Spencer Library FAQ
What
are your hours?
Call
to confirm: 651-255-6142
Fall
and Spring Terms, including Reading Week
Monday-Thursday 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
January and June Terms
Monday-Thursday 8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Friday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.
Term Breaks and Summer
Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
The
library is closed when the library court is used for a lecture
or other seminary event during regular library hours.
How
do I get there?
From
Interstate Highway 694, exit south on Silver Lake Road then
turn west on 5th Street NW. United Seminary is approximately
1/3 mile on the right. Click for a map
Can
I use your library?
While
current students, faculty, and staff have priority in using
our library resources, we welcome other patrons as well and
will do our best to help you find the resources you need.
How
long can I have the materials I check out?
Permanent
faculty and staff have one-year check-out privileges.
Current
M.A. and M.Div. students (except when on leave), anyone taking
a course during an academic term, and adjunct faculty (when
teaching a course in the current term) have academic term
check-out privileges (limit 25 items at a time).
D.Min.
students have 60-day check-out privileges (except when taking
a fall or spring term course on campus, when they have academic
term check-out) with one renewal of 60 days.
Extension
borrowers have 6-week check-out privileges (limit 15 items
at a time) with one renewal of 60 days. Extension borrowers
include students from Bethel, Luther, or Saint Paul Seminaries,
UTS alums, church, and community members (minimum age 18).
AV
MATERIALS CIRCULATE FOR 6 WEEKS FOR ALL PATRONS.
REFERENCE
MATERIALS AND PERIODICALS DO NOT CIRCULATE.
Can
I get materials from other libraries through your library?
Students,
faculty, and staff may request materials from other libraries.
Depending on where the item(s) are located, turn-around time
for requests may take from 2 days to 3 weeks or more. Some
fees may apply.
Can I get materials from your library
through other libraries?
Library
users who live at a distance may request materials through
the inter-library loan services of their public or academic
library.
Do
you charge a fee for using the library?
At
this time we do not charge any fees for the use of the library.
We welcome donations from our extension borrowers.
Will
you fax or e-mail materials?
No.
Our staff is very small and the library does not have its
own fax machine; therefore, we are not able to copy and fax
materials to any of our patrons.
Will
you mail materials?
We
will mail materials to D.Min. students and on an occasional
basis directly to alums who live at a distance.
Will
you do research or create a bibliography for me?
No.
It is our policy not to conduct bibliographic or resource
searches for patrons. However, we are happy to help patrons
learn to find resources for themselves through our catalog
and databases.
Do
you charge fines?
We
do not charge overdue fines; however, a standard charge of
$35.00 is applied for each lost or unreturned book. This
charge is automatically generated after 3 overdue notices
have been sent with no response.
Can
I see what I have checked out?
Yes.
Access your patron record through the Spencer Library Catalog.
On the front page to the catalog, click on the PATRON button
and log on with your last name and library card barcode number.
How
can I tell if a resource is available?
To
see if an item is available for check-out, open the title
you would like in the catalog. At the bottom of the first
screen (Bibliographical Information) you will see the word:
STATUS. Here you can see if an item is checked-out or not.
Is
your library accessible to people with physical disabilities?
Somewhat.
Access ramps are located at the main entrances to the seminary.
There is an elevator in the library, and the distance between
the stacks is ADA compliant for persons in wheelchairs, although
staff assistance would be needed for books on the high or
low shelves. A wheelchair accessible computer is available
for use in the computer lab. The library does not yet have
adaptive equipment for people with visual or auditory handicaps.
Can
I borrow from your library directly?
Any
person over the age of 18 can have borrowing privileges.
Will
you pull and hold books for me?
On
an occasional basis we will pull and hold one or two items
for patrons who live at a distance.
Will
you help me with my work in the computer lab?
The
library staff will try to trouble-shoot brief problems with
computers or printers and provide help with Reference databases.
All other hardware and software questions or problems should
be referred to the director of information services. Student
colleagues are often willing to help one another with specific
computer questions.
Can
I have access to the FirstSearch databases?
FirstSearch
is a paid subscription database and therefore is available
by remote access to current students, faculty, and staff.
All other patrons must come to the library and access FirstSearch
from the library computers.
Can
I renew or place my own holds and recalls online or by
phone?
Holds
and recalls are initiated at the point where the record of
the item you want is displayed on the screen. Click on the
REQUEST button in the menu bar at the top of the screen,
log in, and choose the appropriate option.
HOLD
REQUEST: A hold request indicates that you want to see this
item when it is returned to the library. You do not need
it urgently and are willing to wait until the library staff
contacts you to say the item is now available. NOTE: a hold
request does not mean the library staff will retrieve the
item from the shelf and hold it at the circulation desk for
you.
RECALL
REQUEST: A recall request indicates that you urgently need
the item. The library staff will contact the person who currently
has it and request that the item be returned to the library,
if they have had it longer than 3 weeks. Please, use this
option judiciously: Does the library have other copies? Is
the item available at another library through the inter-library
loan system? Recall requests should be made only when it
is clear that the Spencer Library holds the only easily accessible
copy. The library staff will contact you when the item is
returned.
To
renew an item, go to PATRON INFORMATION from the catalog’s
front page and login. The CHARGED ITEMS section displays
the books charged to your name. To renew, click the box in
front of each item you wish to renew, then press RENEW ITEMS.
Can
I have Reserve books held for a particular day and time?
Ordinarily
Reserve books must be kept available on a first-come, first-
served basis. Therefore, library staff will set aside Reserve
books for scheduled use no more than once per term per student. |
