Frequently Asked Questions

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Borrowing & ordering

Finding in the library

Research

Technical help

Borrowing & ordering

What if my 16-digit number on my One Card doesn't work?
Come to the Circulation Desk of any of the libraries, or email the ACCESS conference on First Class -- the folks there would be happy to help you.

How do I get an item that Wellesley doesn't have?
Search the item in our catalog, then use the NExpress or Virtual Catalog buttons to request books and videos directly from area libraries. You'll need the 16 digit ID number on your One Card.
 
Or, Use the Interlibrary Loan form to order books, chapters in books, or journal articles from other libraries. For more information see the ILL/Frequently Asked Questions.
 
Note: if you're searching in a database, click on the Find It @ Wellesley button to get the item.

Can I use Harvard's libraries?
Yes and no. Some of Harvard's libraries are freely open to the public, while others are more restricted. See Harvard's policies for outside users. In addition, special arrangements are available for some libraries: please Ask Us for further assistance.

Can I recall an item that's checked out?
Yes, at the circulation desk in any of the libraries -- but you may want to get it through NExpress instead (it takes only a few days -- recalls can take a week or two). Items on reserve can't be recalled.

How many videos or books can I borrow?
You can have up to 100 items checked out to your account.

Can I renew my books online?
Yes. Click on the My Library tab on the library homepage and enter your One Card name and 16-digit One Card number (alums and BLC card holders use use the 14-digit number beginning with 2, not 6010...). View your borrowed items and select items, or renew all.

How do I check out items on reserve?
Each branch library has different borrowing policies: - see the Science, Art, or Music library reserves policies. Clapp Library: Books on Clapp Reserve can be used in the library without being checked out, but all videos must be checked out to be viewed. You can check out a Clapp or Knapp Reserve item for 3 hours (or overnight if it's within 3 hours of closing) if you want to use it outside the building.
 
How can I get a dissertation?
You can request a dissertation via Interlibrary Loan (see FAQ above). However, we may have related sources that are more useful -- and quicker to get! Please check with a reference librarian first. Lengthy doctoral dissertations are sometimes edited and published in a more accessible format. Here's more on how to get a dissertation or thesis

How do I request that the library purchase a book/journal/video/etc.?
We welcome faculty, staff, and student suggestions for purchases for the library.
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Finding in the library

Where are the videos and DVDs?
If you just want to browse the videos, many popular movies are shelved in PN 1997 on the 4th floor of Clapp.

To find a particular film, choose Title or Journal Title in the library catalog and enter the title of your film, e.g., to kill a mockingbird

 To find everything we have on videocassette, choose Title or Journal Title search in the library catalog and enter videocassette. Use "Limit This Search" to specify by language, subject, etc. To find DVDs, do a title search for DVD.

Do a Keyword search in the library catalog, then limit your search in the Material Type field to Video.

For films by a particular director, do an Author search in the library catalog, e.g., hitchcock, alfred

For films starring a particular actor or actress, from the library catalog choose Keyword and type in the name, e.g., gregory peck

Note: Clapp Library videos & DVDs are shelved by call number with the books. Videos on Clapp Reserve are in the Reserves section on the 1st floor.
Art videos & DVDs are shelved together on the 1st floor of the Art Library; reserve videos are behind the circulation desk.
Music videos & DVDs are shelved together on the main floor of the Music Library.
Science videos & DVDs are kept behind the circulation desk.

How do I find a Wellesley thesis?
In the library catalog choose Author or Keyword, and enter the author's last name.
To find all the theses written for a department, choose Author, and enter Wellesley College Dept of xxx.
Note: this search cannot be done for interdepartmental majors such as American Studies.

Records for Wellesley College theses normally do not have subject headings. To retrieve theses, the Archives staff needs the name of the author and the year it was written.
 
How do I find books on tape?
- in the library catalog do a Title search for spoken word recording. This will give you a long list of all of the books on tape/CD we have.
- or search by author, for example, morrison toni, then click on the Limit/Sort Search button and choose Material Type: RCDGS, NON-MUS.
- our collection of books on tape is heavily weighted towards poetry readings, but there are some novels and light fiction.

What do these library catalog terms mean?

Art, Astronomy, Clapp, Music, Science

These indicate which library the item is in, followed by additional information about where in that particular library you should go to find the item.

Archives

Archives is located on the 4th floor of Clapp Library.

"Ask Reference"

This book has been moved to an off-site facility. Please ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

SpCol [collection]

Special Collections is located on the 4th floor of Clapp Library

Clapp Recreational R'dg

The Recreational reading collection is on the 2nd floor of Clapp Library in the Brackett Reading Room.

Clapp Docs Government Documents are shelved on the 2nd floor of Clapp Library.
Clapp Education Coll. The Education Collection is shelved on the 3rd floor of Clapp Library.
Clapp Microfilm Clapp Microfilm is on the 1st floor of Clapp Library. The microform reader and printer is in the Knapp Center.
Clapp Reference Clapp Reference is on the 2nd (main) floor of Clapp Library.
Clapp Reserve Clapp Reserve materials are on open shelves on the 1st floor of Clapp Library.
Clapp SuDocs Superintent of Documents (SuDocs) are shelved on the 2nd (main) floor of Clapp Library.
Clapp UN Sales United Nations Sales Series are shelved on the 2nd (main) floor of Clapp Library.
Knapp Reserve Media items on reserve, kept behind the Knapp Center service desk.
q quarto-sized (oversized book). On most floors the quarto books are shelved separately at the end of the floor. In the Reference collection the quartos are shelved among the regular-sized books. Quartos on reserve are on a cart in the Clapp Reserve area.
f folio-sized (extra-oversized book, larger than quarto). On most floors the folio books are shelved separately at the end of the floor. In some locations the folios are inter-shelved with regular-sized books. Folio reserve items are on a cart in the Clapp Reserve area.


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Research

How do I find the full text of an article from a citation?
If you locate the citation in a database, click on Find It @ Wellesley button to find the article online, in print, or, if neither is available, to request the article through Interlibrary Loan.

If you locate the citation in a print source, use the Citation Linker form to find the article online, in print, or, if neither is available, to request the article through Interlibrary Loan. Fill in as much information as you can, starting with the journal title.

How do I find book reviews of a particular book?
Where you look depends upon when your book was published. Here's a handy table that shows where to look depending on when the book was published. You can also ask a reference librarian for help with this sometimes-tricky task.
 
How do I cite my sources?
First, decide which citation style you'll use:
    • the humanities often use MLA (Modern Language Association)
    • the social sciences often use Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian
    • the physical sciences often use APA (American Psychological Association).

Consult the relevant style manual (copies at the Clapp Reference Desk):
  • MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. (Clapp Ref PN147 .G444 1998)
  • Chicago Manual of Style (Clapp, Art or Music Ref or Science Reserve  Z253 .C57 2003)
  • "Turabian" - A Manual For Writers Of Term Papers, Theses, And Dissertations (Ref LB2369 .T8 1996)
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (Clapp Ref & Science Reserve BF76.7 .P83 2001)

Or consult our citation guide for links to online examples drawn from style manuals.
 
We also offer EndNote, a bibliographic citation management tool, to all students, faculty, and staff.

How do I know if the Library subscribes to a particular journal/magazine/newspaper?
Search by *title* in the Library catalog
- click on the title, then select the "Full Record" tab
- check the line that says: "Library has:" to see which years we have in in the library Note: a journal may be available partly in microfilm, partly in print, and partly online. To request a volume that's stored off-campus, click on the link in the record and fill out the form.

How do I know if a journal is available online?
In the library catalog choose Title or Journal Title and enter the title of the journal/magazine.
The list of results should indicate whether if the journal is available online. When you click on that result, you'll either link directly to the online version of the journal or link to directions that will help you locate the article in a database. Note: the years of coverage may vary.

I'm an alumna - can I use the library databases?
You're most welcome to visit Wellesley College library to use our licensed databases (with one or two exceptions limited by specific licenses). Offcampus use, unfortunately, is limited to current students, faculty, and staff under the terms of the licenses.
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Technical help

How do I access the library's databases from off campus?
Select the database you want from the Databases A-Z list, then enter your name and the 16 digit ID number on your One Card (begins with "6010...").
Databases marked WC campus are restricted to the Wellesley College campus use only.

Why do JSTOR articles take so long to print?
You can speed it up considerably by changing the printing preferences. In JSTOR, choose Search.
Select Set Preferences from the top menu > Printing.
Choose PDF: Economy > Set Printing Preferences.
Note: computers in the public labs are refreshed daily so you must set these preferences each time.

How do I access SciFinder Scholar?
SciFinder Scholar is available only on specific computers in the Science Library; it is not available over the Web. Questions? please contact the Science Librarians, Irene Laursen or Neil Nero.
The license agreement limits its use to current students, faculty, and staff at Wellesley College.

Where can I get more technical help?
General technical support for students is available at the Clapp Reference Desk (afternoons and evenings), Computing First Aid, and the Knapp Center. Faculty and staff help is available from the Faculty-Staff Help Desk on the main floor of Clapp Library.
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Wellesley College Library • WCIS • last modified: September 12, 2007