 2020 Experience For College History   History is happening now! Oxy College Archives invites you, the Oxy community—faculty, students, staff, and alumni—to preserve voices, stories and evidentiary documents. Whether you are in Eagle Rock or Beijing, we encourage you to contribute your personal experiences with the pandemic, racial justice movement, national events, and, especially this month, the US national election and voting rights. You can upload online! Visit Documenting Life in the Pandemic at the Library Special Collections website.    Visit Our Latinx Heritage Month Online Exhibit Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos marches in the Los Angeles Christopher Street West pride parade in June 1982. The Intercultural Community Center and Special Collections have partnered to create a virtual Belonging in the Academic Commons exhibit for Latinx Heritage Month. An evolving project, At the Crossroads of Latinx Heritage and LGBTQ+ Identity centers the lives of LGBTQ+ Latinx people living in Los Angeles from the 1970s through the 1990s. Through images of activism, zines, photographs and artwork, this exhibit gives the viewer a glimpse into what LGBTQ+ Latinx communities have historically looked like in Los Angeles. Learn more about the Belonging in the Academic Commons program here.  In the News  Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone, was named a 2020 MacArthur Foundation Fellow (aka 'the Genius Grant'). Woodson is part of a group comprised of engineers and writers, scientists and musicians, artists and scholars and filmmakers.  In honor of their talent and creativity, each recipient gets an award of $625,000, paid in quarterly installments over five years. The MacArthur Foundation describes the award as "no-strings-attached;" there are no expectations, and Fellows may do what they wish with the money. Red at the Bone was selected by President Harry Elam for this year's Community Book Program.  Reminder: The library, like the rest of Occidental College, will be closed from December 21,2020 to January 1, 2021. All services will be unavailable during this time.

October 2020

It's October and things at Occidental College - not to mention the rest of Los Angeles - are really heating up! Check out what the Library has going on right now.

Archive Your 2020 Experience For College History   History is happening now! Oxy College Archives invites you, the Oxy community—faculty, students, staff, and alumni—to preserve voices, stories and evidentiary documents. Whether you are in Eagle Rock or Beijing, we encourage you to contribute your personal experiences with the pandemic, racial justice movement, national events, and, especially this month, the US national election and voting rights. You can upload online! Visit Documenting Life in the Pandemic at the Library Special Collections website.    Visit Our Latinx Heritage Month Online Exhibit Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos marches in the Los Angeles Christopher Street West pride parade in June 1982. The Intercultural Community Center and Special Collections have partnered to create a virtual Belonging in the Academic Commons exhibit for Latinx Heritage Month. An evolving project, At the Crossroads of Latinx Heritage and LGBTQ+ Identity centers the lives of LGBTQ+ Latinx people living in Los Angeles from the 1970s through the 1990s. Through images of activism, zines, photographs and artwork, this exhibit gives the viewer a glimpse into what LGBTQ+ Latinx communities have historically looked like in Los Angeles. Learn more about the Belonging in the Academic Commons program here.  Attend a Virtual Event October 17: Fifteenth Annual Archives Bazaar This year, the Archives Bazaar goes virtual on October 17. Log in to celebrate Los Angeles’ rich heritage through exhibits and videos by participating L.A.-area institutions. There will also be talks related to L.A. history and archives-related topics. Special Collections has participated every year since the Bazaar’s inception and we are pleased to be a part of it this year as well. Please see the Archives Bazaar website for details. October 22: Community Book Program Bookmaking Workshop   You are invited to join Oxy professors James Ford and Jocelyn Pedersen in a hands-on bookmaking workshop on Thursday, October 22, from 9:30 - 11 a.m. Using this year’s Community Book selection Red at the Bone: A Novel as a guide, participants will work during the virtual workshop to create a handcrafted book. Prior to the event, participants will receive a packet of preprinted pages, a letterpress printed book cover and supplies to bind the book, as well as art materials for adding imagery and text to personalize their copy during the workshop.  The workshop component of the event is limited to the first 100 registrants, and the registration deadline for these participants is Friday, October 9.  REGISTER HERE. Dive Deeper Into Your Language Studies   Check out our updated list of resources for language study. Find grammar practice, TV shows, newspapers, podcasts,                                  and more!  If what you're looking for is one-on-one support, fun conversations, and real-life practice, look no farther! Visit the friendly and multilingual Language Advisers who will be happy to chat with you and help you improve your speaking skills!  New Resources Stream Media To Your Personal Device Hoopla is a groundbreaking digital media service that allows you to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone – and even your TV! With no waiting, titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. Hoopla has hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily. Hoopla is like having another library at your fingertips. Anytime. Anywhere. Access is sponsored by Occidental College Library. Open a free account using your Oxy credentials at www.hoopladigital.com. Browse New Databases           Drama Online - This databases includes 1,200+ playtexts from pre-eminent theatre lists such as Methuen Drama, Faber and Faber, and Arden Shakespeare, as well as contextual and critical background through scholarly works and practical guides.   National Theatre Collection - This award-winning digital library has been created as a response to the need for a high-quality online research tool for drama and literature students, professors, and teachers. It is the only resource to combine exclusively available play text content and scholarly publications with filmed live performances, film adaptations, and audio plays. Get Help from Librarians Have a question? Our librarians are ready to help!  Our chat service is running 9am to 9pm, Monday - Thursday, and 9am - 7pm on Fridays during the semester. Visit our web page and look for the Ask a Librarian icon. Or you can meet virtually meet one-on-one with one of our specialists and get help with using our resources for class assignments and research projects. Schedule an Appointment

September 2020 (Back to School edition) 

Welcome back, Oxy! Check out what we're up to this semester.

Introducing Library/CDLA YouTube   Over the summer, we kicked off a YouTube channel to start answering commonly asked questions. If you're wondering how to connect Google Scholar to Library resources or setting up your Interlibrary Loan account, pop on over to our channel and subscribe! We plan on continuing to upload new videos throughout the semester. If you have a video request, or any suggestions, contact Sam Alfrey at salfrey@oxy.edu.   Need a book? We'll get it to you! Did you know you can still check out books from the library, even if you don't live in the area? We've expanded our curbside pickup program to include shipping books to students and faculty.  Users can place holds on circulating items in the catalog or simply email requests to library@oxy.edu. Library staff will contact you about your delivery preference.  This is just one of many services we're offering this semester, along with research consultations information literacy instruction access to thousands of online resources and many more! See All Library Services Upcoming Events Join us on Tuesday, September 29th at 4:00pm for our first Talking Books event of the semester. Katie Orphan will join us to talk about her new book, Read Me, Los Angeles: Exploring L.A.'s Book Culture. This event will be held online. Registration now open. Get Help from Librarians Have a question? Our librarians are ready to help!  Our chat service is running 9am to 9pm, Monday - Thursday, and 9am - 7pm on Fridays during the semester. Visit our web page and look for the Ask a Librarian icon. Or you can meet virtually meet one-on-one with one of our specialists and get help with using our resources for class assignments and research projects. Schedule an Appointment Accessing Los Angeles Public Library's Content Did you know you can register for an e-card with the Los Angeles Public Library to access even more great content? If you are currently living on campus or outside of Los Angeles, make sure to use 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041 as your address when you sign up.      LAPL has a full subscription to Kanopy streaming service, electronic books that you can download to a Kindle device, and various databases for newspapers and magazines. If you need help getting started, we are happy to help you.   REGISTER FOR YOUR e-CARD TODAY Oxy Reads Together: Update Over the summer, Dean Sternberg announced the College's new  Community Book Program. The theme for this year is Oxy Reads Together: One College, One Book. Our entire community will read a common book and come together to discuss its themes and importance through shared programs.  Our new president, Dr. Harry Elam has chosen the title for our first community book: Jacqueline Woodson, Red at the Bone: A Novel (New York: Riverhead Books, 2019). The deadline for Oxy students to claim their FREE ebook edition has been extended to November 20, 2020.  Learn more about Oxy Reads Together

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July 2020 (Summer edition)

OXY READS TOGETHER: ONE COLLEGE, ONE BOOK

Dean Sternberg recently announced the College's new Community Book Program. The theme for this year is Oxy Reads Together: One College, One Book. Our entire community will read a common book and come together to discuss its themes and importance through shared programs. 

Our new president, Dr. Harry Elam has chosen the title for our first community book: Jacqueline Woodson, Red at the Bone: A Novel (New York: Riverhead Books, 2019). Oxy students are eligible for a FREE ebook edition. 

For students:

The College will purchase an e-book for each student wishing to participate. To claim your free copy, email communitybook@oxy.edu. We’ll send you a code and instructions on how to access the book.  Once you've received your code, please use it straightaway. This opportunity extends from today until August 15, 2020, when the codes will expire.

For staff and faculty:

If you will be participating in the Oxy Reads Together: One College , One Book. "Red At The Bone", the Oxy Bookstore has two options for you:

1. Purchase a digital copy for $13.99 from our e-book site https://oxybookstore.redshelf.com/book/1106620/.
2. Reserve your hard copy today for $26.00 + tax.

Related events being considered:

• Author events; an interview or lecture

• Author teaches a masterclass to students

• Faculty offer lectures, panels, or seminars on the author's work or related topics and/or include the book in their courses

• Students lead programs of exploration and discovery aimed at broad participation

• Student-curated physical and/or online exhibition

• Library prepares a LibGuide providing information on the author and related subjects; includes a calendar of program information

Please note that the Community Book Program is not to be confused with the Core Program’s Summer Reading.  The Core Program asks incoming students to access or read common texts during the summer of their matriculation.  The Community Book Program is a co-curricular program, intended to engage our entire extended community in reading and discussion.  But the two have a lot in common; this year, the summer readings and community book are clearly complementary.

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SUMMER PEDAGOGY INSTITUTE

The CDLA, working with the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Summer Pedagogical Development Committee, has been working to support the shift to remote classes. For information about the Summer Pedagogy Institute, please see the following:  /covid-19/teaching-remotely/summer-training-workshops

Our Instruction and Research Specialists are also available to help develop course-specific research guides that would highlight resources related to assignments (using the LibGuide platform). If you would like to make an appointment with a Specialist about these topics or any related matters, please schedule an appointment on libcal.oxy.edu or email a specialist directly (visit our Research Help page for contact details).

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ORIENTATION WEEK

This Fall, the Library and CDLA will take part in Oxy's Orientation Week. In a virtual format, we will join SLICE to welcome and guide our students. With a focus on the people who make up the library and the supportive relationships students can build with us, we will introduce our services and resources. We are excited to connect with our students from the very start! This is a live session and asynchronous recordings and materials will be provided. The session is scheduled for Monday August 24.

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WAYFINDER PROGRAM

In June, Oxy launched a new initiative designed to provide each new student with a personal contact at Occidental College during the summer prior to their matriculation. Wayfinders play a key role in providing new students with timely information, as well as answering questions and serving as a source of “pre-advising” support. In July, Wayfinders will help to introduce students to their faculty advisors. 

There are 70 - including several Library/CDLA staff - friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and student-focused Wayfinder volunteers, each serving as a primary point of contact for approximately 7-8 students, depending on staffing and enrollment numbers. Wayfinders regularly interact with their assigned students, answer questions about the Occidental experience and, when appropriate, connect students to relevant offices and individuals on campus. 

Responsibilities include: 

Participating in an online training session Sending periodic emails to assigned students   Responding to student questions and, when appropriate, connecting them with the relevant offices or individual on campus for further assistance Being available for one-on-one and/or group meetings with students via Zoom or Blue Jeans Communicating any concerns related to specific students with Academic Affairs and/or the Dean of Students office

 

BOOK RETURNS

Need to return some library books? The Book Drop next to the main entrance is open 24/7 and we're checking it several times per week. If you drop off a book, it will likely be checked in within two or three days. 

What happens to the books after they're returned? To be safe, we're quarantining the books for 72+ hours before returning them to the shelves or checking them out to another patron. This follows best practices from the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) and shared by the American Library Association (ALA):

“The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) recommends a 24 to 72-hour quarantine of returned books as the safest and most effective way to disinfect them. A study that is currently in preprint has just been released showing that COVID-19 will last on surfaces such as cardboard for 24 hours.”

While Wayfinders are primarily active during June and into early July, it is hoped that they will continue to stay in touch with their students (as needed or desired) throughout the summer months and possibly long afterward.  

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SUMMER REMINDERS

Curbside Pickup Service

Faculty, students, and staff can request access to our circulating analog materials (books, DVDs, CDs etc.) by placing holds on items via the library catalog or by emailing requests to library@oxy.edu. 

Materials will be paged by library staff, checked out to the requester, and placed in bags with the name of the individual for pickup. Requesters will be notified by email when the items are ready and must schedule a pickup time by emailing library@oxy.edu. Pickups will be offered twice per week: on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am to Noon (except July 3rd, as Oxy will be observing the Fourth of July holiday) and take place on the patio at the main entrance to the Academic Commons. We will practice social distancing and require requesters to wear face masks. Returns can be placed in the book drop at the main entrance to the Academic Commons.  

Please Note: The Library cannot deliver materials to requesters. This is a pickup service only.

Digitization Services

Faculty, students, and staff can request digitization of print and media materials the library owns, including articles and book chapters, DVDs, and CDs by emailing requests to  library@oxy.edu. Depending on the size and complexity of the request, orders will typically be completed within one to two weeks. Requesters will be notified by email when the items are ready.

In addition, faculty, students, and staff may request digital copies of primary resources to support their research, teaching, and learning, should contact Special Collections and College Archives at specialcollection@oxy.edu.

Faculty wishing the Library to digitize materials they own should make special arrangements by contacting library@oxy.edu.

For more information about our current services, please visit /academics/library/covid-19-service-updates

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