Students currently enrolled in St. Petersburg College distance learning course are eligible for special library and research services:

• Access to online resources through SPC Library Online from home, office, or campus computers.

• Interlibrary Loan/Distance Learning Document Delivery Service.

• Reference assistance by phone, electronic form, and email.

• Borrowing privileges at Pinellas County Public Libraries, SPC, and other college libraries.

Many of these library services are open to all current SPC students, faculty & staff.

Library Cards

The SPC Photo ID card (for student, faculty or staff) serves as your library card. The bar code number is your student and Library ID Number. You do not need to get a physical card if you do not intend to come on campus to use labs, etc. However, you will need your student ID number itself for other services. For example, some of the Virtual Library's valuable online resources require your student or faculty ID number. Other online services may require passwords, which you can obtain by calling one of the campus libraries. For those out of area, you may use email. If you come on campus to borrow books or materials, you will need a Photo ID or some sort. You will need an SPC Photo ID for reciprocal borrowing privileges with another institution. You will need to get a public library card to use local public libraries. If you wish to use one of the other community colleges or USF libraries to borrow books, you must present an SPC Photo ID, that has been prepared with the appropriate barcode for that institution in advance.
 

 Updating Library ID Numbers

Library bar code Numbers are reactivated each session. If you are not a current student, faculty, or staff member, your card number will no longer be valid. If you have an SPC Card from a previous semester, but the number isn't working, you may call the circulation desk at any of the SPC libraries to check into activating the card. It sometimes takes a few weeks at the beginning of each session to load all current students in the database.

Or you can email librefdesk@email.spjc with the following information:

• Name

• Social Security Number

• Mailing address

• Email address

• Telephone number

Borrowing books

Students and faculty can find books owned by SPC and other libraries by using the online LINCCWEB.  SPC books can be requested and sent to a campus library closest to you. SPC campus libraries are located throughout the county, convenient to most students, and are well worth a visit. Note that reference books, print reserves and other special materials cannot be loaned outside the libraries.

In addition, SPC students and faculty have borrowing privileges at other state college libraries. To see if a library owns a particular book, consult LINCCWEB. for community college libraries or WebLUIS for university libraries. To view what one or more SPC libraries own, use LINCCWeb's to search and use the pull down menu to indicate which SPC library you wish to search. To view all community college holdings, leave pull down menu setting at "All Community Colleges" and search. If you decide to travel to another college or university library to borrow books, be sure to first take your Student ID to an SPC library ahead of time, so they can prepare a barcode that can be used at the desired institution.

To borrow a book not owned by an SPC, Florida community college, or Florida university library, it may be easier and faster to request the book through interlibrary loan at your nearest public library. Books not ordered through SPC libraries MUST be picked up at the public library where the request was made.

SPC Library Online

The SPC Library Online (at http://www.spcollege.edu/central/libonline) is a web site with easy one-stop access to research databases, government resources, search tools, Internet sites, and library services. SPC and other catalogs are searchable from this site. General research help and tutorials are also included.

Extensive resources can be accessed from home, office, or campus computers with Internet access. Current students will be given password information by calling one of the SPC libraries, or emailing the library at librefdesk@spjc.edu.

 

Research Resources 

SPC Library Online offers a large number of online informational databases that are full-text (complete articles) and searchable. They include magazines, journal, newspaper articles, in addition to government & medical reports, and statistics.  

*Passwords for online research databases:

• For state sponsored (CCLA)databases -- current students may use Student ID number (without dashes) for Borrower ID. (password)

• For EBSCO, Ovid, Grove and other databases, call or visit libraries for current passwords.

• For those students taking a WebCT classes, passwords are listed on the first page of  WEbCT courses.

Accessing library and research databases

In addition to using your own home or office computer to access online databases, there are computers available at SPC libraries and computer labs. These facilities are located at most campus sites and offer convenient hours. In addition, other informational databases may be available at local public libraries. Many public libraries provide Internet access.

Periodical articles

SPC students, faculty, and staff have access to hundreds of thousands of journal, magazine and newspaper full-text articles through the information databases offered in SPC Library Online. These databases cover every major subject area. Most users will not need to go beyond these sources for basic research needs. SPC libraries own print subscriptions to other periodicals as well. If you locate a citation to an article not included in a full text online source, you can check the library catalog, LINCCWeb, to see if a periodical is owned by one of the SPC libraries.

ILL (borrowing the article from another library) is possible for many articles if the periodical is not owned by the libraries or included in a library database.

Before exploring Inter-Library loan or a fee based service, check through the SPC Library Online online databases to see if the same or a similar article is available.
 

AskALibrarian

AskALibrarian is provided to assist and direct students, faculty and staff working off campus with their research needs. The service does not attempt to do the actual research or assignments for each student or participant as this work is part of their own academic obligation. Rather, Virtual Reference Assistance directs students, faculty and staff in their research works by:
 

• Research strategies and suggested sources to find information for assignments.

• How to use the SPC online databases and catalogs.

• Information and web sites concerning bibliographic citations.

• Limited help concerning technical problems

• Short factual questions from readily found sources.

If you need assistance with your research, call the reference desk directly at SPC Libraries, or fill out SPC's AskALibrarian Request Form. The libraries provide brief information over the phone and can give advice on using the library catalog and finding Internet resources, suggest appropriate sources for a research topic, assist in developing research strategies, help in locating needed information or resources, make referrals to other libraries, and offer help for similar needs. Be sure to identify yourself as an SPC student in the distance learning program so that we will know that you may not be able to use our collection in person. Generally, reference queries will be responded to within 48 hours (2 working days) Monday through Friday. If you need a reply to your question sooner, call one of the Reference Desk at one of the campus libraries. Other telephone numbers are available at SPC Library Information.
 

LIMITATIONS: See above for borrowing books and retrieving periodical articles. Online reference service does not gather, send, fax or email research for/to individuals.
Reference staff provide both in-library and telephone assistance for all hours that reference services is open (see list of hours).

For Virtual Reference Assistance:

•  You can email, phone or chat with Reference Help for your research questions at: AskALibrarian

• Call or visit SPC Libraries. Check here for library phone numbers, locations, hours, etc..

 
Reserves (Related course readings, materials and links)

Many instructors have readings, links and materials available on their online courses. In addition, the library has related links and information for course subject areas in the SPC Selected Web Sites.

The libraries have text-books on reserve for many courses. Students must come into the library with their SPC Photo Id to view these books in the library. Some instructors may place print materials on reserve in the library.

Telecourse Videos at the Library

If you miss viewing a telecourse lesson for any reason, you may view lessons at any SPC library. Some points to keep in mind:

• Library hours are 7:30 am until 9 pm Monday through Thursday; 7:30 am until 4 pm on Friday; 10 am until 5 pm on Saturday; 1 pm until 5 pm on Sunday. Holiday and session break hours may vary.

• Each library has one set of tapes for each course that remains in the library for viewing within the library; the libraries also have a circulating set for each course that is available for checkout. It is possible that the tape you want will already be checked out and that you will need to view the tape in the library.

• If a tape is available, you may check out one tape per course for a two day period, review the material at home, and then return the tape to the library.

• Most videos contain two lessons on one tape.

• Overdue fines are $1 per day per tape.

• Remember, if you need access to every tape, you also have the option to rent the entire series from RmiMedia Productions on the Internet at http://www.mimedia.com or call (800)745-5480.

Video on Demand services