As the school year begins, there are many first-time college freshmen (myself included) joining the ranks at Calhoun. One of the most useful tools in any college student’s arsenal is the campus library- if used to its full potential. Here are some questions that new students may have about the library, and the respective answers. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Gerald Jackson, the head librarian at the Huntsville Calhoun Library to ask him the following:
How do I check out books from the library?
For physical books, simply take them to the desk and request to take them out. The due date will be 21 days after checking out, with one renewal. For digital books and articles, go to the library website and find what you need. There will be a section for “Top Databases”, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, there’s a section directly under it labeled “Find Articles and Databases”- I would recommend “Databases by Subject”.
If you’re accessing materials on a Calhoun Library computer, you won’t be asked to do this- but if you’re outside of the library you will be asked to identify yourself with your A# and your MyCalhoun password before checking out materials.
How do I use the library printer?
You will first need to access your Pharos printing account (if you are a Calhoun student, you should already have one). You can access it under “Pharos Printing”.
Printing is 10 cents per page. There are detailed instructions on adding funds to your account at the above link (under “Adding Funds to your Pharos Print Account”).
What is the “study room”? How and when should I use it?
The study room is a secluded, extra-quiet room in the library. It’s intended for study groups of three or more people, and can be used for up to three hours. You can request to use it at the library desk- all you have to do is sign in.
What is the best place to find study materials/resources?
To start, definitely the library homepage. We’ve already covered the “Find Articles and Databases” section, but on the slim chance you can’t find what you’re looking for anywhere on the website, ask a librarian. They all are extremely knowledgeable about resources and the library as a whole, and they will gladly help you. You can also find their emails here by checking out the contact page. The staff for the Huntsville branch are at the bottom of the list.
If you’re looking to get acquainted with research techniques and learning to identify legitimate sources, the library homepage links to TILT: The Information Literacy Tool. It has three modules and is fairly simple to complete.
What is the main thing I should know about the library?
According to Mr. Jackson, there are two things:
Firstly- always ask questions. The library staff is there to help you, and they will likely know the answers to your questions. Even if they can’t help you, they would much rather you ask than not. If you can’t physically go to the library, the library site is always a safe place to go when in doubt. You can also find the contact info for the library staff.
Secondly- Having access to the Calhoun Library grants you access to a lot more information than you think. Yes, there are as many books as you want, but there are also computers, databases, magazines, newspapers, and once again, the library staff. He encourages students to go to the library first when it comes to any kind of academic research, and to always make an effort to base their research on legitimate, scholarly sources- which the library has in abundance.
Hopefully, this article will have answered any questions you may have had about the library. If you still have questions, you can find official answers to the library’s FAQs here. Special thanks to Mr. Jackson for taking the time to personally answer every question you see here.
Good luck on your college careers, and don’t forget to take advantage of the library!