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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some of the library's most commonly asked questions

Library User Services

Library Catalog and Databases

Other Questions

How can I see a list of the books I've checked out?

Go to Renew Materials, Login, and click on "Review My Account."

Can I renew books online?

Yes. From the library web site, select Renew Materials and log in. Select "Renew My Materials." Materials cannot be renewed on the day the items are due.

How do I place a hold and what is a recall?

BYU students, faculty and staff can place a hold at the Circulation Desk or online from the library catalog. All other library patrons can place a no-recall hold at the Circulation Desk. Contact the Circulation Desk (Level 3) 422-6061 with any questions.

Hold
As soon as the book is returned to the library it will be set aside for you, and you will be notified by email. You will then have 7 days to come to the Circulation Desk and check it out. You may have up to 3 holds at a time.

Recall
When a hold is placed, a notification (recall) is sent to the patron who currently has the book checked out. The current user is required to return the book by the date specified in the recall notice (usually within 7 days).

Any book that has been checked out for at least 3 weeks is subject to recall. A book may be recalled at any time for use in Course Reserve.

Recalls allow the maximum number of library patrons to use high demand books.

If I am not affilliated with BYU may I borrow a book using interlibrary loan?

You need to go to your local public or university library and work through their Interlibrary Loan office. Give them as much information as you can about the item (that you found on the HBLL web site) and they will take care of the details.

If necessary, you may give the librarian the contact information of the ILL Lending department in the Lee Library. They can be reached via email (ill-byu@byu.edu), telephone (801-422-4155) or fax (801-422-0471). Do not try to contact them directly. They will respond only to requests from libraries.

How much are fines for overdue books?

Go to Renew Materials, click on the link corresponding to your status, and scroll down to "Overdue fines".

What is Course Reserve and how do I use Electronic Reserve?

The Lee Library maintains course reserve collections to support the university’s academic programs. Class related materials such as books, book chapters, articles, sample exams, problem sets, lecture notes, compact discs, etc. may be placed on Course Reserve.

Students can access circulating Course Reserve materials by bringing the call number to the Circulation Desk during library hours. To facilitate 24-hour access to reserve materials, the Lee Library provides an electronic course reserve service.

Electronic Reserve is an online collection of articles, book chapters, weblinks, sample papers, class syllabi, course material call numbers. In order to use the Electronic Reserve you need a password. You should have received this from your instructor for each class.

Once you have the password, click on "Services" from the library home page, then click on “Electronic/Course Reserve”. Then click on “BYU ERes: Electronic Reserve”. Next, select “Electronic Reserves and Course Materials”. Now find your class by one of four methods: department, instructor's name, course name, or course number. Scroll to the course and click on the course name. The next screen will ask you for the password that your instructor should have given you. Enter this password and click “Accept”. This will take you to a list of items the instructor has on circulating and electronic reserve.

How do I access Blackboard from the Library website?

Click on the Blackboard icon (Blackboard icon) on the tab menu bar on the main Library page to access Blackboard.

Can I access the catalog from home?

Yes. Go to the library home page, click on "Find books" then "Search the Library Catalog"

Can I access databases from home?

It depends on the database. The majority of databases are available off-campus to current faculty, staff and students using your Net ID and password. To verify off-campus access go to the library home page and click on "Find Articles" and then on "Databases A-Z". Use the legend on the top right of the page to determine availability.

How can I reserve a Group Study Room?

Group Study Rooms may be reserved by enrolled students. Go the the library home page and click on "Reservations" then on "Group Study Rooms". This service is not available to non-students.

Can I check out books from other universities’ libraries?

BYU students, staff, emeriti and faculty are authorized to check out library materials at any Utah Academic Library Consortium member’s library.

Library privileges may be obtained by showing valid campus identification or by presenting legal photo identification and proof of current registration.

Borrowers are responsible to comply with the lending library’s circulation policies. Items may be returned to the lending library or to the Lee Library Interlibrary Loan Office. See UALC webpage for participating libraries and links to their online catalogs.

I am not affiliated with BYU. What services may I use?

Most online resources are restricted to BYU students and faculty, but unless you are prompted to enter a BYU NetID and password, you will be able to use them.

You may come to our library in person and use the collections, databases, or electronic sources with very few restrictions.

Anyone can become a Friend of the Library and purchase circulation privileges as well as access to selected databases. The details about becoming a Friend of the Library can be found on the library web site. From the home page click on the "For Donors" tab at the top of the page. To see a list of all the databases available upon becoming a Friend of the Library, click on Member Benefits listed on the Friends of the Library page. There are contractual agreements that prevent some databases from being available to everyone.

Does the library have print or electronic access to the journal I'm looking for?

First, go to the library web page and click on the "Find Articles" option from the list on the left-hand side of the page. Next click on "Journal Finder (Print and Electronic)"

When the Journal Finder window opens click on the "Browse" tab from the row of tabs along the top of the Journal Finder page.

When the Browse tab window opens there will be two boxes. The top box should say "Browse Type - Journals By Title." If for some reason the box does not say this change the box to this option. In the bottom box type in the title of the journal you are looking for then click on the "Browse" button.

A new window will open listing all the journals available which fit the title you have typed in. Click on the title which most accurately matches the journal you are looking for.

A "Resources" window will open which has four different sections in most instances. The top section will be the descriptive information for the journal listing the title, ISSN no., etc so you can check to see if this is the correct journal.

The second section with the heading "Full Text Resources In Your Library" will connect to the library catalog record for the journal. If you wanted to read the journal in the library you can use this section to find the call number for the journal and also check to see what issues of this journal the library owns. Periodicals are housed in the Periodicals Library on Level 2 of the HBLL.

The third section entitled "Full Text Resources Online" will have listings for electronic access to full-text of articles with the dates of coverage listed next to the source. Click on the world globe and open book icon next to the listing which has coverage for the year you need. There may be multiple choices for the time period you need so you can experiment with different resources to see which one you prefer using.

The fourth section lists sources which index the journal you have chosen. This section does not contain journal articles but rather tells you who indexes the journal. Any of the indexes listed could be used when you are looking for an article on a particular topic in a journal but you do not have the complete citation.

How do I get a copy of a journal article?

Print journals can be found on level 2 in the periodicals room. Copiers are available.

Electronic journals can be accessed online. If the article is not available electronically or in print you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

A document delivery service is available to BYU faculty and faculty research assistants through the ILL website.

If you have a problem filling out your request, or have any other questions, call the Interlibrary Loan office at 422-6344. Remember that the document delivery service is available ONLY to faculty and faculty research assistants.

How can I find a master's thesis or dissertation by a BYU student?

Go to the library home page.

If you know the author or title of the thesis, select Library Catalog and then Alphabetic Search to search the catalog.

If you do not know an author or title, select Library Catalog and then Advanced Keyword Search. You will see several rows of three boxes each.

First Row
Be sure the first box says "keyword anywhere." If it doesn't, change it by clicking on the down arrow. In the next box, type "thesis or dissertation". (If you want only a thesis or only a dissertation, you may use only the one word. If you want either, be sure to use both words with the OR in the middle.) Be sure the last box is set to "and." If not, change it.

Second Row
Be sure the first box says "keyword anywhere." If it doesn't, change it by clicking on the down arrow. In the next box, type "byu or brigham young university". Be sure the last box is set to "and." If not, change it.

Third Row
Be sure the first box says "keyword anywhere." If it doesn't, change it by clicking on the down arrow. In the next box, type any word or words that describe your topic. Hit the "Search" button.

If you cannot find what you need, contact a reference desk for additional help.

Where is your digital media collection?

Go to the library home page and click on "Online Collection at BYU". You will find it under the heading "A Library for the World" in the lavender tab on the right side of the page.

Who can I contact about family history resources?

Begin with this link to the web site for the Family History/Genealogy Resources (located in the Lee Library). Here you will find a wide range of resources, a list of classes offered by the center staff, links to other genealogical sites, and other valuable information. The Religion/Family History Reference Desk can be reached at 801-422-6200.

For personal help, go to your local Family History Center. Friendly and knowledgeable people there can guide you through the research process and can order material from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For the location of the nearest Family History Center, look in the white pages of your local telephone book under "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

You may also find a Family History Center in your area by using the official LDS Church web site. Click on "Family History," then "Find a Family History Center Near Your Home".

Finding your Ancestors, a tutorial developed by BYU, will help you learn how to search for your ancestors. It teaches you about different databases that will help you find information and provides free access to the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) that is available to download.

How do I find (to purchase) a book that is out of print?

First, try your local used book dealers. If they do not have what you want they can look for it. They are good at finding things and always appreciate your business.

You can also search on the web. Among the favorite sites used by librarians are:

For LDS books try Sam Weller's Zion Book Store.

Can I get a copy of speech given at BYU?

The http://speeches.byu.edu web site offers recent devotionals (beginning September 1997) free of charge. Selected speeches from other years are available for purchase, as are books of speeches from 1991/92 through 1998/99, and Classic Speeches Books.

Print copies of BYU's "Speeches of the Year" from 1952 to current can be found in the Harold B. Lee library at the call number BX 8647 .B76 (level 2, in the Religion/Family History section)

For speeches not available on this site call 422-2299 or e-mail speeches@byu.edu.

How can I get a student job in the library?

Use BYU's student employment website. The library posts all job openings here.