Frequently Asked Questions: Students
- Patrons will be blocked from borrowing books if they have overdue books or owe fines totaling more than $5.00, whether incurred at LaGuardia or at any other CUNY school.
- Reserve books may be borrowed by LaGuardia students only. During intersession, patrons from other CUNY schools may, at the discretion of the Circulation staff, be allowed to borrow Reserve books.
- You can visit the CUNY Library, using your LaGuardia ID to check-out the book
- You can use the CLICS system to request the book using the CUNY+ catalog. For more on CLICS, visit library.laguardia.edu/services/clics
- Books will circulate for three days. Please take note that books may be due on weekend days. If not returned, fines will accrue.
- Books cannot be placed on hold.
- Books cannot be renewed.
- Books cannot be requested through other CUNY libraries.
- Books will be available on a first come, first served basis.
- Only students with a valid CUNY student ID will be able to check out textbooks.
Can I borrow a book?
Any person with a valid ID card from any unit of the City University of New York or Empire State College may borrow materials from the LaGuardia Community College Library.** LaGuardia IDs must bear validation for the current semester. IDs from other CUNY schools must indicate their currency in some way.
All IDs must have a library identification number or barcode number which has been registered into the CUNY+Plus database.
Patrons are responsible for the books borrowed with their IDs.
**Exceptions:Students and staff can borrow books for three-week loan, with one three-week renewal. Faculty: six-week loan, with one six-week renewal.
Patrons may borrow a maximum of five circulating books at a time. Patrons may borrow only one Reserve book or two Reserve articles at a time.
Can I do research from home? Yes! Most of our article collections can be accessed from home. When using them from off-campus, you'll be asked for a login. Your username is firstname.lastname and your default password consists of your date of birth (yymmdd) and the last 4 digits of your CUNY Student ID Number. For example: If your birthday is 04/16/1975 and the last four digits of your CUNY Student ID Number are 1234, then your password is 7504161234 (no spaces). This is the same information you use to access your student email.
Can I email the Library? Yes! The Library answers questions via email, usually within the less than 24 hours. To send an email, visit: library.laguardia.edu/ask.
Can I renew my book? Any patron may renew any circulating book once, provided that a hold has not been put on that book by another patron and provided that the book is not more than five days overdue. Renewal loan period is the same as initial loan period. Reserve books may not be renewed. You can renew through the CUNY+ catalog. Click the My Account button to log-in and renew your book.
Can I take out something from the Media Desk? Maybe. Audio-cassettes: Loan period is one week. Compact discs: do not circulate. Films and filmstrips: do not circulate. Laserdiscs: do not circulate. Slide sets: do not circulate. Sound recordings: Loan period is one week. Videorecordings: do not circulate. CD-ROMs accompanying books are kept in Media Services and may be used only in the Media Lab. All audio-visual materials may be viewed or listened to in the Media Lab on walk-in basis or by appointment and may be reserved by faculty for classroom use upon written request.
Can I take out things like government documents and reference books? Government publications: do not circulate. Indexes: do not circulate. Pamphlets: do not circulate. Periodicals: Newspapers and magazines on paper or microfilm do not circulate. Reference books: do not circulate.
Do I have to pay any fines? All patrons of the library are subject to fines for overdue, damaged, mutilated, or lost materials. Patrons with unpaid fines of over $5.00 will be blocked from borrowing materials at LaGuardia or at any other CUNY school. Students with unpaid fines of more than $5.00 will be blocked from re-registration, graduation, and receipt of transcripts.
Do you have CDs? Yes! You can search the Media department's music collection via the CUNY+ catalog.
Do you have videos here? Yes! You can search the Media department's video holdings via the CUNY+ catalog.
How can I find a book? You can find a book by clicking the Find books, videos, or CDs in the Library (CUNY+) link on our home page (">or by clicking here).
How can I find a print journal? All of our magazines and journals are arranged alphabetically by title. To see if we have something in our print collection, you can consult ">the CUNY+ catalog.
How can I find an article? You can find articles (and occasionally even certain books and book chapters) by clicking the Find articles & books online link on our home page. That will take you to our article collections, which are arranged by subject.
How can I get a book from another CUNY Library?
There are two ways to get a book from another CUNY Library:
How can I get into Blackboard? You can get into Blackboard through this link: www.lagcc.cuny.edu/blackboard. There are two separate Blackboards. One is for eportfolio classes. If you're not sure which one to use, ask your professor. If you need help with Blackboard, click here.
How can I have a Librarian help me with my research? Yes! The Library offers a reference consultation service where you can meet with a Librarian one-on-one. More information can be found here: library.laguardia.edu/ask. There is also a Librarian at the Reference Desk whenever the Library is open. If you need help starting your research or finding materials, you can always ask for help there.
How can I request an article? Students can request articles via Interlibrary Loan if they are members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. But if you can't find an article, stop by the Reference Desk. Many times, a Librarian can track down that article for you.
How many books can I check out? Patrons may borrow a maximum of five circulating books at a time. Patrons may borrow only one Reserve book or two Reserve articles at a time.
How much is it for an overdue book? Overdue fines for circulating books are calculated, by CUNY-wide policy, at the rate of $0.10 per day, seven days a week. Maximum overdue fine for a circulating book is $5.00. Overdue fines for Reserve books are calculated, by CUNY-wide policy, at the rate of $0.02 per minute, twenty-four hours per day. Maximum fine for a Reserve book is $100.00. Patrons with any overdue books will be blocked from borrowing materials at LaGuardia or at any other CUNY school. Students with any overdue book will be blocked from re-registration, graduation, and receipt of transcripts.
My professor put something on reserve. Where is it? All reserve books and articles can be found at the check-out desk. Those are for use in the Library. If your professor put something on electronic reserve, you can find it by clicking the Electronic Reserves link on our home page (or by clicking here: lagcc.docutek.com. Electronic reserves can be accessed from any Internet connection.
The book I need is checked out! Can I place a hold on it? Any patron can put a Hold on a circulating book that is currently charged out to any other patron. Holds cannot be placed on Reserve books. A book upon which a Hold has been placed cannot be renewed by the original patron. The Library will not recall any requested book, except an overdue book or a book which has already been renewed by a faculty member. When the book is returned, you'll be emailed. The book will be held at the Circulation Desk for 7 days after the email is sent.
There’s a book I need at another CUNY library. Can I request it? Yes! You can do that through CUNY+. Directions can be found here: http://library.laguardia.edu/services/clics/
What if I accidentally damage a book? Patron must pay accumulated overdue fine, if any, to the date damage was reported; cost of the damage not to exceed replacement cost; and processing fee of $10.00.
What if I lose a book? Patron must pay accumulated overdue fine, if any, to the date item was reported lost; current list price of the item as given in Books in Print; and processing fee of $10.00. Default replacement value of out-of-print books is $35.00. If a patron replaces a lost book with new copy of the same book, the Library will waive the processing fee. In the event that materials paid for as lost are later found or returned, the Circulation Department will authorize a refund of the replacement fee and the processing fee, less any overdue fines incurred. Refund will be made by the Business Office upon receipt of Library authorization and sent to the patron by mail. This process usually takes 6-8 weeks.
What if I’m caught defacing a book (deliberate removal of specific pages, chapters, etc.)? Patron must pay replacement cost of the item, $10 mutilation fee and processing fee of $10.00.
What is the Reserve collection? The Reserve collection includes books, articles, periodical issues, and sample exams which teaching faculty have requested to be kept for short-term use by their students. The Library also attempts to keep on Reserve as many course textbooks and required reading materials as possible, whether requested by teaching faculty or not. The collection is weeded every semester. These Reserve materials may be borrowed by LaGuardia students only, one book or two articles at a time, for a maximum of two hours, for use in the library only. Patrons from other CUNY schools may borrow Reserve materials only during intersession, at the discretion of Circulation staff. Check-out and return of materials is carried out through CUNY+Plus in the same fashion as other circulating materials. The system calculates overdue fines for Reserve materials at the CUNY-wide rate of $.02 per minute ($1.20 per hour), to a maximum of $100.00 per item. The Reserve collection also includes some current materials needed by faculty to support various LaGuardia activities (e.g., proceedings of the Curriculum Committee, documentation regarding Middle States accreditation, materials for the Task Force on Pluralism, etc.). These materials are not cataloged in CUNY+ and are generally for use in the library only. At the discretion of Circulation staff, they may be borrowed for short-term use outside the library.
What is three-day reserve loan?
It is important that you bring the Reserve textbooks back on time so that other students can use them. In order to maximize the availability of textbooks for students, the Library has developed the following policies:
Additionally, fines for reserve items are much steeper and accrue more quickly than normal fines. Any items not returned on time will accrue fines at the rate of $1.20/hr., up to $100.00 dollars. Books will be billed for replacement after 7 days overdue, resulting in a suspension of a student's Library record, and a registration block.
If you have any questions about this program, please contact the Library's Circulation desk, (718) 482-5426.
When are my books due back? Circulating Books (including Browsing Collection): Students and staff: three-week loan, with one three-week renewal. Faculty: six-week loan, with one six-week renewal. A book accompanied by a CD has the same loan period as the book without a CD. All books are due back at the end of semester. Reserve Books: All patrons: two-hour loan, with no renewal. Reserve books can be used only within the library.
Where can I find Internet access around the College? There are computers with Internet access (as well as Word) in the lab in the Library. There are also computer labs around campus. Here is the lab schedule: web.laguardia.edu/ismds/clabs.aspx. If you have a laptop, the College also has a wireless network you can access. Your wireless network username is firstname.lastname and your default password consists of your date of birth (yymmdd) and the last 4 digits of your CUNY Student ID Number. For example: If your birthday is 04/16/1975 and the last four digits of your CUNY Student ID Number are 1234, then your password is 7504161234 (no spaces). This is the same information you use to access your student email.
Where is my text book? We have copies of most text books on reserve at the checkout desk. To use a reserve text book, just ask for it by title at the checkout desk. Reserve books can be used for two hours at a time within the Library. If you want to purchase your text books, visit the bookstore.