Welcome from the University Librarian Steve Connaghan

Orientation activities at the University Libraries

Cards you need to use the Library

New! Register your cards online!

First Year Experience

Get articles you need in 24 hours or less!

Library  Services and Resources

•  Checking Out Materials
• Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries
• Reference and Instructional Services (RIS): Where to Go for Help
• Special Collections and Branch Libraries
  

Library Facilities

• Laptop and Wireless Network

Cool Tools: New Online Resources

Popular Reading Program Begins Second year

As always, we welcome comments, questions, and suggestions at our online comment form.

We hope you enjoy this issue of our Newsletter. You can continue to follow the latest Library news as they are posted at University Libraries News & Events. Please comment on our stories and subscribe to the RSS feeds.

Is something missing? Any objections? Is there an article you enjoyed? Please direct comments, questions, and suggestions about the newsletter to us via the contact form.

Editor: Anne Marie Hules, Reference Librarian for Library and Information Science

First Year students, you will be introduced to the Libraries and develop your skills in critically analyzing information sources through your course work. For many of you our online collections and services will satisfy your basic needs.  But please be aware of our special collections where you have a unique opportunity to see first hand the source materials which are a part of our heritage, whether it is medieval philosophical manuscripts or letters between Catholic labor leaders from the early 20th century.

The Libraries also provide great space to study. Whether you need solitary quiet space or a place to get together with your classmates or professors you can find many options within Mullen Library or in our four campus libraries.

The most important bit of information I want to impart to all our new students and faculty is our librarians, archivists and the rest of the library staff are eager to help you with your research and course needs. Please have a look at the articles on the services we provide and if you have any questions, please AskaLibrarian.

Thank you and all the best as we begin this new academic year together!

First Year Experience Reading Room

The First Year Experience Reading Room is a place in Mullen library for students in the FYE program. Here, new students will know where to find help from their fellow students. Under the auspices of the Center for Academic Success, undergraduate fellows are available to work with FYE students afternoons and evenings most days of the week. The room is located behind the Main Reading Room on the 2nd floor of Mullen Library.

1. Mullen Library Tours. Tuesday, September 11th. Tours offered from 2:00-4:00pm, every 30 minutes.

2. Games @ the Library. Thursday, September 20th. Join us in the May Gallery from 2:00-5:00pm for all your favorite board games.

Cards you need to use the Library:

• Cardinal Card (CUA ID) to check out library material, login to our online databases from off campus, and make photocopies. Current students, staff and faculty do not need to buy separate copy cards. Because the copy machines work off Cardinal Cash, you can simply add value to your Cardinal Card AKA your ID. You may add to your Cardinal Cash account using a credit card online or using cash at one of our two add-value stations. Our add-value stations are located on the second floor of Mullen Library and in our music library in Ward Hall. Our add-value stations only accept ones, fives, tens and twenties. Visiting researchers may purchase copy cards at our add-value stations. Blank cards cost $1.00, and you must be sure to re-insert your blank card into the add-value station to add value.
  
• Business card of your subject librarian to get advice in how to get started on your research project.

CUA University Libraries  implemented RapidILL in April 2012.  RapidILL is a unique resource sharing system that was designed by the Interlibrary Loan staff at Colorado State University Libraries. Following a devastating flood in July of 1997, RapidILL was developed to provide very fast cost effective article requesting and delivery through Interlibrary Loan.

The Rapid database is unique in several ways.

• RILL  is designed specifically for resource sharing activity. Only information essential to borrowing and lending material is maintained in the database.
• RILL is comprised only of the holdings of the participating Rapid libraries. Each library provides a holdings file to the Rapid programming team for inclusion in the database. you decide what material you will supply from, and if you want to block a specific collection or title.
• RILL’s database is unmatched in depth of indexing. Most ILL databases index only to the journal title level, but Rapid matches to the year level. When your borrowing request matches in the Rapid database you know that year of that title is held by a Rapid participant. Holdings are updated on a six-month cycle.

Currently, CUA Libraries subscribes to Academic Pod E, consisting of 112 institutions. RapidILL schools are contractually obligated to fill requests within 24 hours.

Since April 2012 RapidILL has filled 530 requests for articles from CUA and averaged 14.4 hours turnaround.

Circulation and Borrowing

This is where you check out and return library materials. Students, faculty, faculty associates, and staff members with a current ID may obtain borrowing privileges at the Mullen Circulation Desk. Student privileges are renewed each semester approximately ten days prior to the first day of classes provided the student has registered for classes or dissertation/comprehensive examination guidance. Faculty and staff must renew privileges in person at the Mullen circulation desk at the beginning of each academic year. Patrons must present an active Cardinal Card at the circulation desk to borrow any circulating items, including books, laptops, and movies.

Access to certain ALADIN databases, ejournals, MyALADIN, CLS, and ILL from off campus will require a valid Cardinal Card.

You may renew items in person at the Mullen Circulation Desk or through myALADIN. Most items may be renewed three times.

Course Reserves

Course Reserve holds high-demand print and audio-visual items that instructors request be made available for student use.

Electronic Reserve holds items made available by individual faculty members in an electronic format. Electronic reserves are available through Blackboard (http://bb9.cua.edu) only to current CUA faculty, staff, or students in good standing.

Library materials, including Course Reserves, may only be used in compliance with United States copyright law. Please see the CUA Libraries’ page of policies and guidelines on copyright for more information about your rights and responsibilities, including Instructions for Placing Items on Reserve.

Washington Research Library Consortium(WRLC)

The Washington Research Library Consortium is made up of the following universities:

• American University (AU)
• Catholic University (CU)
• Gallaudet University (GA)
• George Mason University (GM)
• Georgetown University (GT)
• George Washington University (GW)
• Howard (HU)
• Marymount University (MU)
• University of the District of Columbia (DC)
• WRLC Center (WR)

Students and Faculty in CUA’s School of Theology and Religious Studies also have access to the Washington Theological Consortium. Ask for information in the Religious Studies and Humanities Library (314 Mullen, 202-319-5088).

Patrons with CUA undergraduate, graduate, faculty, faculty associate, and staff privileges may use CLS. Materials such as:

• Circulating books not owned by CUA. The books must display the status available in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) Libraries Catalog.
• Articles from journals and reference books not owned by CUA. The articles must be less than 50 pages.
• Books and journals owned by CUA that are shelved at the WRLC Center or are missing, lost, or charged.
• Please note: Requests from CUA patrons for CUA items will not be processed.

To submit a CLS request:

1. Search for your item (book or journal) in the WRLC Libraries Catalog (http://www.aladin.wrlc.org).
2. Click on the title that is owned by a library other than CUA and confirm that the item is available or that the volume is owned.
3. Click on the yellow Request box, enter the barcode from your Cardinal Card (student ID), and select “Catholic” as the institution. Enter your last name and click on Login.
4. Verify that the Library for Pickup is Catholic U. – Mullen Library.
5. Complete the form as directed. For articles fill in the Vol/Issue/Date, Article Title/Author, and Article Pages fields.
6. Enter your Patron ID and click on Submit Request.

To check the status of a CLS request:

• You will be notified by e-mail if the item requested is ineligible for CLS. Requests for ineligible items are cancelled.
• You also may check the status of a request in myALADIN 30 to 45 minutes after you submit the request. Go to Consortium Loan Services Activity and click on View.
• When a request is ready you will be notified by e-mail.

Consortium loan requests usually take three to five business days, but may take longer. Please plan ahead. Materials that are not sent via email can be picked up at the Mullen Circulation Desk. CLS materials can be renewed through MyALADIN. Click on George Mason and Georgetown to renew items from those libraries. If you need an item immediately, you are permitted entry to any of the WRLC libraries with your Cardinal Card and can check out items.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Through ILL, patrons may obtain materials not available in the CUA libraries or at other WRLC libraries. Material usually arrives within 2 weeks, but may take longer depending on the rarity and availability of the item. Please plan ahead! When material arrives, we will contact you via email or you can check MyALADIN. Overdue ILL books and overdue recalled ILL books are subject to the same fines as overdue CUA books.

1. This service is for CUA faculty, students and staff only.
   • Columbus School of Law students submit interlibrary loan requests at the DuFour Law Library (http://law.cua.edu/library).
   • Patrons from outside CUA should request material through the Interlibrary Loan service at their school, business, or local public library.
   • Other libraries should request material through OCLC, or contact the Interlibrary Loan Office directly (202-319-5063).
2. Please check the WRLC Libraries Catalog to see if the material you need is available in the Washington Research Libraries Consortium. If it is, you will receive the material faster by ordering it through the Consortium Loan Service. Request Consortium loan service by clicking on the yellow “Request through Consortium Loan Services” link on the right side of the item record. Items owned by CUA Libraries may not be requested from outside the Consortium, unless they have been declared missing or a search has been filed.
3. Submit one form for each book or article requested. Please limit the number of requests to no more then three in one day.

Submitting a request To request an interlibrary loan, please go to http://www.aladin.wrlc.org/Z-WEB/ILLAuthClient Complete the request form fully. Requests may be returned to you if information is omitted. Please note, you can access this request form thru MyALADIN too. If you have problems to login, please call 202-319-5063 or complete the Contact Form. Please include your CUA ID number.