Library Assignments
If you are planning on giving your students a classroom assignment requiring library resources, we encourage you to contact your liaison or the appropriate librarian. He/she can work with you, suggesting appropriate and relevant library resources as well as effective strategies for their use. We also encourage you to leave a copy of your assignment at the Reference Desk or with your liaison to enable the librarians to assist you and your students in the following ways:
- Librarians can reinforce an assignment’s instructions with students and direct them to appropriate information resources to complete the assignment. They can also provide you with feedback on students’ information literacy skills
- By being aware of classroom assignments, librarians can better work to maintain the Library’s print and electronic resources so they sufficiently meet instructional needs
Remote access
Remote access to the Library’s electronic journals and subscription databases from computers not connected to the University's network is available by using your ‘Lib #’ from an activated Bloomsburg University ID or by using your Blackboard login. If you experience difficulty accessing the databases, call or email Linda Neyer, the Database Coordinator, (x4801, lneyer@bloomu.edu). Please provide as much information as possible regarding any error messages to pinpoint the problem.
Interlibrary Loan
In the event the Library does not own an item you need, you may request it through interlibrary loan. The Library participates in a number of networks including UBorrow (comprised of the 14 PASSHE institution libraries) and PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.), comprised of over 40 academic libraries in Pennsylvania. Requests are submitted online, using the form on our Web page under Services > Interlibrary loan. You will need your Lib # (on your BU ID card) to submit any requests. Consult the interlibrary loan web page also for more information, or contact Andrea Schwartz, Coordinator of Interlibrary Loan, 570-389-4218, aschwart@bloomu.edu.
Faculty and graduate students may also request electronic document delivery of journal articles available ONLY in print, by sending a request with the complete citation, to Steven Wiist, Special Projects Librarian, swiist@bloomu.edu. Prior to requesting materials, please check our holdings by searching PILOT (catalog) for books and the Periodical Title List (Serials Solutions) for journals. Both databases are available on the Library’s web page, http://library.bloomu.edu.
How to Submit a Request
Faculty may pick up ILL forms from and return them to the Reference Desk or use our online request form for either books or periodical articles. Please fill out the forms completely, including a complete citation if possible, and citing the source in which you found mention of any periodical article requested. Expect a delay of from two days to two weeks between the time you submit a request and the time the material arrives.
When requesting periodical articles
Please check our Periodical Title List first before submitting a request for a periodical article to determine if the periodical may be available from one of our online databases.
In most cases, you will be notified by e-mail and given instructions as to how to access your article online. If a print copy is sent to us by the lending library, then the free photocopied article will be mailed directly to you unless you have otherwise specified.
When requesting books
In addition to submitting requests for books using the online Interlibrary Loan request form, faculty may also request materials directly from one of the libraries participating in either PALCI or UBorrow. Because these requests are "patron initiated," you may receive books more quickly than through the normal ILL process.
PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.)PALCI is a group of nearly 40 academic libraries in Pennsylvania that have joined to provide book borrowing to students, faculty, and staff of the participating institutions with its URSA project. Among the participating libraries are all 14 State System of Higher Education libraries and the libraries of Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Lehigh, Temple, and Carnegie-Mellon.
You can simultaneously search the catalogs of the participating libraries through the PALCI catalog to identify titles and then request them directly from the owning libraries. Items are generally delivered within 4-7 days, and you will be notified by e-mail when the book is available for pickup at the Circulation Desk in Andruss Library. For more detailed instructions on how to search PALCI, click here.
In addition, faculty who wish to travel to a PALCI member library to borrow materials must follow the procedures found in the On Site Borrowing Policy, which also lists participating libraries. UBorrowUBorrow is a means of extending PILOT's searching and borrowing capabilities to the Keystone Library Network (KLN). Although it does not provide access to the number of materials in PALCI (see above), it provides automated renewal and on-site borrowing from other KLN libraries. Use the Simultaneous Search/UBorrow button in PILOT to identify the location of an item, then the Request button to initiate a loan.
Reserves - Print and E-reserves
The Harvey Andruss Library maintains both traditional and electronic course reserves for faculty to use in order to make required course materials available to students. Traditional reserves include such items as library-owned or personal copies of books, musical and visual recordings, old exams, etc. Electronic reserves include scanned copies of articles, book chapters, and visual items such as photographs, paintings, objects d'art, etc. Traditional reserves are generally used in the library but can be copied for use off-site; electronic reserves, while frequently accessed from computers in the library, are most often used off-site. For more information about course reserves, please contact either Lori Osborne, Reserves Coordinator, (389-4220), losborne@bloomu.edu, (days), or Miranda Bailey, Supervisor 2nd Shift Access Services (389-4222), mbailey@bloomu.edu (evenings).
Book purchase requests
Recommendations for the purchase of books, videos, compact discs, or other materials for the Library are welcome. The availability of funds and the appropriateness of the material to our collections will determine whether it will be purchased. Use our online request form to recommend a Book for Purchase (under Services). For additional information, please contact Maria Silva Kuhn, Coordinator of Collection Development and Acquisitions or your library liaison.
In-Process Request
Andruss Library's acquisitions’ procedures result in titles appearing in the PILOT catalog before they are available to the public. Some of these titles will say "Copy Received" and a date, or "In Process." If the book is available for processing, the Cataloging Department will rush-catalog it for you. Use our online request form to initiate an In-Process Request (under Services). For more information about the processing and cataloging of materials, please contact Marilou Hinchcliff, Coordinator of Cataloging or your library liaison.
Departmental Liaison
To enhance relationships between the library and individual academic departments, the reference librarians are assigned departmental liaison responsibilities.
| Accounting | Michael Coffta |
| Anthropology | Katie Yelinek |
| Art & Art History | Steve Wiist |
| Audiology & Speech Pathology | Linda Neyer |
| Biological & Allied Health Sciences | Linda Neyer |
| Business Education/Office Information Systems | Michael Coffta |
| Chemistry | Linda Neyer |
| Communication Studies & Theatre Arts | Steve Wiist |
| Computer & Information Systems | Linda Neyer |
| Developmental Instruction | Darla Bressler |
| Early Childhood & Elementary Education | Darla Bressler |
| Educational Studies & Secondary Education | Darla Bressler |
| Economics | Michael Coffta |
| English | Katie Yelinek |
| Exceptionality Programs | Darla Bressler |
| Exercise Science & Athletics | Linda Neyer |
| Finance & Business Law | Michael Coffta |
| Geography & Geoscience | Linda Neyer |
| History | Bob Dunkelberger |
| Instructional Technology | Michael Coffta |
| Languages & Cultures | Steve Wiist |
| Law (Interdisciplinary) | Katie Yelinek |
| Management | Michael Coffta |
| Marketing | Michael Coffta |
| Mass Communications | Steve Wiist |
| Mathematics, Computer Sciences, & Statistics | Linda Neyer |
| Music | Marilou Hinchcliff |
| Nursing | Linda Neyer |
| Philosophy | Steve Wiist |
| Physics and Engineering Technology | Linda Neyer |
| Political Science | Katie Yelinek |
| Psychology | Katie Yelinek |
| Sociology & Social Welfare | Katie Yelinek |
Individuals may be contacted via the library's directory.
The reference librarians are also creating pages of Internet links aligned to their expertise and departmental liaison responsibilities.
Group Instruction
Librarians can help you with your research needs or provide instruction in the use of library materials for you or your students. It is best practice for library instruction to be course-related and linked to a specific course assignment. Library instruction for resources related to specific courses and workshops related to specific databases or resources are available and may be scheduled in AL 243, the Library classroom. Request an instruction session(s) by contacting either the liaison librarian for your department (previous section) or, when appropriate, the Government Documents Librarian, Katie Yelinek or the Special Collections Librarian, Bob Dunkelberger. You may also use an online request form available on our web page under Services. (Groups not assigned a liaison may contact Michael Coffta, Coordinator of Library Instruction, x4124.) Please allow a two week lead time for scheduling and preparation. Please note that there is a growing number of tutorials available on our Web page as well as a Library Video Tour accessible through YouTube (search for “Bloomsburg University Library”).