Library Services

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Direct Borrowing at Other OhioLINK Libraries

Students (Undergraduates and Graduates)

BGSU Photo ID, or

Current library validation card (provided through Continuing Education)with Photo ID

Faculty and Staff

BGSU Photo ID

Courtesy Card patrons

Current BGSU Library courtesy card and Photo ID

Visiting Patrons from other OhioLINK libraries

Current ID from the home institution, and an active, current account in the library database at the home institution.

  • Any BGSU patron with a valid, current account with BGSU Libraries and a valid BGSU ID may borrow directly from other OhioLINK libraries.
  • Before you make the trip to another library, drop in or call Circulation staff at the Jerome or Firelands libraries to check that your record is current.
  • Books or items checked out from other OhioLINK libraries have the same loan periods and restrictions as OhioLINK books borrowed via online requests.
  • For more information on OhioLINK, check the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty circulation survival guides.

Pick-Up Anywhere

Pick-Up-Anywhere allows patrons to request OhioLINK items and have them delivered to any OhioLINK member location, including BGSU. The process for using PUA is quite similar to requesting an item for delivery to the local pick up site. To request delivery of OhioLINK materials to a site other than BGSU:

  • Locate an item, as usual, in the OhioLINK central catalog.
  • Choose BGSU as your institution and enter your e-mail user name and e-mail password.
  • Choose the OhioLINK institution nearest your desired location from the pull down menu.
  • Choose a pick up site at that institution in the second drop down menu.
  • Track the progress of your request in My Library Account.

We will send an e-mail notice when the item arrives. You can pick it up using your BGSU ID or Courtesy Card. Before using Pick-up Anywhere, make sure your library record is current.

Have a Question? Contact the Information Desk at 419-372-0739.

Headphones, calculators, laptops & mice are available for checkout at the Information Desk.

Present your BGSU ID to check out these items.

Laptops, headphones and mice are checked out until the end of the business day and must remain in the library, there are no renewals.  Calculators are checked out until the end of the semester and can be taken home.

If the needed material is not in the BGSU or OhioLINK catalog, or it doesn't circulate through OhioLINK, request it through Interlibrary Loan. For articles, check the electronic journals or full text databases available through the BGSU and OhioLINK menus -- you may be able to print a full text version of the article directly to your desktop. If the article is not available in full text, request the item via ILL.

Some point to consider when requesting an item through ILL:

  • You may not request materials that BGSU owns (even if someone else has them checked out or they are non-circulating);
  • The items may be restricted to use within the library only;
  • The loan periods are different depending on the lending institution;
  • You may not be able to renew items.

ILL is BGSU Libraries' online interlibrary loan request system. You can create a personal account, submit requests online, track the status of your requests, and receive email notification of arrival. Please read the ILL FAQ for more information.

ILL materials can take from 2-4 weeks to arrive and sometimes take longer, depending on the lending institution. You can track the progress of your requests via ILL. There is a description of the meaning of ILL statuses in the ILL FAQ.

Material checked out through the Firelands College Library can generally be renewed in one of three ways, as long as no other patron has put a hold on the item:

  • In person renewal
  • Telephone renewal  - 419-372-0739
  • On-line renewal

NOTE:  If material is on hold or has been recalled it CANNOT be renewed.

At the end of the semester (undergraduate students and courtesy card borrowers), or at the end of the academic year (graduate students, faculty, and staff borrowers), items must be physically presented for renewal.

In person renewal:

Renew items in person by presenting the items and your University ID at any circulation desk.

Telephone Renewal:

  • Materials may be renewed by calling 419-372-0739
  • Have your University ID and the material with you and follow the directions of the library staff.  
  • Record the new date and the renewal code, as directed by the library staff

 

On-line renewal: 
ITEMS which are overdue CANNOT be renewed online.  If you try to renew overdue items online, the system will not allow the renewal.  Read the screen carefully.

  • Choose “My Library Account” available on the University Libraries home page or in the Library Catalog.
  • Enter your BGSU username and password (same as for campus email and MyBGSU). If you are a Courtesy Card patron, enter your full name as it appears on your library card, and the library card number (including the R.)
  • Click on “checked out items.”
  • Select the items to renew by checking the box to the left of each title
  • Click on the "Renew Selected Items" button, and note the new due date assigned for each item.

Any BGSU-owned item can be requested by any BGSU patron if:

  • The patron has a valid patron account,
  • The item is part of a circulating collection,
  • The item has a status of 'Available'.

If these conditions are met, a 'Request' button will appear on the item record in the University Libraries Catalog. There are two possible pick-up locations: Jerome Library and Firelands Library.

Please allow 72 hours for these requests to be processed. We will send an email notice when the item is ready for pick-up. My Library Account can also be used to track requests. When the item's status reads 'Ready. Must be picked up by xx / xx / xx' it is ready to be picked up at the circulation location you chose.

Holds

If a BGSU-owned item is checked-out, we can place a hold on it for you. A hold will ensure the following:

  • The patron who has the item checked out will not be permitted to renew it.
  • When the item is returned it will go on the hold shelf in your name.
  • You will be allowed to check the item out for at least 2 weeks.

Faculty and students can place a hold by either stopping by the information desk.

We send an email notice when your held items arrive; however, be sure to check your library account at My Library Account frequently to double-check.

Have a Question? Contact the Information Desk at 419-372-0739.

Looking for a new place to study? The BGSU Firelands Library has a group study room available for BGSU Firelands students, faculty and staff located in the back of the library next to the Writing Lab.  Library patrons can use this room to study in groups or to work collaboratively on projects. The room is a privately enclosed space, allowing for groups up to 5 people to work together. The room is available on a first come first served basis.  If the room is empty it is available for use.

Courtesy Card Guidelines

Firelands Library as part of Bowling Green State University assists those individuals outside the University community who wish to borrow our materials. A courtesy card may be obtained from the main circulation desk of Firelands Library for ($25). The annual fee is waived for alumni, Friends of the Library, Elder College, faculty and staff family members, and President’s Club/Board members. Off
campus access to research databases is not available to courtesy card patrons.

Please refer to Courtesy Cards for complete information about terms and conditions of use. Please notify the circulation desk if your address changes.


Circulation information, in brief:
  • All courtesy card patrons must present their BGSU courtesy card and a photo ID each time they wish to borrow material. A courtesy card may only be used by the person to whom it was issued –there are no multiple users or corporate courtesy cards.
  • Statewide policy limits the number of OhioLINK items to five items at any given time.
  • Length of loan: Most general collection materials circulate for three weeks. All borrowed material must be returned or presented for renewal in person at the end of each academic semester.
  • Renewals: Any book may be renewed as long as it has not been recalled by another patron and your library account is valid. Items may be renewed through your library account, over the phone, in person at the circulation desk from which the item was borrowed, or by email. To renew by email contact firelib@bgsu.edu with the barcodes of the items to renew and a brief title. Overdue materials cannot be renewed online.
  • Telephone renewal numbers: Have the book(s) and your courtesy card with you when you call.

Firelands Library: (419) 372‐0739

Jerome Library: (419) 372‐2133

Fines: Fines must be paid before items can be renewed or additional items can be checked out.

  • Overdue BGSU materials accumulate fines at the rate of $0.25 per day per item.
  • OhioLINK materials accumulate fines at the rate of $0.50 per day per item.
  • Recalled materials accumulate fines at the rate of $1.00 per day per item.

Return of Materials:

Items may be returned to the library in person or by mail. If the library is closed, return materials through the outside return slot outside Foundation Hall Building. If mailed, they should be addressed as follows:

Firelands Library
1 University Drive
Huron, OH 44839

Jerome Library
Circulation Department
Bowling Green, OH 43403

All borrowed material must be returned or presented for renewal in person at the end of each academic semester.

*Lost Book: If you lose a book or do not have a book which our records show you borrowed, please contact the Supervisor at the appropriate circulation desk.

Firelands Library: (419) 372‐0739

Jerome Library: (419) 372‐2051

Guest Privileges

Any Ohio resident may apply for a courtesy card. Please ask at the circulation desk of the Firelands Library for an application.

  • If applicant is under 18, the application must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
  • The fee is $25.00 per year. (This fee is waived for BGSU alumni.)
  • Courtesy Card patrons may borrow most BGSU Jerome Main stacks materials and have limited OhioLINK borrowing privileges.
  • OhioLINK policy limits borrowing to 5 items on one’s record at any given time.
  • Non‐affiliated borrowers are currently limited to 10 BGSU items at a time.
  • Affiliated borrower have a limit of 50 items.
  • Courtesy card borrowers do not have remote access to the online research databases.
  • Some special collection materials are not loaned to Courtesy Card holders.
  • Courtesy cards are valid for one year, but privileges must be updated at the end of each academic semester.
  • Courtesy Card and Photo ID must be presented at time of application and every time materials are borrowed.
Other OhioLINK Patron Members

Patrons from other OhioLINK institutions may borrow directly from the Firelands Library with their current home institution ID and a valid record in their home library.

Important: Check with your home institution library before coming to insure the status of your record.

  • Items borrowed from BGSU directly are subject to the same loan periods and restrictions as OhioLINK items borrowed via online requesting.
  • For renewals and more information, contact your home library.

    Have a Question? Contact the Firelands Circulation Desk at 419‐372‐0739, or email lmallias@bgsu.edu, or the Jerome Circulation Desk at 419‐372‐2051, or email circdesk@bgsu.edu.

What does it mean to be an information literate college student at BGSU Firelands? Information literacy is defined as being able to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." In other words, you have to know what you need, where to find it, how to tell if it's any good, and what to do with it. Many of us take for granted that we have these skills. We all know how to use Google, right? However, the information environment in higher education is a complex one, and you'll need to learn new skills to take advantage of it. At BGSU Firelands Library, we're here to help! You can send quick questions to a librarian whenever you need a quick answer, call or email Leo Mallias at: 419-372-0739; lmallia@bgsu.edu. We also offer free individual consultations to students. Our librarian Leo provides one-on-one in-depth help with research projects, can teach you how to use a specific database, or just simply give a ‘refresher course’ on library research!

Updated: 12/05/2022 05:07PM