Library Handbook
This guide tells briefly about services available at Vining Library. The library staff is available to assist you in location and use of print and online sources.
Voyager Online Catalog
Library Resources
Library Courtesy Guide
Floor Guide
Alphabetical Directory
Library Hours
Library Telephone Directory
Circulation
Reference Services
Interlibrary Loan Service
Fax Service
Special Collections
Government Documents
West Virginia Collection
Cataloging & Technical Services
Extended & Continuing Education, etc.
Gifts to Vining Library
Periodical Department
Newspapers
Periodical Indexes
Electronic Resources
Exchange Reading Program
Voyager Online Catalog
Enter terms in “Search For” box and choose title, author, subjects, etc from “Search By” box. Click search button (incorrect spelling will give unexpected results).
Assisted Search allows linking of up to three search concepts with two choice boxes. The “search for” selection box gives choices of any of these, all of these, or as a phrase. The search in box is set for a keyword anywhere defaults, but allows choice of title, author, subject and some advanced fields.
Please do not use the “Set Limits” options because the advanced settings are not necessary to find materials in this library. The instructions on the search page give helpful tips for typing in your search.
Library Resources
Highlights of available resources include the following:
- Over 140,000 volumes in Reference, Circulation and West Virginia collections arranged according the the Library of Congress Classification System
- Over 20,000 volumes in special microfiche collections
- Government Documents collection including books, periodicals, pamphlets, and microfiche
- Over 350 magazines and journals
- Student lab with 25 computers (individual accounts for the student lab must be established through the Mix system.)
- Copying machines on first and third floors, 10c per page.
- Tech Archives – picture files, yearbooks and other memorabilia, plus a set of regional oral history tapes.
- Wireless Internet Connectivity on all floors
Library Courtesy Guide
Library users are expected to show respect for the rights of others by keeping the library quiet for study and research, by returning all materials promptly and using equipment and materials with proper care. Please leave materials you have used on the table, on a designated shelving cart, or at the main circulation desk.
Information from reference materials, journals or magazines must be photocopied because Reference books and Periodicals cannot be checked out. Microfilm and microfiche must be read and copied on special machines.
All buildings on campus are smoke-free. If you must take a smoking break while using a computer, please save any information you need and log-off the system.
All books must be properly checked out at the Circulation Desk. Please be patient while we check your status and/or have to enter your patron information into the computer.
Floor Guide
First Floor: Circulation Desk, Reserve Materials, Library of Congress Classification Guide, Card Catalog (for older materials), Catalog Terminal, Student Scanner, Student Computer Lab, Reference Collection, West Virginia Collection, Current Periodicals (Journals & Magazines)
Mezzanine: WVU Tech Archives, Government Documents, Microfiche, Specialized Collections, Technical Services / Cataloging, Interlibrary Loan, Acquisitions
Second Floor: Open Book Stacks, LC Classification Guide, Study Rooms, Director’s Office, Victor C. Young Receiving Room, Catalog Terminal
Third Floor: Periodical Back Issues, Indexes, Database and Periodical Use Assistance, Extended & Continuing Education (formerly CIT)
Alphabetical Directory
Book Stacks: Second Floor
Cataloging (Technical Services): Mezzanine – Room M10
Card Catalog: First Floor
Extended Education (formerly CIT): Third Floor
Circulation Desk: First Floor
Computer Lab: First Floor
Copy Machines: First and Third Floors
Director’s Office, Second Floor: Rooms 201-203
Fax Machine, Mezzanine: Room M10
Government Documents: Mezzanine
Indexes: Third Floor
Interlibrary Loans, First Floor: Mezzanine, Room M10
Media Classroom: Third Floor (CIT)
Microfiche Collections, Mezzanine: Third Floor
Microfiche & Microfilm Readers/Copiers: Third Floor
Newspaper Back Files: Third Floor
Order Department: Mezzanine, Room M10
Periodicals – Back Issues: Third Floor
Periodicals – Current Issues: First Floor
Readers’ Services Office: First Floor
Reference Collection: First Floor
Reserve Materials – Textbooks, etc: First Floor
Study Rooms: Second Floor
Typewriters: First Floor
Victor C. Young Receiving Room: Second Floor
West Virginia Collection: First Floor
Library Hours
Fall and Spring Semester
Monday – Thursday: 8:00am – 9:00pm
Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: 12:30pm – 9:00pm
Summer School
Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Holiday schedules are posted at first and third floor entrances.
Library Telephone Directory
Acquisitions (Ordering): 304.442.3324
Cataloging: 304.442.3322
Circulation: 304.442.3230
Director’s Office: 304.442.3141
Interlibrary Loan: 304.442.3082
Periodicals: 304.442.3218
Readers Services: 304.442.3321, 304.442-3230
Reference: 304.442.3210, 304.442.3218
CIT: 304.442.3200
Circulation
First floor
Textbooks, faculty materials, etc have been moved from the Mezzanine to the first floor. Most reserved material is Library use only, although a few items may be on overnight reserve. Special arrangements can be made for textbook use for an open book test.
Borrowing Privileges
Students (Graduate and Undergraduate) must fill in New Patron form and have bar code attached to student ID
Faculty and Staff fill out a patron card to be kept at circulation desk with bar code attached.
Public Card: Anyone not currently connected to WVU Tech must pay a $5.00 fee for a patron bar code to be kept at circulation desk. Public card holder may check out one book at a time.
Loan Periods
Undergraduate, Staff and Public: Two weeks, with renewal allowed unless another patron has requested the book.
Faculty: May keep book for semester unless requested by another patron.
Overdues, Fines, Lost Books
Books returned after five day grace period: 5 cents per day fine
Lost book replacement charge: $50.00
Student records will be tagged for outstanding fines and/or lost books. Fines and/or replacement charges must be paid before registering for classes or requesting transcript.
Books may be returned through the book return slot to left of main library entrance when library is not open. If date due falls during a holiday period, an adjustment allowance will be made amount owed.
Magazines, Newspapers, Reference materials, Reserve materials, Microfiche, etc., may not be checked out.
Photocopy charge is 10 cents per page. Copying is allowed under fair use guidelines.
Persons without borrowing privileges are allowed to use materials in the building and/or make photocopies under fair use guidelines.
Electronic Detection System
The electronic detection system at main entrance and third floor exit assures proper checkout of materials. If the alarm goes off while a patron is leaving the building, a staff member on duty will request a search of book bags.
Reference Services
Personalized help on assignments and/or location and use for materials can be requested at the Circulation Desk on the first floor or the Periodicals Office on the third floor. Individual or group assistance is available in using our database services, government information (print and online) or various internet search services.
Interlibrary Loan Service
Books and/or articles not available in Vining Library may be obtained by filling out request forms available at Circulation Desk, Periodical Office, or from Interlibrary Loan link on our homepage. (There are separate forms for each type of material.) The information needed for each type of request is as follows:
Book: Author(s), Title, Publisher, Date of Publication, Source of information:
- Fees: $3.25 per book request, payable in advance
- Books may be requested online using the ILL Book Request form.
Article: Author(s) of Article, Title of Article, Journal Title, Vol., No., Pages, Date of Publication, Source of information (NOTE: Some popular magazines will not have volume and/or number.) –
- Fees: $0.15 per page for photocopies + $0.50 per request for postage, payable in advance.
- Articles may be requested online using the ILL Article Request form.
Interlibrary Loan requests are made first to in-state sources and a cooperative network. Many out-of-state libraries charge extra processing and/or copying fees in excess of our standard charge. You should indicate maximum amount willing to pay for each request.
Fax Services
The fax machine is in the Cataloging / Technical Services office on the Mezzanine. Charges for fax services are as follows:
To Send: $1.00 for first page, $0.50 each for extra pages – cover sheet free
To Receive: $.050 for first page, $0.25 each for extra pages
International fax service has an additional charge of $5.00 per message.
Special Collections
formerly Reserve Room (Mezzanine)
- Government Documents – See next section
- Some rare historical sets
- Microfiche Collections such as, Library of American Civilization, Library of English Literature, Books for College Libraries. (Microfiche Reader / Printer machine is on Third Floor)
- A small juvenile literature section
Government Documents
The library has been a participant in the federal depository program since 1985. Pamphlets, statistical serials, and microfiche are located in the Reserve Room. Many government publications found to be permanently useful are added to Reference or Circulation. Journals are in Periodicals on 3rd floor.
Government information is increasingly available on GPO or agency web sites. Cataloging records with web site information are linked through our online catalog. Assistance is provided in using federal information on the internet. Selection and retention of government materials will be based on electronic availability. Some publications easier to use in print will be retained in print as long as available in that format. Government information services are free, but printing/copying charges may apply.
West Virginia Collections
(first floor)
The collection contains books about West Virginia, official state publications, works by authors born in West Virginia or associated with the Mountain State, and WVU Tech masters program theses. There is a section of rare materials in addition to West Virginia Reference and West Virginia Circulation.
Cataloging & Technical Services
(mezzanine)
A specialized cataloging service called OCLC is used to download records to our local Voyager online catalog. Please be patient when we have to enter a temporary record for an older book to be checked out. There are several steps involved in preparing books to be added to our various collections.
Extended & Continuing Education, etc.
(formerly CIT, third floor)
The office on the on the south side of the Third Floor has several functions:
- Electronic Classroom – major campus facility for receiving distance learning classes.
- Assistance for students and faculty in preparing transparencies, posters, lamination, etc.
Gifts to the Library
Monetary gifts and book donations are an essential aspect of collection improvement. The technical nature of the programs offered at WVU Tech present an extreme challenge to the library budget of a small institution. While our greatest needs are in the various curriculum areas, recreational reading is also important for development of lifelong learning.
Monetary Gifts: We strongly encourage financial giving earmarked for the library through the Tech Foundation.
Book Donations: Hardbacks in good condition are most welcome. Curriculum related materials should be no more than 5 to 10 years old. Mass market paperbacks are usually not worth entering into the cataloging system. Donors must provide an author-title list with name of publisher and date. Gift plates will be placed in front of all books unless the gift is anonymous.
U.S. tax laws do not allow the recipient of a gift to give a monetary value. Any valuation for itemized deduction purposes must be made by the donor or an outside appraiser.
Periodicals Department
The Periodical Department is located on the 3rd floor. The staff there can be helpful in locating material, offering basic reference assistance, as well as instructing in the use of the computers and microfilm readers.
At present we have 329 subscriptions from which we receive 472 titles. Of the 472 titles 233 are bound titles, 120 are microfilm titles, and 3 are currently received on microfiche. All other titles, which may be supplements, annuals and newsletters, are retained for a limited time of 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years. Excluded from the current subscription count are the 158 microfilm only titles that are received late on microfilm when funds are available.
Copies of the current four issues of most of the journals subscribed to by the library are located in the reading area on the main floor to the right of the front door. The journals are arranged in alphabetical order, so please return them to their proper location after use. Students cannot check out periodicals. Faculty may check out journals by signing a sheet located in the periodical office.
Back issues of all the journals are located on the third floor, either in bound volumes, on microfilm, microfiche, or as loose issues. Both bound volumes and microfilm are arranged on shelves alphabetically by the title.
Microfilm readers are located in the front along the wall on the third floor. The staff in the Periodical Office is available to assist with printing of microfilmed materials. Copying fees vary between machines (10 cents, 15 cents, 20cents).
Periodicals & Newspaper Directory
The Periodicals Department publishes a guide to the serial collection each year to assist with locating journals and newspapers. The Periodicals & Newspaper Directory serves as a comprehensive guide to the serial collection in print, microfilm, microfiche, CD-Rom format in the Vining Library. This guide lists all the titles alphabetically, along with the serial format, holding information, subject & indexing information. Copies of the Directory are located in several places on the main floor, second floor and the third floor.
Periodicals & Newspaper Directory
Also maintained on the 3rd floor are microfilmed newspaper collections. Consult the Periodicals Directory for holding information for newspapers that are on microfilm.
Currently the library receives 11 newspaper subscriptions that include 8 local or state papers and 4 national papers. Only 2 local/state papers are retained until microfilm is received. Of the national papers only 1 is retained until microfilm is received. All others are retained for a limited time. The latest issue of each newspaper is placed on the main floor.
Beckley Register Herald: 3 months
Charleston Daily Mail: 3 months
Charleston Gazette: Retained
Chicago Tribune: 3 months
Dominion Post: 3 months
Huntington Herald Dispatch: 3 months
Montgomery Herald: Retained
New York Times: 1 year
Wall Street Journal: 1 year
Periodical Indexes
Indexes to articles in journals are kept on the 3rd floor and in the Reference Department on the main floor. A research guide is available on the 3rd floor on the Index Table.
- America: History & Life
- Applied Science & Technology
- Business Periodicals Index
- CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature)
- Index to Dental Literature
- Education Index
- Engineering Index
- Humanities Index
- PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
- Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature
- Social Science Index
To determine if the library carries the periodical in question, please check the Periodicals & Newspaper Directory or ask one of the staff for assistance.
Electronic Resources
I
Ebscohost offers more than 1,500 journals in searchable full-text, over 1,000 full image journals, abstracting & indexing for nearly 3,800 journals. (See p. 14)
Comprehensive Full-Text Databases:
- Academic Search Elite provides full-text for nearly 1,700 academic, social science, humanities, general science & education journals from 1990-present; indexing & abstracting for over 2,700 journals from 1984-present.
- Business Source Elite provides full-text for nearly 1,090 business journals since 1990 with indexing to 1,590 journals from 1984-present.
- HealthSource: Consumer Edition provides information on many health topics that include the medical sciences, food sciences, nutrition, childcare, sports medicine and general health. And offers searchable full text for more than 190 journals, as well as abstracts and indexing for over 205 general health, nutrition and professional health care publications.
- Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition provides full-text for nearly 590 scholarly journals covering many medical disciplines. Also offers abstracts and indexing for more than 627 journals.
- ERIC (Educational Resource Information Center) provides citation & abstract information from over 980 educational journals; offers full-text to more than 2,200 digests.
- Serials Directory provides bibliographic information for over 178,000 periodicals.
- MEDLINE w/MeSH provides full access to the entire MEDLINE file from 1966-present; full-text from over 90 biomedical journals from 1990-present; uses the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) to search abstracts and citations.
- CINAHL is the major source for Nursing, Dental Hygiene & other Allied Health Fields
Exchange Reading Program
The library receives some paperback and hardback recreational reading materials which do not fit our regular collection. We are placing these books in the alcove next to the West Virginia Room on the first floor.
Students, faculty, staff and the general public may use the exchange books on the honor system. If you want to read one of the books from these shelves you must take the book you want and bring it back or replace it with another book. (The exchange books are not checked out at the circulation desk. They do not have security tags or Vining Library ownership markings.)
