Photograph: Student walking in Gardner Stacks, Doe Library Menu: Services

Information for Graduate Students and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs)

Disability Resources

RESEARCH
Borrowing and Renewing
Recalls, Holds and Searches
Off-campus Materials and Interlibrary Borrowing
Document Delivery (BAKER)
Printing and Scanning
Off-Campus Access to Library Resources
Dissertation Writer's Room

TEACHING
Course-Related Library Instruction Sessions
Drop-in Workshops and Tours
Course Reserves and Films for Course Viewing
Assignment Consultations
Supporting Undergraduate Research
Policies for Library Users

Welcome to the Library

Welcome to UC Berkeley, home to one of the finest research libraries in the country. The Library includes more than twenty campus libraries which serve a variety of academic disciplines in the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and international and area studies. The collections of the UC Berkeley Library include over 10 million items including books, journals, maps, photographs, video, and sound recordings. In addition to print collections, the Library also offers access to electronic resources such as e-journals, article databases, citation indexes, and bibliographic management software.

A library liaison is designated for your academic departments and programs, as the first point of contact for information about library policies, procedures and services; specialized reference consultations and course-related library sessions; and acquisition of library materials.

RESEARCH

Borrowing and Renewing

Your Library card is your current UC ID. Use the library catalogs -- OskiCat (UC Berkeley) or Melvyl (all UC campuses and worldwide) -- to search for all types of items in the library collections. Graduate students who are on filing fee status may purchase a six month extension of library privileges at the Library Privileges Desk (Doe Library, floor 1). Loan periods vary, though most books are checked out to graduate students for three months. The date remains in effect as long as no other borrower needs the item. Materials that are not on hold for another user can be renewed to extend the due date via OskiCat (use Renew Items tab) or renewed in person at any library circulation desk. Materials should be returned to the circulation desk during hours the library is open, and to the book return when the library is closed. For more information about borrowing, see the guide to borrowing privileges and responsibilities.

Email is the Library's means of communication with you regarding your account. Borrowers must keep a current email address on file with the Library. The Library draws contact information from the UCB Calnet Directory, so users must update email addresses there (in the "Edit Person Information" and "Edit Address Information"). Do not update your information through My OskiCat, as it will be overwritten by updates to the CalNet Directory.

Recalls, Holds and Searches

Items in the Berkeley Library collection for which there is not an available copy can be recalled. Use the Request feature in an item's OskiCat record to place a recall, or recall it in person at a library circulation desk. The person to whom the item is loaned will be notified that someone else needs it, and is usually given a week to return it. You will be notified by email when the item is available for you to pick up. If an item is recalled from you, you must return it by the newly assigned due date.

You may initiate a search for an item that is not checked out and not in its call number location on the library shelf. Searches must be placed at the circulation desk of the library that owns the missing item. When searched items are found, they are put on hold for you. You will be notified of the hold via email.

Off-Campus Materials & Interlibrary Borrowing

NRLF, the Northern Regional Library Facility, is an off-site shelving facility for the northern UC campuses, housing less frequently used materials, most of which can be returned to campus for borrowing. Use OskiCat's Request feature to initiate this process.

To borrow materials that are not in the Berkeley Library, but are at another UC campus, use the Melvyl catalog's Request feature.

For materials not available in the UC library system, many other library catalogs, such as WorldCat and the RLG Union Catalog, list materials that can be requested via the Interlibrary Loan service. The Library also participates with Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin in the Research Library Cooperative Program, allowing faculty, graduate students and academic staff to have full borrowing privileges at those institutions. The Library also welcomes your suggestions for titles to consider purchasing for our collection.

Document Delivery (BAKER)

Graduate students may take advantage of the BAKER fee-based, library document delivery service. BAKER locates the material in the Berkeley collection, checks out or photocopies the material as appropriate, and delivers the material to your department. If an electronic version of an article you requested is available, BAKER will either send you the downloaded article by e-mail, or refer you to a web site where the article can be viewed and printed.

Printing and Scanning

Campus libraries provide printing and scanning options. Self-service printing is available from many library workstations; dedicated bookscan stations offer printing and scanning capabilities. For more information about the above (cost, capability, location) visit the library printing and scanning page. The Moffitt Library houses a full service Copy Center, which provides expanded services.

Off-Campus Access to Library Resources

Current UC Berkeley students can connect to online library resources to do research from off campus. Read Connecting from Off Campus and Database Conditions of Use for more information.

Dissertation Writer's Room

Located at the rear of Graduate Services (208 Doe), the Dissertation Writer's Room (Room 215) is a space dedicated to doctoral students advanced to candidacy. There are 24 lockers in the room of which 19 can be checked-out for an academic year while the remaining five can be checked-out for the day. Lockers are issued to graduate students on a first come, first served basis. Keys to the lockers can be checked out at the Graduate Services circulation desk. The hours for the room are the same as for Graduate Services. Bring your UCB ID to show when you enter 208 Doe, as Graduate Services is reserved for the exclusive use of UCB graduate students, faculty, and staff.

TEACHING

Library staff collaborates with UC Berkeley Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) in support of courses for undergraduate and graduate students. The Library provides a range of services that promote independent inquiry, refinement of research abilities, and critical thinking skills for students. Instructional services include: in-class sessions on library resources and research strategies, consultations about research assignments and course web sites, assistance with course reserves and media resources, and tours and workshops.

Course-Related Library Instruction Sessions

GSIs can arrange for an in-class presentation tailored to a course, assignment, and the specific research needs of their students. Sessions are customized to match the skills and resources appropriate for the discipline. General topics requested frequently include searching online catalogs and periodical indexes, locating reference materials and texts, and evaluating print and online sources. Sessions are most effective when students have an assignment or research project and have selected their topics or focus.

GSIs from all departments and programs may request a session for their course:

Doe/Moffitt Instructional Services provides instruction for undergraduate courses in many social sciences and humanities subject areas. Use the online request form or contact Corliss Lee (768-7899 or clee@library.berkeley.edu).

The Science Libraries staff provide instruction for undergraduate and graduate courses in the sciences and engineering departments. Contact the Science Libraries staff members with a specialty in your discipline.

Staff in the Doe/Moffitt Libraries and many subject specialty libraries provide instruction for graduate courses in social sciences and humanities subject areas. Consult the list of Library Liaisons to locate the contact for your department or program.

Drop-In Workshops and Tours

Free workshops and tours are offered throughout the year. Although not as specialized as a course-related library session, instructors may wish to require that students attend a workshop or tour. Students may request a certificate at the end of the session as proof of attendance.

Science Libraries Instruction Workshops emphasize science and engineering databases, such as PubMed and BIOSIS, and bibliographic management software, such as EndNote and RefWorks.

Tours of the Doe/Moffitt Libraries and many subject specialty libraries are offered at regularly scheduled times. Special arrangements can be made with most libraries for courses and groups of students.

Course Reserves and Films for Course Viewing

You can make course reserve readings available to student by placing high demand material on reserve in a campus library or in the campus' collaborative learning environment, bSpace. To place materials on reserve in a campus library, contact the library of your choice from the Library's Reserves web page.

To place electronic course materials in bSpace, you must first create a site for the course in question. Learn how to do this from an online tutorial or attend an Educational Technology Services workshop for in-person help. All UC Berkeley instructors and students have existing bSpace accounts.

Many electronic articles and ebooks provided by the University Library feature stable links that can be used to create bSpace Citation Lists and offer course readings online, and the Library encourages instructors to link to subscription eReadings whenever possible.

For assistance in creating customized eReadings lists contact Jennifer Dorner, Head of Doe/Moffitt Instructional Services (768-7059).

Know Your Copy Rights: What You Can Do (ARL, 2007) describes your rights and responsibilities in using copyrighted materials.

The Media Resources Center (MRC), located on Floor 1 of Moffitt Library, is the Library's primary collection of materials in non-print formats, including both moving image and audio collections. A comprehensive list of videos by subject is available. Materials are non-circulating. However, faculty may contact the MRC staff to reserve materials for same-day classroom use or make arrangements to borrow materials overnight for preview. Contact MRC in person, online, or at 642-8197.

Assignment Consultations

Library staff can consult with faculty about a range of issues related to their courses. To design research assignments that make use of UC Berkeley Library resources, promoting deeper connections with course material and fostering the development of research skills, see the guide "Designing Effective Library Assignments," contact Jennifer Dorner (768-7059 or jdorner@library.berkeley.edu), or contact your Library Liaison to arrange a meeting.

Supporting Undergraduate Research

GSIs in all disciplines should encourage students to apply for the Library Prize for Undergraduate Research. The Library Prize recognizes students' sophistication, originality and/or unusual depth or breadth in the use of library collections in the creation of a project that has the potential to lead to original research.

Policies for Library Users

The Library Code of Conduct and Library Computer Use Policy detail standards for Library use intended to create a safe and pleasant research environment for all Library patrons.

The Library is responsible for safeguarding the confidentiality of a borrower's transaction, as mandated by the California Information Practices Act of 1977. Please see the Library's Privacy Policies for more information.

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