Category Archives: Library Services

ComCat is Back Online – Request Material Directly from MA Libraries

We are pleased to announce that UMass Dartmouth faculty, staff and students can once again borrow material through the Commonwealth Catalog (ComCat)!

Through ComCat, you can request books, dvds, and music from hundreds of libraries statewide. Most public libraries participate as do a few universities such as UMass Dartmouth, UMass Amherst, and Bridgewater State University. The catalog is a  great place to search for popular books, dvds, and music. Make a request and it will be delivered right to UMass Dartmouth for quick pickup.

Questions? Email libill@umassd.edu.

You Need a UMass Pass ID for Certain Library Services

Do you have your UMass Pass ID (i.e., your student ID)? If not, please consider registering for one. You’ll find instructions at https://www.umassd.edu/umasspass. You can also contact the UMass Pass Office at 508-999-8134 or umasspass@umassd.edu.

Recently, we’ve received several questions from students unable to sign in to our catalog (also known as Primo). In all cases, these students had not yet registered for their UMass Pass.

New students typically get their UMass Pass IDs when they come to campus. Of course, this semester most students are working remotely and many have not yet applied for their IDs. If you’re one of these students, please consider getting your ID.

When you register for a UMass Pass, you will automatically get a library account. This will allow you check out physical materials from the library and to sign in to the library’s catalog. You’ll be able to manage your library account and to submit interlibrary loan and document delivery requests using a link in the catalog.

If you have questions about accessing library resources, please email libsys@umassd.edu.

Welcome Back! Information for Students and Faculty

Image of students in library learning commons

Library Learning Commons

Welcome back to another academic year at UMass Dartmouth! Here are a few important things to know about the library, including how to get things that you need for your research projects.

Library Hours: The Claire T. Carney Library is on academic year hours (calendar below). As always, as the semester progresses, hours will increase. You can always check the library calendar to see hours for each day.

Study Spaces: There are lots of study spaces throughout the library for individual and group study, and whiteboards throughout the building for team work. We have a new study room booking system, so if you have any questions, please ask us!  If you need a quiet space to study, please go to our South Reading Room near the Learning Commons on the first floor.  A map of the library is available to see all our spaces and you can even use the Find Me Here tool to send a link of where you are studying in the library to a friend or group to help make meeting easier.

Computers: You will find full computer and printing facilities on the first and second floors in our Learning Commons and Scholarly Commons. If public computers are full, remember to check the computer classrooms (128, 225, 226) to see if they are open.  We also have laptops at the Circulation Desk that may be borrowed for the day. Stop by our Learning Commons Desk on the 1st floor to get assistance with IT questions.

Tutoring: Also new this year: You can now work with a tutor from the new Multiliteracy Communication Center Sunday through Thursday from 6:00PM-9:00PM in Library Room 135. Make an appointment with a tutor on the website.

Research Help: If you’re back and already thinking about your senior project, your master’s thesis, or the big paper you’ll have to write this semester, you might want to look up one of our expert subject librarians to help you with your research. If you are an online student, check our Library Services for Online Learners guide. It provides information about special services for online students, such as free home delivery of UMassD library books, and connects you with helpful library staff.

Leisure & Fun: For more fun reading, we have a Read and Return section in the Library Living Room that is on the honor system.  We also feature a Game Night every Thursday night from 7:00PM-10:00PM in our Living Room. These board games may also be checked out for the day at any other time with your UMass Pass. Material from any other collection also needs to be checked out using your UMass Pass at the Circulation Desk.

We’re glad you’re back and we hope that you’ll stop by at one of our service points and ask if there is some way we can be of help.   

Welcome Back!

– Claire T. Carney Library Staff

Fall 2018 Library Hours

Sept. 5 (Wednesday)– Sept. 30 (Sunday)
Monday – Thursday:  7:30AM – 11:00PM
Friday:   7:30AM – 9:00PM
Saturday:  9:00AM – 9:00PM
Sunday:  Noon – 11:00PM

Oct. 1 (Monday) – Dec. 1 (Saturday) – Regular Hours
Monday – Thursday:  7:30AM – 1:00AM
Friday:   7:30AM – 9:00PM
Saturday:  9:00AM – 9:00PM
Sunday:  Noon – 1:00AM

Exceptions:
Oct. 8 (Monday) Columbus Day: Noon-1:00AM
Nov. 12 (Monday) Veterans’ Day: Noon – 1:00AM
Nov. 21 (Wednesday) Day Before Thanksgiving: 7:30AM – 5:00PM
Nov. 22 (Thursday) Thanksgiving: CLOSED
Nov. 23 (Friday): 7:30AM – 5:00PM
Nov. 24 (Saturday): 7:30AM – 5:00PM
Nov. 25 (Sunday): Regular hours

Announcing the New Issue of PLCS: Transnational Africas: Visual, Material and Sonic Cultures of Lusophone Africa

We are pleased to announce that Portuguese Literary & Cultural Studies (PLCS) 30/31, Transnational Africas: Visual, Material and Sonic Cultures of Lusophone Africa, is now available.  You can find this issue as well as all back issues available for free on the journal’s website!Image of the cover of PLCS 30/31. The cover shows a stucco doorway with water views.

Portuguese Literary & Cultural Studies (PLCS) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed hybrid online and print journal that publishes original research related to the literatures and cultures of the diverse communities of the Portuguese-speaking world from a broad range of academic, critical and theoretical approaches. PLCS is published semi-annually by Tagus Press in the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

The Center for Portuguese Studies and Cultures ‘s Tagus Press publishes its electronic version of Portuguese Literary & Cultural Studies (PLCS) on the library’s journal hosting platform.

Claire T. Carney Library End of Semester Announcement

The Claire T. Carney Library will open its doors to the UMassD community for 24/7 hours starting at noon on April 22 (Sunday) until May 9 (Wednesday) when we will close at 10PM.  Library services for Circulation/Reserves and Reference will not have extended hours, so make sure to visit those service points during regular hours.  You will also need a UMass Pass to enter the building after 10PM and until regular opening hours the next day.

We hope you will find a variety of study spaces to choose from including our quiet study areas in the South Reading Room and Grand Reading Room (when no events are scheduled), several group study rooms available by reservation, and many individual and group study areas throughout the building.  Also, check our computer labs (128, 225 and 226) for extra seating during peak hours. 

Please be mindful that we will be close to seating capacity, so if you are at a group table and not expecting team members, please use our Open/Taken table tents to offer seats to others.

We also encourage everyone to be respectful of the space and other students by watching noise levels and picking up after yourselves should you bring any food/drink.

If you have any questions, please contact our staff either at the Circulation/Reserve desk (x8750), the Learning Commons desk (x8884), or the overnight security staff.

We wish you all the best with your exams and a productive end to the semester!  

SciFi Book Club to discuss “Lovecraft Country”

Cover of the book Lovecraft CountryThe Science Fiction Book Club’s pick for March is Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. Set in the Jim Crow era, this road trip takes Atticus Turner from Chicago to New England and back again. Blending historical fiction with supernatural horror in a local setting, this title will provide a riveting discussion.

You don’t have to read any of the works by H.P. Lovecraft (native of Providence) to enjoy Lovecraft Country, but it’s hard to ignore the influences of his work on the book on many different levels. Not gaining popularity until after his death, Lovecraft’s work now defines a genre of “weird” horror which is undoubtedly present (not just by name) in Lovecraft Country. As its being discovered more explicitly through his personal letters, Lovecraft was “a virulent racist” and race plays a huge role in the book as well.

Lovecraft Country has caught the attention of HBO and its being produced by a slew of big name folks like (recent Oscar winner) Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams. Read it with us now so you can be ahead of the popularity curve!

You can find Lovecraft Country at your public library or by requesting it through interlibrary loan.

We look forward to discussing Lovecraft Country with you in LIB 314 at 12:30pm on Thursday, March 22nd.

 

Welcome Back for the Spring Semester

Welcome Back! Arnie Greets Returning Students in Library Learning CommonsWelcome back for the spring semester! We hope you had a great break.
So now that you’re back we thought we’d remind you about a few things.
The library is back to regular hours.  We are open from 7:30 am to 1 am Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 9 pm on Fridays, 9 am to 9 pm on Saturdays, and noon to 1 am on Sundays. You can find holiday hours and other exceptions on our online calendar. Remember to bring your UMass Pass when visiting the library after 10 pm as you must swipe your card to enter the building.
We’re here to support your learning and research. If you have research questions, we have subject librarians who are happy to talk with you and help! You can email, chat, text, call, or stop by in person  to connect with one of our librarians. Reference librarians staff one of the computers at the 1st floor Learning Commons Desk. They love to work with students, so please don’t be shy! Our Learning Commons student assistants also provide basic technical support with things like COIN at the same desk. So it’s a one stop shop for your technical and research questions.
Are you someone who creates digital media projects? If so, be sure to check out our Digital Media Center (DMC) on the 2nd floor. The DMC has unique software and provides specialized assistance to students. There are even creation rooms that are only available to students working on digital media projects and that can be reserved online.
There are lots of study spaces throughout the library for individual and group study. Do you do a lot of group work? If so, you can go online and reserve a group study room! You will also see “table tents” on the 3rd and 5th floors to help you share the group study tables and help us all make the best use of the library’s study space. Or perhaps if you just wish to just notify a friend about where you’re going to be studying in the library; Then send them a link with a pointer on a library floor map of where you’ll be studying using the Find Me Here tool. And near the Learning Commons on the first floor there is a large quiet study space in the South Reading Room.
Need a laptop for your work in the library? Check one out at the first floor Circulation Desk.
If you’re back and already thinking about your senior project, your master’s thesis or the big paper you’ll have to write this semester, you might want to look up one of our expert subject librarians to help you with your research.
You probably know about the library’s collection of online journal databases and books, but did you also know that the library provides access to thousands of online films? Our largest collection is through Kanopy. And if you ever need an item that the library doesn’t provide access to, you can request it free of charge through our interlibrary loan service.
And if that’s not enough, for future stress relievers, we are sponsoring a Game Night every Thursday of the month in the Library Living Room with a variety of board games on hand. The library will also co-sponsor a De-Stress Day once a month in the Library Living Room with games, chair massage, and arts and crafts. Just miss reading for fun? We have a Science Fiction Book Club that meets once a month.
Anyway, we hope you get the point. We’re glad you’re back and we hope that you’ll stop by at one of our service points and ask if there is some way we can be of help … or if you want, just to say Hi!
Welcome Back!
~From Your Carney Library Staff

Claire T. Carney Library End of Semester Announcement

Poster of Claire T. Carney Library and Open 24 HoursThe Claire T. Carney Library will open its doors to the UMassD community for 24/7 hours starting at noon on December 3rd (Sunday) until December 18th (Monday) when we will close at 10PM.  Library services for Circulation/Reserves, the Digital Media Center, and Reference will not have extended hours, so make sure to visit those service points during regular hours.  You will also need a UMass Pass to enter the building after 10PM and until regular opening hours the next day.

We hope you will find a variety of study spaces to choose from including our quiet study areas in the South Reading Room and Grand Reading Room (when no events are scheduled), several group study rooms available by reservation, and many individual and group study areas throughout the building.

Please be mindful that we will be close to seating capacity, so if you are at a group table and not expecting team members, please use our Open/Taken table tents to offer seats to others.

We also encourage everyone to be respectful of the space and other students by watching noise levels and picking up after yourselves should you bring any food/drink.

If you have any question, please contact our staff either at the Circulation/Reserve desk (x8750), the Learning Commons desk (x8884), or the overnight security staff.

We wish you all the best with your exams and a productive end to the semester!   

SciFi Book Club to discuss A Night in the Lonesome October

The SciFi Book Club is reading A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny for our October meeting. Nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1994, this was the author’s final work before his death in 1995. Zelanzy, author of poetry and prose, has an impressive bibliography for his short 58 years. He’s been cited as an influence of several important contemporary authors such as Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin.

Taking place from the perspective of a dog, the reader is introduced to familiar and not so familiar characters (with their animal familiars) as some try to open a portal to let the Elder Gods in to Earth and others try to keep the portal closed. Let’s just say if you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, you should read this. With each chapter (plus an introduction) representing one day of October and a storyline that mixes the supernatural with horror and humor, we felt this was a fitting choice for October.

The book also includes illustrations by Gahan Wilson, a celebrated cartoonist known for his dark humor. You can find a sample of some of his work on his official website.

The Claire T. Carney Library has one copy of this book on 7 day reserve (and many of Zelazny’s other books), but you can also look at your public library or use our interlibrary loan service to get your hands on this one.

We look forward to seeing you at our meeting on Tuesday, October 31st at 2pm in Library 314. Halloween costumes are welcome!