Library Orientation!

Penn Library Homepage: http://www.library.upenn.edu/

The library is a lovely, quiet place of refuge. Whether one is looking to take a break from studio or simply read/work in a controlled environment the nearest library is the place to go.

Wednesday I attended a short orientation to the Fisher Fine Arts Library on campus. Below are links to the multitude of resources I was unaware existed:

Carrel or Book Shelf in the library: books can be checked out to you and kept within the library at a specified desk or shelf. I find this useful in keeping research materials organized and ensuring all books are returned in a timely manner. Note that books on these desks/shelves can be looked through by other students but not checked out. The book will always be available to you.There is a link at this webpage to apply for a carrel or shelf: http://www.library.upenn.edu/finearts/fishercarrels.html/

Events and Workshops: This calendar ranges from LinkedIn Photoshoots to 3d printing tutorials. The calendar can be found on the front page of the Penn Libraries website.

Borrow Equipment: The libraries at Penn can provide students with laptops, ipads, projectors, and cameras if needed. Check out times and rules vary.

Every available material on the Franklin search catalog for the Penn Libraries comes with a set of potential actions. This bar is seen after selecting availability upon signing into the library using your Penn username and password.Below are three listed options I learned about today:

Request: This requests the book specifically to you for pick up behind the library counter. If you would like it to be placed on a shelf for you that request can be made at the library counter upon pick up of the book.

Borrow Direct: This is a interlibrary loan system between different schools. BorrowDirect+ is the interlibrary loan between all the Ivy League schools. Palczi is the interlibrary loan between local Philadelphia and Pennsylvania schools and institutions.

Scan and Deliver: This option allows you to request that a particular section or pages of a book be scanned for you by a librarian and digitally delivered to your email. Clicking this option takes you to a form which upon filing out tells the librarian everything they need to find the book, the pages or content (ie intro or last chapter if unsure of page numbers) and process the book for you. This seems like it would be an amazing resource for research especially during weeks of studio finals or midterms when research may still be ongoing.

Database Access: Aside from printed materials the library is connected to many databases, which you can access by creating an account linked to your penn student account. A few databases worth noting are Artstor (image database) and the Avery Index (architectural journals). All databases are sorted by subject category so if you’re looking for something in say chemistry just look for the chemistry subject and all the chemistry related databases will appear for you to further search each one.

Suggest a Purchase: There is a form on each individual libraries page in which you can suggest a book, journal, or other reading which the library may not have in it’s collection.

I hope this quick review of the library helps! Thank you Patricia Guardiola for the tour and tips relating to the Penn libraries, particularly Fisher Fine Arts!