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| Butte College Home Page >> Library Home Page | Ask a Librarian |
Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Butte College Home Page >> Library Home Page | Ask a Librarian |
Frequently Asked Questions |
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How do I contact someone at the library?
For general library information during our regular hours, call 530-879-4017.
For reference questions during our regular hours, call 530-879-4024.
You may also e-mail us with your reference questions or other requests at ReferenceLi@butte.edu.
We are located at:
3536 Butte Campus Drive
Oroville, CA 95965-8399
If you would like to speak with a specific staff member, our contact information is here.
What kind of materials does the Library have for students and staff?
The Butte College Library currently has over 70,000 print books, 16,000 eBooks, 18,000 electronic periodicals, and 164 print periodicals and newspapers.
Do you have newspapers, magazines and journals in print?
Yes, we have local and national newspapers, magazines, and journals in print. They are located in the Periodicals room on the first floor of the Main Campus library. Journals, magazines and newspapers cannot be checked out, but you can make photocopies (10¢ per copy). There are photocopy machines onthe second floor of the Main library.
Click on the Print Journal Titles to browse the list of printed journals.
Do you have CDs, cassettes, videos and DVD's?
The Library does not purchase music, movies, or books-on-tape. However, some educational videos can be viewed in the Media Services for Distance Learning center in LB 120. Otherwise, please check with your public library.
Does the Library buy new books regularly? How do I know if there are new books?
Yes, the Library purchases new books on an on-going basis. New book titles are listed on the Library home page under the Recent Book Purchases link.
Can I recommend a book for the Library to purchase?
Yes, you can suggest a purchase by filling in the Book Recommendation Form on the Library home page. Please note that the Library does not purchase textbooks or any audio-visual materials for the collection.
I am looking for a book that the Library does not have, is there any way I can find it?
We can look for the item for you through our Interlibrary Loan service. Current students, staff, and faculty can request an Interlibrary Loan from other libraries. Books are usually free. However, the lending library requires a fee for the reproduction of an article, $10-$20.
Please make sure the book or article is not in the catalog or in our article databases before submitting a request.
To make a request, visit the Interlibrary Loan desk in LB 211 on Main Campus Library or complete the Interlibrary Loan Request Form online at the Library web site. To learn more about Interlibrary Loan, visit the Interlibrary Loan page.
Do I need a library card to check out books?
No, the Butte College Library does not issue library cards. Current students, staff, and faculty can check out library materials by showing a valid picture ID.
How many books can I check out, and how long can I keep them?
A student can check out up to 10 items for 3 weeks. Items not requested by
another person can be renewed.
Faculty can check out up to 40 items for 3 weeks.
Items in the Reserve Collection can be checked out from 1 hour to 7 days: the loan period is set by the instructor.
Newspapers, magazines and books in the Reference Collection cannot be checked out.
Can I renew books online?
Yes. Click on the Renew Books Online link from the home page to renew your books.
Can I return books checked out at the Main Campus at the Chico Center?
Yes. There is a book drop in front of the Chico Center building, right next to the mailbox. Regular circulating books from the Main Campus can be returned to the book drop. Reserve books belonging to the Chico Center need to be returned to Room 219 and Main Campus reserve books need to be returned to the Main Campus Library.
The Library does not purchase music, movies, or books-on-tape. However, some educational videos can be viewed in the Media Services for Distance Learning center in LB 120.
Otherwise, please check with your public library.
Where can I find educational video tapes for my class presentation?
The Media Services for Distance Learning Center (MSDL) has a collection of educational video tapes for instructors. Faculty may also borrow AV equipment.
Students may view a video in the MSDL Center, but may not check them out. You can ask your instructor to check out a video for you if would like one for in-class presentations.
What is the difference between course reserves and reference materials?
Course reserves are textbooks, articles and other supplemental reading materials that instructors place on hold at the Library for their students. Course reserve materials usually have a limited loan period to ensure availability to other students in the class. Course reserves are located at the Circulation Desk in the Main Campus Library, and in Room 219 at the Chico Center. You may make photocopies of reserve materials.
Reference materials are library books, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, statistics, etc. They cannot be checked out, but you can make photocopies or read them in the Library. Reference materials are located at on the second floor of the Main Campus Library, and in Room 219 at the Chico Center.
How do I know if my instructor has put a book on reserve?
You can check the online catalog or ask a librarian. If your instructor hasn´t put the material you need on reserve, you can make a suggestion to your instructor.
I take classes at the Chico Center only. Do I have to go to Main Campus to get books on reserve?
The Chico Center Library (inside Room 219) has its own Reserve Collection. Check the online catalog or ask a librarian at 879-4398 or 879-4024 to see if the book you need is available at the Chico Center.
How do I find books in the Library?
Use the Library online catalog to search for books. For help searching, try our Online Catalog Tutorial.
How do I find journal articles in the Library?
From the Library home page (http://www.butte.edu/library), click "For Articles." You can choose a database by subject, name or provider.
Learn how to search for articles from Finding Journal Articles.
What are scholarly journals? Where can I find them?
Scholarly journals are collections of articles written by scholars, researchers or specialists. They are usually published by recognized societies or professional associations for professional and academic audiences.
To learn more about the differences between scholarly journals, magazines, web resources and online research databases, check out the Scholarly Journals handout.
I don´t know how to find the information for my term paper. Is there anyone I can ask for help?
You can ask the librarian to help by going to the Reference desk on the Second floor of the Main Campus Library, or in Room 219 of the Chico Center during our regular hours. You can also call the reference desk at 879-4024. 24 hours a day, you can use our virtual reference chat or email a librarian at referenceLi@butte.edu.
To learn some techniques to write a term paper, check out the How to Research a Term Paper.
To learn search techniques, check out the Search Techniques handout.
To learn how to cite sources, check out the APA or MLA Style Guides, or visit our "Reference Links" page.
My instructor asked us not to use the Internet for research, does it mean that I shouldn´t use the library databases?
When an instructor asks students not to use the Internet for research, they are usually referring to information from the World Wide Web; in other words, any Web pages. Why? Because most Web pages do not go through any editorial review process and have no indication of where information was obtained. Often, the reliability and accuracy of the information are questionable. Finally, what was on the Web today may be gone tomorrow (or in 10 minutes)!
However, the Library research databases are electronic versions of printed reference books, magazines and journal articles. They are paid subscriptions that are accessed online. If you read an article from Time magazine in one of our databases, it is the same article that was published in print last week! Our database subscriptions are not the kind of "Internet Resources" that you might find on the World Wide Web.
Always double-check with your instructor if you are in doubt.
Can I access the Library databases and eBooks from home?
Yes, absolutely!
1. Go to the Library home page and click on "Off-Campus Access." Log in by following the instructions on the authentication page.
Username: Your last name plus the first two letters of your first name (all
lower case, all one word)
Password: the last four digits of your Student ID number (for students) OR
the last four digits of your Social Security number (for faculty
instructors)
2. If you have successfully logged in, you will be taken to the Library home page, and the URL should appear as: http://libproxy2....
I followed the log in instruction for Off-Campus Access, but got the message "wrong username or password." What´s wrong?
There are several possibilities:
Your name in the system is based on your driver´s license. Or you may have a middle name, hyphenated, or complex last name that constitutes an unusual username. If so, try different combinations to form your username.
Other possible reasons include:
If any mail sent to you has been returned to Admissions and Records by the post office, you will be temporarily blocked. In this case, you need to update your address and telephone number in Web Advisor. You should be able to access the Library databases within 48 hours after the update.
A final reason for being blocked is:
If you have checked all of the above and still cannot log in, call the Library at 530-879-4024 or email the Librarian by clicking on the Ask a Librarian link on any library page.
What programs do you have on your computers?
The Library has 73 computers with Internet, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. We have 5 computers with special software and equipment for people with disabilities.
Can I bring my laptop to the library and connect to the Internet?
Yes, if you have wireless capability. As of Fall 2007, the Library is a wireless HotSpot!
Click here for instructions and contact information for the Wireless Helpdesk.
Click here for a list of locations you can plug in your laptop in the Library.
What is the difference between the Library databases and resources found on the Internet?
The Library research databases are collections of high quality journal articles, magazines, newspapers, and other publications available through paid subscriptions. Resources found in these databases are not generally available on the World Wide Web.
Most of the resources in the databases are printed resources made available online for remote access and are searchable. Some instructors ask students not to use "Online Resources"; they usually mean not to use the resources found on the World Wide Web. You should use books, print journals and/or online research databases for your term papers.
To learn more about the differences between Library research databases and Internet resources, check out the Scholarly Journals handout.
Why do the librarians and instructors discourage students from using resources found on the World Wide Web?
Most Web pages do not go through any editorial review process nor do they give any indication of where information for the content was obtained. And often the reliability and accuracy of the information are questionable.
However, the Internet also has a tremendous amount of useful, current and high quality information that cannot be found easily elsewhere. Therefore, careful evaluation is needed when using the information found on the World Wide Web.
To learn how to evaluate information from Web sites, check out the How to Evaluate Internet Information handout.
If I really need to look up information on the World Wide Web, are there any sites you recommend?
Yes, some Web sites are more reliable than others, such as Web sites from government agencies (.gov) and educational institutions (.edu).
Our librarians have also hand-picked a list of recommended Web sites that may be useful for your information needs. The Web site list is organized by category; click on "Reference Links" from the Library home page to access these resources.
Do I have to come to the library in person to get help from the librarian?
Not at all!
You can get reference help in various ways:
Go to the Ask a Librarian page to learn more about our reference services.
Are there any workshops on search techniques, term paper research, etc.?
Yes, the Library offers weekly drop-in workshops on various topics for students and faculty. Students will receive an attendance slip after the workshop and they may get extra credit from their instructors. Faculty can earn Flex hours by attending the workshops.
All Main Campus workshops are held in LB 206. We also offer workshops at the Chico Center.
The workshop schedules are online here: Workshop
Schedules.
We also offer online workshops via the Internet, here.
Where are photocopiers?
The photocopiers are located in the Reference department on the second floor of the Main Campus library.
Can I use a print card to make photocopies?
No. The print card does NOT work on the copiers. You will need to use dollars, coins, or a copy card. A copy card can be purchased for $5 from the vending machine next to the copier.
Do I need a print card to print at the library?
Yes. Print cards for the computer printers may be purchased at the bookstore. The copy card does NOT work on the printers.
More questions? Send an E-mail to the librarian or call 879-4024.
