Library Information for Faculty
Telephone Numbers
Circulation Desk: 703.845.6231
Reference Desk: 703.845.6456
Library Instruction
Schedule Library instruction either by visiting or calling the Reference Desk in the Library:
703-845-6456. Be sure to schedule at least a week in advance.
Through library
instruction, we can help your students learn how to find appropriate resources
for their research, and also help them look critically at the variety
of information that is available to them. We try to tailor our instruction
to the specific research project you have assigned, so we always appreciate
having as much information as possible about the project -- including
a copy of the assignment, if one is available.
We have found that students are considerably more interested in library instruction
when they have topics and when the deadline for their assignment is close
at hand -- so if your assignment isn't due until December, instruction
in November would be quite a bit more effective than instruction in September.
We offer library
instruction during the hours that the library is open, and outside of
regular hours by special arrangement. We prefer at least a week's notice
so that we can make plans, create materials as necessary, and ensure availability
of resources. Teachers need to be with their classes during instruction.
We highly recommend that you look at your syllabus early in the semester
to determine when you will need instruction, then go ahead and schedule
a time for instruction -- slots do fill up fast!
Visit the Alexandria
Campus Library Instruction page for general library research guides
as well as subject-specific guides and exercises.
Bringing a Class to the Library
If you would like to give your students a chance to work on their library research
during their class period, you are welcome to bring them to the library.
Please check with us before you do, though. This will help ensure
your students will have access to needed resources, and also helps us with
crowd management. In our space, more than one class in the library can make
for a very challenging learning environment! Also, please make sure your
students know how to do the research they're coming to do. If they don't,
then please schedule library instruction first -- it's far more efficient
for both them and us to give the same information to a class all at once
instead of having students wait in long lines as a Reference Librarian helps
them one at a time. Teachers need to be with their classes while students
work in the library.
Off-campus
Access to Library Resources
Faculty (including adjunct faculty in the credit program) have access to
restricted library databases, such as Expanded Academic and ProQuest,
from off campus. To gain access, you must first determine your remote access
user ID and password, following the detailed instructions provided on the
Library home page for Remote
Access . NOVA students in the credit program also have access to these
databases from off-campus, once they determine their remote access user
IDs and passwords, following instructions available on that same web page.
Discipline-related Handouts & Resources
The links provided below will take you to handouts and lists of resources the library has for various disciplines.
Library
Research Guides
ESL Collection
(Books, videos, CDs)
Best
of the Web -- links to websites, by subject, compiled by NOVA librarians
Library Computers
The computers located in the main area of the library only provide Internet
access to web pages and library databases, which students may use to do
research for their coursework. Computers in the CyberSpace area provide
Internet access as well, but can also be used for email, Blackboard, word
processing, and other Microsoft Office functions. The Open Computer Center also provides computers with MS Office products that students can use for their assignments.
Borrowing Materials
The NOVA photo ID is also your library card. Please bring it to the Circulation
desk and we will create an account for you.
You may use your card to check out up to 30 items from NOVA libraries. A current
NOVA card also gives you borrowing privileges at George Mason University
libraries. If an item you want is not available at the Alexandria Campus,
we can check to see if it is available at another NOVA campus. If it is,
we can have it shipped here for you. If none of the NOVA libraries owns
the item you need, we can do an Interlibrary loan for you. You can request
these services in the library, or by contacting us through our "Ask
a Librarian" form.
Students will also use their NOVA photo ID as their library card. Students may check
out up to 10 items from NOVA libraries. An up-to-date NOVA ID/Library card
gives students borrowing privileges at George Mason University as well.
Reserves
Place on Reserve any resources, owned either by the library or by you personally,
that you think will be in high demand or useful for your students. Contact
Kevin O'Hagan, kohagan@nvcc.edu or
x16032. Information about Reserves is also available on the Alexandria
Campus Library Reserves Page. We cannot place materials on Reserve that
belong to another campus, but if there is a title you'd like please let
us know so we can purchase a copy. There is a 24-hour turnaround time for
placing items on Reserve.
Library Resources for Adjunct Faculty
BOOKS
The Adjunct Professor's Guide to Success: Surviving and Thriving in the
College Classroom, by Richard E. Lyons. LB1778.2 .L96 1999
The Adjunct Faculty Handbook. LB2331 .A37 1996
MAGAZINE
The Adjunct Advocate