FAQs | Library Guides | Research Tools | Reference Resources | Webliography | Ask Ethel

Q1. When is the Library opened?

A. Normally the Library is open from 7:30 a.m. until 12:00 midnight. Mondays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Reference Desk is normally open from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. Hours do vary for holidays and final exams. These changes are posted at the library and on the website.

Q2. How were these hours of operation selected?

A. A number of factors have gone into how long the library is open and these factors are continually evaluated.  The library has, for many years, collected data on how many people are actually in the library at a given hour of any given day.  Likewise, the library keeps track of the type and number of reference questions are answered.  From these, one can determine when the library is actually being used.  An other factor would be staffing limitations required to provide adequate library service for the hours the library is open.   Also, one must consider that a number of library services are available (such as database access, access to PBS videos, book renewals, and e-books) even when the library is closed.  Library hours will continue be evaluated and may change as conditions warrant.

Q3. Sometimes I need to call the library about a book or need to call in about a question before going to the library to do research. What is the Library's telephone number.

A. The phone number for the Circulation Desk is 704.233.8089. The Circulation Desk is a good place to find out the status of books that you have checked out, fines you may owe, or what the library's current hours of operation are (see Q1). The number for the Reference Desk is 704.233.8097. The Reference Desk is a good place to call if you have any particular questions, need help prior to coming to the library or to see whether the library has a certain book or issue of a journal. You can also call if you have questions the library's databases.

Q4. I have a friend who is probably studying at the library. Can I have my friend paged?

A. The library is not equipped with a paging system and the staff will not call patrons to the phone except for a family or medical emergency.

Q5. Do I need my student ID to use the library?

A. Your student ID, don't come to the library without it. Almost no transaction is made in the library without your student ID. This naturally means checking out books, but it also includes (but not limited to) paying fines, checking out items from the Reserve Shelf, the Periodicals Desk, any Video or CD, obtaining a password for NC-LIVE at home, or fixing your campus network password.

Q6. Speaking of passwords, just how many do I need?

A. There are four passwords and user IDs (also called userid or username) that you need to deal with. The first is your campus network id. You need this userid to log onto computers in the various campus computer labs, access e-reserves, and access databases from the residence halls or off-campus. Should you forget your network id or password, you can get help from Jimm Wetherbee. The second userid and password set is for e-mail. Instructions for using e-mail can be found in the All Things Computer section of the University Website. If you forget this password, you must see either Jimm Wetherbee or call the Director of Information Technology, Jeanette Bujak at 704.233.8049. The third userid and password is for WinLINK. If you lose this password, you must call either Registrar's Office (704.233.8006) or Ann Deese in the Administrative Computing Office (704.233.8151). There are also forms to have these passwords reset. Finally, there is the password for Moodle. You may see either Jimm Wetherbee or Jeanette Bujak if you have trouble with this or have Moodle send you a new password.

Q7. I see signs that say no food or tobacco products are allowed in the library, why? Why are drinks restricted?

A. All of these things are destructive to books. Food and drink attract insects that also end up eating books. Liquids can damage books (that includes water, and tobacco juice). Tobacco smoke is also destructive toward books. Food and tobacco products do not come into the library, end of story. Drinks may come in, provided that they are in a sealed container. Even so, there are some areas (such as the Library Computer Lab and Main Stacks) where drinks are not allowed. Food, and drinks in unsealed containers should be left at the Circulation Desk.

Q8. How do I look up books?

A. Like most libraries, the EKS Library has a web-based online catalog. It is the first item to appear on the library homepage. For more details on using the online catalog, see the catalog help pages.

Q9. Why don't we have a Card Catalog? What happens should the computer go down?

A. If the server to the online catalog goes down then, yes one is not able to search for books. However, I should point out that the server is very reliable and that in most instances, the only reason it would go down would be due to a loss of electrical power, in which case the library would close down anyway. Despite some of the obvious charm of the card catalog, maintaining both systems so that reliably agreed with each other is a very time consuming and expensive task for something which would be are rarely used backup.

Q10. How long may I check out a book and how many books may I check out at a time?

A. Generally, books may be checked out for three (3) weeks and may be renewed for an additional week. One may check out twelve books at any one time. For more details, see the Library's Circulation Policy.

Q11. My books are overdue. How much do I owe?

A. The library charges twenty-five cents per day per book. At the end of each month and toward the end of the semester, fines are sent to the business office. At the end of each semester, all books not returned to the library are declared lost and a charge for their replacement is sent to the business office. For more details, see the Library's Circulation Policy.

Q12. My professor says that there is an item on reserve at the library. What is that, and where are reserve items?

A. Reserves are behind the Circulation Desk. Professors put personal items or items that are likely to be in heavy demand behind the Circulation Desk. Like books, course reserves can be found using the Online Catalog. For more details on Course Reserves, see the Handbook for How to Use the Library.

Q13. What are E-reserves?

A. When a professor places an article from a book or journal on reserve, the library also makes an electronic copy available. When you get to the reserve you want, click the E-reserve hotlink to take you to the electronic copy. E-reserves are handy because one may access them from any place at any time. E-reserves are limited to the members of the class for which they were assigned. As such, they are password protected.

Q14. Why won't my password work for E-reserves?

A. There are four passwords one has to remember, campus network, e-mail, WinLINK, and Moodle. E-mail controls access to one's e-mail account and WinLINK to one's class schedule and grades, and so on. The network password controls everything else--including the ability to log onto lab computers, the campus intranet and e-reserves. If you have not used your network password lately, it is likely that it has expired. You may see Jimm Wetherbee or any librarian about fixing your network password. Another thing to keep in mind is that E-reserves require that you enter ACAD someplace in the log-in. On most web browsers, you would enter it something like this ACAD\userid (where "userid" is your user name). If you still have problems, please call (at 8092) or e-mail Jimm Wetherbee.

Q14. My professor wants me to get journal articles for a research paper. How do I do that?

A. Journal articles can be found on the library's List of Databases. You will probably have a least one class in the library (called a Bibliographic Instruction Session) designed to teach you how to use at least some of these databases. Even if attended a session, it is a good idea to ask the Reference Librarian on Duty for help selecting the most appropriate database and tips on using it. There are also times when you must use printed indexes instead of the databases. Again, the Reference Librarian on Duty is there to help you find and use these indexes.

Q15. My professor told me to find an article in NCLive.  Where is it?

A. NCLive is consortium and gateway to a number of databases that is sponsored by the State of North Carolina.  It is not a database or a database vendor. The library subscribes to a number of databases that are not included in NCLive. Participating institutions (including Wingate) pay an annual membership fee to NCLive.  This membership allows access to the databases NCLive subscribes to and gives members some governance over which databases are included.  All the databases to which NCLive subscribes are found on our List of Databases.

Q16. Isn't there an NCLive@Home password that will allow me to get to NCLive databases from my room?

A. All databases can be accessed from the residence halls or off-campus by clicking on the Off-Campus link in the List of Databases.  From there enter your campus network username and password. This includes those databases subscribed to by NCLive.

Q17. I found some articles. How do I know whether I can get the full text?

A. Most database items indicate whether they are available in full text, either as HTML or PDF files. Some databases (such as PsychInfo) have very few full text articles. If an article is not available in one database, it may be in another.  A good place to look is in the AtoZ Periodical Index.

Q18. My professor says I can't use any Internet Sources. Can I still use the databases?

A. Yes. Your professor probably meant that you need to find reliable sources. The databases to which the library subscribes are reliable, current and authoritative.

Q19. There are some books and journal articles I need but are not in the library. How can I get them?

A. The library participates in a program called Inter-library Loan, through which we request the use of items from other libraries. For details, see the Library Handbook. To obtain Interlibrary Loan forms, you may go to the Circulation Desk or from the library web-site.

Q20. Can I make photocopies and overhead transparencies in the library?

A. The library has facilities for copying, color copying, as well as printing and color printing. For details, see the Library Handbook.

Q21. I am familiar Dewey Decimal System and am having trouble finding the books I looked up. Can you tell me about the call number system this library uses?

A. The system used at Wingate is the Library of Congress System of classification. A summary of how books are laid out can be found on the library website. Instead of a strict numerical system, the Library of Congress uses an alphanumeric scheme. The first line consists of one or more letters and arranged in alphabetical order. Further down are whole numbers and below that more letters and numbers arranged as if they appeared to the right of a decimal point.

Q22. My professor wants me to use use only scholarly journals. How can I tell what is scholarly and what is not?

A. The library has prepared a page on just this issue. Some databases allow you to limit your search to scholarly journals. For instance, Academic Search Elite has a check box for scholarly or peer-reviewed articles and Expanded Academic ASAP has a similar box called refereed journals (scholarly, peer-reviewed and refereed all mean about the same thing). There are even some databases (such as PsycInfo or the MLA Bibliography) that contain only scholarly journals.

Q23. I'm almost done with my paper, but I have to create a works cited page. How do I do that?

A. There are several approved styles used on the Wingate Campus (APA and MLA are the most common, but there are others). First ask your professor which style manual should be used. Then ask the Reference Librarian on Duty to help you look through the appropriate style guide. Some suggestions for citing Internet sources can be found on the library website.

 

Updated March 18, 2010