Do you know how to get an article not available at Dibner Library? What about how to renew a book online or find out which books are on reserve for your courses?

Find the answers to these questions and many more on the library’s new Frequently Asked Questions page.  If you have a question that’s not listed here ask us!

Dibner Library will begin its extended exam schedule on Wednesday, April 29.  The library will be open 24 hours on weekdays, and closing at midnight on Friday and Saturday.  View the library hours calendar on our web site or see exam schedule details below:

Did you know an apple does a better job at keeping you focused and awake than caffeine?  Find out more cramming techniques for exams and tips to survive finals.  And remember - please don’t bring your study snacks into the library!

Do you work with raw data? Do you need help finding, accessing, understanding, manipulating, collecting, sharing and preserving data?

The Data Service Studio is a new service provided by NYU libraries and ITS that provides staff, software, statistical computing, and data collection resources to support NYU research and scholarship.

The facility features a 10-seat work and instruction space where students and faculty can receive consultation and resources in statistical analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) and gain access to a variety of software for statistical, qualitative and GIS analysis (SPSS, SAS, STATA, R, ESRI GIS products, Matlab, and others).

You can drop by the Data Service Studio during their regular hours or schedule a consultation appointment.

Location
NYU Data Service Studio
6th floor, Bobst Library
70 Washington Square

Regular Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12-6
Wednesday & Thursday: 12-8
Sunday: 1-5

Contact
data.service@nyu.edu
212-998-3434

For those of you lucky enough to escape campus during Spring Break, here are some reminders for using the library remotely.

You have access to all the library’s article databases and other resources while you are home (or lounging on the beach).  Just remember, you will be prompted to login using your last name and Poly ID number. We can answer your questions via email, IM, and phone.

If you’re staying in town, don’t despair - there’s lots of fun stuff to do in NYC.  And you are always welcome to hang out in the library (just keep in mind our shorter hours during the break).

While Dibner Library has a wide range of both print and electronic books and journals, we certainly don’t have everything.  There isn’t a library in the world that does, fortunately libraries are great at sharing.  If there is a particular item you need for your research and it’s not available here we will be happy to help you get it.

There are a few different ways to get materials from other libraries:

1)      Document Delivery (aka Interlibrary Loan):

Simply fill out the online request form and have materials from other libraries sent here. Or, take advantage of WorldCat Advanced, which lets you search many libraries at once and easily request items that are not available at Dibner Library. Just look for the “Request this Item Now” link (log in with your Poly ID to use this service when off campus).

Journal articles generally take only one to two days to arrive, but they may take up to two weeks. Books may take three weeks to arrive.  Read the Document Delivery FAQ for more information.

2)      Visit and Borrow from other NYU Libraries:

If you can’t wait to get that book into your hands, check the Bobst Library catalog to see if they have a copy.   If they do, you can hop on the subway and borrow it using your NYU-Poly ID.

You can access most electronic resources from the comfort of home either through the Dibner Library or Bobst Library web site.  You need to use your NYU NetID to access databases via the Bobst site.  For more information on remote access and using NYU libraries other than Bobst, read the NYU access FAQ.

3)     Visit and Borrow from other Academic Libraries in Brooklyn:

NYU-Poly is a member of the Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB). With an ALB card and a valid NYU-Poly ID, Poly faculty and students may visit any of the other member libraries (see below), use resources on site and borrow up to two items at a time.  You can obtain an ALB card at the Dibner Library service desk.

ALB member libraries include:

• Brooklyn College
• Long Island University
• Medgar Evers College
• New York City Technical College
• Pratt Institute
• St. Joseph’s College
• St. Francis College

4)     Use Materials at a Library in the Metro NY Area:

NYU-Poly is a member of the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), a  membership organization of 270 libraries in the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County. You may visit participating METRO libraries by obtaining a METRO referral card at our library service desk. A METRO referral card allows you to visit a library only to use a specified item that is not available through the above means. The referral is not for general use of a library’s collection or services and does not allow borrowing privileges. Search the Member Directory here.

Have any questions? Ask a librarian.

Over the winter break you should have received an email from NYU/ITS Client Services providing you with your new University ID number and NetID.  While you might not be too excited about yet another login and password to remember, your NetID can make doing research a whole lot easier.

After activating your NetID (go to: http://start.nyu.edu), you can now access many electronic resources available via the Bobst Library web site.  You can browse databases by title and category or search for specific journals online.  While the libraries are working out licensing issues, it is possible that you may run into a resource that is not accessible remotely using your NetID (for example, Books24×7) .  Check the Dibner Library web site to see if the database is available there and access it using your last name and Poly ID number.  Some databases, such as Engineering Village or American Society of Mechanical Engineers can only be accessed via the Dibner Library.

For more information, read the FAQ on how to access NYU databases. Please contact a Dibner librarian if you run into any problems trying to access a resource, and we will help you get the information you need.

The NYU and Poly libraries are working hard to integrate their resources so that you have quick and easy access to the information you need to pursue your academic goals.  As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment or contact a librarian.

Can I borrow books from Bobst Library? Can I use my wireless lap top there? Can I use other NYU libraries?

We have the answers to these and many more questions all gathered in one convenient spot: Frequently Asked Questions about NYU Library Access.  Please read this page before visiting any NYU or affiliated library.  It also includes important information about accessing electronic resources.

If you have a question that is not answered here, please submit it in the comments section.

Welcome back! We have been busy over at the Dibner Library this summer. Here is a quick roundup of what is new:

PolyCat - new online catalog
Search for books, movies, journal titles, and more with the library’s new and improved catalog, PolyCat. PolyCat makes it easy to refine your search results and find library resources. New features include: book covers and reviews from Amazon, list creation, and an online shelf browser. Get started with: An Overview of PolyCat.

Access to NYU’s Bobst Library
NYU-Poly faculty, students, and staff can visit NYU’s flagship Library: The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, located at 70 Washington Square South. Just bring your NYU-Poly ID card to access the library. You will be able to borrow materials following NYU’s circulation policies. Visit the NYU library web site for details on circulation privileges for faculty & administrators and students & staff.

New electronic resources
We are in the process of establishing access to all of NYU’s electronic resources. We now have expanded or brand new access to the following resources:

• Royal Chemistry Society
• SAGE
• ScienceDirect
• SpringerLink
• Wiley InterScience

Coming Soon…
Look out for more additions to our electronic resources collection.

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It is official: Polytechnic and New York University are merging forces to create a top-tier research, technology and engineering institution. One of the many benefits resulting from the merger is access to the vast resources of NYU’s libraries.

Beginning July 1, 2008, Poly faculty, students, and staff can visit NYU’s Bobst Library, which houses over 3.9 million volumes and 41 thousand journals, and provides access to thousands of electronic resources. In addition, Bobst Library offers three specialized reference centers, 28 miles of open stacks shelving, and approximately 2,000 seats for student study. [Read more →]

Starting Wednesday, April 30, the Dibner Library will stay open 24 hours on weekdays until Friday, May 9. On Friday and Saturday nights the library will close at midnight and open at 9 am the following morning. A complete schedule of library hours is available on the library home page.

We know the end of the semester can be a stressful time. Please respect your fellow students by keeping your voices down. Here are some more tips to survive finals.