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***Ask A Librarian***: FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


General Questions


The SFC library primarily serves the Saint Francis College community so access is limited to those with a valid SFC ID.


We are a member of the Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB) and offer reciprocal reading and borrowing privileges to students and staff of those colleges. Check here for a full list of colleges belonging to ALB.

Unfortunately the SFC Library does not accept donations of used books. We have a 'Free Book' cart in the library. You are welcome to leave your used books here to give away for free.

The SFC library has an elevator providing access to the cellar level and second floor areas.

Should you require special accommodations, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations.

Location: Rm 3307 / Phone: 718-489-2047

Library Instruction sessions are held in the 2nd Floor Computer Lab. You may be asked to leave to accommodate an Information Literacy class. Don't worry, we will give you plenty of warning.

NY Times All SFC staff and students have free and unlimited access to the New York Times on their computer and mobile device.

Sign up today with your SFC email at nytimes.com/pass.

Or, check out our handy flyer for detailed instructions.

Check out our online citation guides for the three main citation styles (APA, Chicago, and MLA). These guides will tell you how to cite books, articles, websites, films and more!

For more comprehensive citation resources, visit Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. This is an indispensable resource for using any of the main citation styles

Computers & Printing


Printing is free. Each print job is limited to 30 pages. There are 5 printers in the library, one by the reference desk, two in the second floor lab and two on the cellar level. You can release a print job from any of the computers in the library to any of the printers in the library. Only black & white printouts are available.

Check out our guides to printing from mobile or laptop devices.

  • Tap on E-mail
  • Put the document on the feeder or on top of the printer glass, facing upward
  • All fields are locked down and cannot be changed. Tap "Send to Email"

The photocopier is located on the 2nd floor (same floor as library main entrance) behind the main stairwell. Photocopies are 10 cents per page and only cash is accepted. Only black & white photocopies are available.

Please make sure you are logging in with your username and password as specified on your credential printout. If you never received this printout or still can't login please stop by the Student Technical Services room 4211.

Phone: 718.489.5444 / E-Mail: servicedesk@sfc.edu

Borrowing


At the Circulation Desk by the front entrance of the library.

You can view our borrowing policies for all circulating items here.

Login to your library account. Instructions and guidelines for renewals and holds can be found on our page about Borrowing Materials or in our video tutorial.

Textbooks are located on stacks next to the reference desk. First, search the library catalog for your textbook title and write down the call number for that book . Use the call number to locate the textbook in the stacks.

Student? Fill out this textbook request form.

Faculty? Fill out this textbook request form.

Don't give up! If SFC Library does not have a book you need, you still have several options:

Submit an Interlibrary Loan Request (ILL). This is a free service we offer to borrow the book from another library on your behalf.

We are also a member of Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB) which allows you to visit 6 nearby college libraries.  Visit the Reference Desk to request an ALB Card for the semester.

The library no longer has a DVD collection. However, we do subscribe to several video streaming services. You can find the list of the library's streaming video platforms in our database section.

Electronic Resources


You can find electronic resources using our all-in-one search on the library homepage. Or you can skip straight to our ebook catalog

Check out our online ebook guide for more information about finding and downloading ebooks.

Google is an amazing resource for finding information online but it is challenging to ensure the information you find is authoritative, accurate and unbiased.

We strongly recommend starting your research in the library and taking advantage of our access to scholarly resources that are reviewed and selected by librarians. Our subscription databases contain millions of scholarly articles that cannot be accessed freely online.

If you are using Google for your research, check out our guide to Advanced Google Skills to search like a pro! Also, check out our handy flier for evaluating online resources

A journal contains scholarly research articles. A database is a collection of journals and the articles within them. For more examples visit our Journals page.

This research tutorial provides useful information on how to construct keywords and keyphrases (two words or more), search for relevant articles in a database, limit your results, and much more.

Check out our online tutorials for introduction to library services, conducting research and more!

Alternatively, speak to a librarian. Librarians can be consulted for research assistance in person, via telephone, e-mail, text, and online chat.

Please visit our Ask A Librarian web page for more information on these services.

The A-Z databases list offers descriptions of each of the databases.

Also, check out our research guides which offer a helpful list of recommended databases for research in each topic.

Check out our online tutorials for help searching specific databases!

Off-Campus Access


Off-campus library users have 24-hour access to all of the libraries electronic resources. You will need your SFC log in information in order to access them off-campus.

You can find electronic resources using our all-in-one search on the library homepage. Or you can skip straight to our ebook catalog and databases to search for just electronic resources.

Virtual reference services are available to all off-campus users of the library. Librarians can be consulted for research assistance via telephone, e-mail, text, and online chat.

Please visit our Ask A Librarian web page for more information on these services.

Unfortunately we cannot send books in the mail to students.

Use WorldCat's Library Finder to locate libraries close to where you are. Many public libraries also offer Interlibrary Loan services for patrons.

In addition, check out the library's guide to Open Access resources to find more books, articles, and other works freely available online.

Please make sure you are logging in with your correct SFC username and password. If you never received this information or still can't login please contact the IT Service Helpdesk.

Phone: 718.489.5444 / E-Mail: servicedesk@sfc.edu