Library
The Library and Information Center provides both space and services supporting student success via Information Literacy instruction, quality resource access, and an academic study environment. The 65,000-volume print – including books, magazines, newspapers, and journals – collection is augmented by resources accessible through its consortium memberships: NOBLE, NELINET, Boston Regional Library System, and OCLC. To maximize application of Library resources, Information Literacy workshops as well as one-on-one instruction Sessions are available throughout the calendar year.
Consistent with on-campus student services, the needs of distance and non-traditional learners are addressed via carefully selected full-text databases and other online resources, as well as library web support files providing in-context instruction and lists of important resources that are customized to the curriculum. The library web page http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc provides links to the online catalog, the virtual vertical file, and off-campus subscription database access, expanding library service to 7/24. Current BHCC library policies and guidelines are posted on the World Wide Web at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/guidelines.htm .
Location and Hours
The library occupies the third floor of E building on the Charlestown campus. Its regular academic schedule is:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Saturday - Sunday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Outside fall and spring semesters it is advisable to consult the library web page or call the library’s Lending Services Desk at 617-228-2213 for operating hours.
Students may communicate with the library by telephone at 617-228-2213 or by email at bhc@noblenet.org. The library will respond to inquiries about its hours and services. Reference questions, however, are only handled in person on a first-come, first-served basis.
Creating a Positive Learning Environment Inside the Library
The library’s physical space supports information access for academic growth and attracts students seeking to learn college level material. The BHCC library meets the needs of a diverse commuter student population through cooperation and planning. Some students need solitude in order to learn, while others need more interaction and collaboration. To accommodate different learning styles, the library is divided into Group and Silent Study Areas. Although talking is permitted in the Group Study Areas, low speaking tones are encouraged.
To minimize noise, students are asked to use the study area in D building when access to library materials is not necessary. The library is learning space, not social space. Visitors are asked to turn off cell phone ringers and refrain from cell phone use. Covered drinks are allowed but eating is prohibited.
Lending Procedures
Most circulating materials are due within 14 days of checkout and may be renewed twice, unless another person has requested them. Renewals may be made in person at the Lending Services Desk, over the telephone (617-228-2213), or online using a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Photocopying is allowed, but reference materials, current-year periodicals, some special collection materials, and vertical file items cannot be checked out.
The student ID card serves as the library card. (See page 48 for information on how to obtain a Student ID.) Students may not check out materials or access the online databases if their Student ID is not registered with the library. The borrower’s account must be in good standing, showing no outstanding fees or fines.
Overdue Materials
Circulating materials have specified loan periods. Overdue fines will be assessed for materials returned past the due date. Overdue notices will be sent followed by a bill for the item(s) not returned to the library. At the close of each semester, a hold is placed on student college accounts not in good standing with the library.
Overdue fines continue to accrue until all overdue items are received at the Lending Services Desk and processed through regular library channels. All materials that are not returned by the last day of final examinations each semester will be treated as overdue.
Library Policies For Late, Damaged, or Lost Materials
The overdue fine for most circulating material is ten cents per item per day. Fines and fees vary according to format. Note: because reserve items are in high demand, their overdue fines are higher than for the circulating collection. At checkout, make sure you know the loan parameters for the items being borrowed. Check with library staff for details.
Students must report damaged or lost materials as soon as possible to the Lending Services Desk to prevent fines from accruing. Charges for damaged or lost materials will be assessed as follows:
Accumulated fines, if any, and the replacement cost for the item based on the published market value. If prices are not available, the following charges will be made:
Hardbound Books: $25.00
Paperbound Books: $15.00
All Media (Cassettes, CDs, Floppy Disks, Videos, DVDs): $50.00
Museum Passes: $50.00
Equipment (headsets, cassette players, etc.): $75.00
Reserve Materials
Works chosen by faculty for use during the semester are placed on reserve at the Lending Services Desk. Most reserve materials are for two-hour in-library use only, although reserve videos may be viewed at the Center for Self Directed Learning (Room E235.) The reserve lists for individual courses are accessible through the online catalog at the following URL: http://innopac.noblenet.org/screens/srchhelp_course_s37.html . Cassette players and headsets are provided for use in the library only. A PC is also available for the use of in-library multimedia packets.
Personal Identification Numbers
A Personal Identification Number, or PIN, allows patrons to see their current-checkouts, to renew their items, and request materials from NOBLE libraries through Inter-Library Loan. PINs may be obtained at the Lending Services Desk, for use via http://innopac.noblenet.org/patroninfo/ . Items obtained through the use of a PIN are held at the Lending Services Desk and must be picked up within seven days of arrival.
Current Periodicals and Newspapers
All magazines published within one year of the current date and newspapers published within three months of the current date are shelved on the Current Periodicals section of the library. These periodicals are only available for use in the library. Issues from previous years are available on microfilm and/or in a library storage area available for loan on request by filling out a special request form. Online subscription databases provide access to both current and older publications, and are available to users both on and off campus via the World Wide Web at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/databases.htm .
Display Items
The library maintains several displays near the entrances in order to encourage interest in different topics. Although the items may come from the library’s circulating collection, they are only available for use in the library while they are on display. If a patron would like to check out an item on display, a request may be submitted at the Lending Services Desk.
North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE)
The BHCC library is a member of the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), which extends the borrowing privileges of students to 28 local area libraries: 10 academic, 17 public, and 1 special library. Their catalogs may be searched via an Internet connection, and materials may be borrowed through the BHCC Interlibrary Loan Service.
Inter-Library Loan
Materials from other libraries may be borrowed through the Inter-Library Loan Service. Items generally take from a few days to a few weeks to arrive at the Lending Services Desk of the Charlestown Campus Library. Using a PIN (see the section on Personal Identification Numbers for more information), a person can submit requests directly to other libraries in the NOBLE consortium.
Additional borrowing options include the Statewide Virtual Catalog System (http://www.noblenet.org/cgi-bin/virtcat_login.pl), the database First Search, a password-accessed database available to library workshop participants. Items may also be requested using a form available at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/FORM.htm or by visiting the Information Services Desk to fill out an ILL request slip.
Information Services
An Information Services Librarian is available at the Charlestown Campus Library to work with information seekers on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to on-campus access to information services, a web page designed to support off-campus users is available at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/ffi and includes a link to 24/7 regional reference services especially useful during hours when the library is closed.
Internet Access
The library catalog can be accessed via the Internet using the BHCC web page, the library web page at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc or directly at http://innopac.noblenet.org/search~S37.
Printers and Copiers
A printer is available for public use. As part of a program to facilitate student research, the library offers free printing. Student cooperation is requested in the form of responsible use (i.e., printing only what is needed and not printing documents longer than ten pages) to help keep printing free.
Two copy machines are in the library next to the Lending Services Desk. The copiers make both letter and legal sized copies for 10 cents each, and accept quarters, dimes, nickels, and $1 bills only. The library cannot make change.
Museum Passes
In conjunction with the Student Government Association, the library offers discount passes to the following area museums: the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. These passes can be obtained at the Lending Services Desk. No more than two passes per day per patron may be borrowed.
Information and Instructional Handouts
In an effort to support independent learning, the library has provided handouts that address questions about the library, its policies, and Information Literacy. These handouts are available free of charge and can be found at the revolving display unit by the Lending Services Desk, as well as at http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/handouts.htm. Instructional Support Handouts are also available in conjunction with library workshops to promote independent lifelong learning habits among library users.
Workshop
The library staff actively involves itself with college programs and curricula to ensure responsive and innovative participation in academic activities. Standard and customized course-related workshops emphasizing the goals and objectives of information literacy http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/instruction.htm are designed in collaboration with faculty and students as needed in support of student academic success.
Adaptive Library Services
The library works in cooperation with the Office for Students with Disabilities http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/osd.htm. People using wheelchairs will find tables of acceptable height, restrooms with accommodations, and an accessible entrance directly opposite the elevator. Materials, equipment, and accommodations available to people with disabilities include:
- Talking Book Program
- Cassette Players with Earphones
- Key Extensions
- Phonographs with Earphones
- Applications form Recordings for the Blind
- Wheelchair Accessible Study Tables
- Read more on the Resources for Persons with Disabilities in the BHCC Library