Borrowing and returning
Borrowing and returning
Who may borrow from the library?
How do I register to borrow from the library?
How do I check out a book?
How do I check out a journal?
For how long may I borrow something?
How can I borrow a laptop?
How can I renew something?
How do I return books (or anything else)?
Where do I make a photocopy?
How can I get copies of things at the Eisenhower library?
Searching for ...
Where can I find citations to papers?
Where are the journals?
Where are the observatory publications?
How can I look up books on a certain topic, or a general list of similar books, such as catalogs or SPIE proceedings?
How can I find a book by a particular author and/or title?
Where can I find physical reference data?
What if an item is not on the shelf ?
What do I do if the library doesn't have what I need?
Do we have ...
a dictionary?
encyclopedia?
thesaurus?
telephone book?
membership directories?
Books in Print?Equipment to help you...
Is there a public access PC?
Where are the copy machines?
Is there a light table?
Where can I sharpen a pencil?
What is the default printer for library workstations?
Is there a microform reader/printer?
Is there a scanner attached to a public computer?
What/who is pandora ?
What should I do if a piece of equipment doesn't work properly?
Miscellaneous
How can I obtain a copy of an instrument handbook?
How can I access electronic journals from outside the ST ScI domain?
How can I get a Hopkins (MSEL) library card?
How do I get my paper into the ST ScI eprint series?
How can I make a suggestion or comment?
You may borrow from the library if you are an employee of AURA, ESA, CSC, a long-term visitor with an STScI ID card and assigned office, or with permission of the librarian.
Register to borrow by completing the registration form near the barcode scanner and giving it to the librarian.
To check out a book, click on the Circulation window on the library workstation (right hand side); click on the stamp icon (upper left of window), enter your username, scan the book's item number, click close, and then go away.
Click on the "user display " icon in the Circulation window. Enter your user name and all items charged to you will be listed. You may also do this from within the online catalog: click on "my account" and log in with your username and PIN (which is the same as your username).
In theory, journals don't circulate except to copying machines. In practice, one may check out a journal for a short time (other than the current issue, please!) by filling out the manual circulation sheet (next to the scanner).
The length of time you may borrow something depends the item you are borrowing. For most materials, there is a nominal due date of one year, but as long as they are kept in your office, they may be renewed indefinitely. Short-term visitors may borrow under their sponsor's privileges, and registered non-staff may borrow for up to one month.
To borrow a laptop, see one of the library staff or email the librarian. Generally the loan period is for up to six weeks.
If you want to copy something you may take it to any of the several copy machines in the building. The closest is left out of the library and left at the first hallway (there are other copy machines on this floor).
To renew something, reply to the overdue notice from the librarian. You may also renew materials from within the online catalog by clicking on "my account" and logging in (username and PIN are the same).
To return something, leave it on the book truck. When you return a laptop, please be sure one of the staff is present to accept it.
To get copies of things at the Eisenhower library, you may use the copy card available from a library staff member.
Citations may be done in several ways: the major printed source is A&A Abstracts (Z 5153.A862) shelved at the end of the journals. A&A Abstracts is also available online via ARIBIB. The primary online source is the Astrophysics Data System. Other electronic sources are available from the published papers link on the library homepage.
Journals are in aisles 1A-5A. An alphabetical finding list is hanging on aisle 1A; journals are also listed in the catalog. Please note that several journals issued by societies are under the name of the society. If the item you want is at the bindery (there'll be a red flag in its place on the shelf), it will be back within 2 weeks. Many titles are also available electronically (see the library's published papers page) or at JHU. If you cannot locate what you want, please see the librarian about obtaining an interlibrary loan.
Observatory publications and exchanges are located in aisles 5A-6A shelved alphabetically by source, e.g., NOAO, ST ScI, NRAO; or by location (Armagh, Bonn, etc.).
To find a certain topic, or for a general list of similar books, such as catalogs or SPIE, use the online catalog, Keyword or Subject Heading searches. For a numbered conference, enter the number as a keyword (you may want to follow it with a question mark (or two) to be sure of retrieving various permutations of the numbers). IAU colloquia and symposia are in aisle 6B.
For a particular author or book, use the online catalog, Title or Author search.
For physical reference data, use the excellent resources at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.
If an item is not on the shelf, it may be misshelved, removed briefly to read in the library or make a photocopy, loaned out or it may be missing. Use the online catalog to see the current status and borrower. If the item is not misshelved or loaned out, and you do not see another patron with it, please notify one of the library staff. She may be able to get what you want through interlibrary loan.
It's (we hope) relatively rare that we don't have something and it is even rarer that we can't get it from somewhere else, so if you can't find what you want, please ask. We'll do our best to get whatever you require for your functional or scientific work (but not for your kid's homework!).
There is a large dictionary on a table in the reading area. Others, including several foreign language dictionaries, are on the reference shelves or available electronically. While within the stsci.edu domain, you may also use the Oxford English Dictionary or the Merriam-Webster unabridged.
The Encyclopedia Britannica is available electronically and there is a CD version (without ads!) of the 2002 edition on PC Chopin. For those who prefer paper, there is a one volume encyclopedia on a table in the reading area.
Membership directories (AAS, etc.) are on the reference shelves in the reading area. Many are also available online from the Other Resources page.
Books in Print is available electronically via FirstSearch.
A copy of Roget's Thesaurus is in reference in the reading area. A thesaurus is also part of the Merriam-Webster subscription.
Baltimore telephone books are on the top reference shelf in the reading area.
PC Chopin, located just outside the Chart Room in the north end of the library, is available for public use. You may access your remote email account, and use Netscape, Microsoft Word, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the scanner, and several other services.
Copy machines are located in three places on the 4th floor:
• turn left out of the library and left again at the first hallway.
• turn right out of the library in N409.
• turn left out of the library and follow that hallway around to the south end, outside room S410.
There are also copiers on all the other floors, including the Copy Center in SG08.
A light table is in the Chart Room at the north end of the library. There is also a smaller light box, that may be borrowed, in the Chart Room.
You may borrow our nifty manual sharpener.
The default printer for the library is 4c_lps. Turn left as you leave the library and left into the first doorway, room 411.
A reader/printer for microfiche and microfilm is near the reading area of the library. The on/off switch is around the right side and there are loading instructions on the tray on the right for microfiche and below the spool on the left for microfilm.
A scanner is attached to PC Chopin at the north end of the library. Directions for use are in the notebook on the table.
Pandora is a unix workstation by the door to the balcony. Its primary function is access to the library home page, but may be used for checking remote email as well by using telnet://your.machine.name in the URL box or any other web-accessible email client.
If a piece of equipment doesn't work properly or isn't responding the way you think it should :
• for copier problems, notify the Copy Center at extension 2619, room SG08.
• for library workstation problems, notify one of the library staff.
• for printer problems, notify the helpdesk electronically or at extension 4400.
• for scanner problems, notify one of the library staff.
Instrument handbooks are available online. Paper copies can be obtained from Dixie Shipley in N410B.
You can, but probably don't want to, do this. You may request a PPP (point-to-point protocol) account from the helpdesk. Then you dial into an Institute modem, login, and you're part of the domain. At 28-56K baud. Which means downloading an ApJ paper is going to be painfully slow. Alternately, you can get access to all the AAS journals from anywhere by buying a personal subscription, available to members for a modest $50/year. (If you are outside of the local area, there is an 800 number that connects you directly to the stsci domain, but the speed is still slow. You will be given the number when you get your PPP username/password.) If you have an Institute-owned laptop, the helpdesk can provide you with a access via VPN, which allows connection to the domain at DSL speeds.
Contact Human Resources. There is a form to be filled out that HR then sends to the Eisenhower Library.
Contact Sharon Toolan who can supply you with an eprint number and even help you format and submit your paper.
To make a suggestion or comment, you can see one of the library staff, email the librarian, or phone the librarian at x4961. Please include your name and how to reach you in case we have a question or need to respond.
last update: 26 May 2005
