Top 5 Things You Should Know About the Library

cmlove

By: Elaina Mufareh 

This article was written by library student supervisor Elaina Mufareh. She is a junior at Loyola University of Maryland. Elaina is a biology major, chemistry minor and forensics minor. 

24-Hour Librarian Chat 

If you need help with a paper or project, there is a 24-hour librarian chat that you can get to by clicking the “Chat with a Librarian” button in the bottom right-hand corner of our website. Librarians are great people to help you find resources and articles as well as help you with any research questions. 

A screenshot of the Chat with a Librarian button on the Library's mobile site.
A screenshot of the Chat with a Librarian button on the Library website as seen on a mobile phone

Lockers 

We now have lockers located just inside the parking lot entrance. These lockers are for books that you request. If you want a book, you can place it on hold through our website and we will send you an email when it is ready and in the lockers for you to pick up. The email will contain the code for the locker containing your book. 

An Instagram post from the Library highlighting the remote pickup lockers.
An Instagram post from the Library showcasing the contactless pickup lockers.

Interlibrary Loan  

In addition to the books in our library, as well as other schools in the area that share our book collection (University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions, or USMAI) we offer a service called Interlibrary Loan (ILL). If there is a book or article that we or the other USMAI schools do not have, you can request it and we will try to find a library that can get it to you. You can do this by hitting the “Request” button at the top of our website and then hitting Interlibrary loan (ILL) to open the request form. Once we receive these books for you, they will be placed in the lockers. You will receive an email stating that your book is ready for pickup. If you request articles through ILL, they will come as PDFs, and you’ll get an email when they’re ready to be downloaded.  

The Interlibrary Loan workstation.
The Library’s Interlibrary Loan workstation.

Innovation Station 

Our Innovation Station contains 3D printers and scanners, a recording studio, a button maker, a laminator, a large format printer, a laser cutter, cameras, programming equipment, a sewing and embroidery machine, a Cricut Maker, a One Button Studio video recording setup, and a Virtual Reality classroom. If any of these interest you, please go to the top of our website to “Spaces & Technology” and click on “Innovation Station.” Please fill out the waiver and click on the machine or room you are interested in using to see if you need additional training. When you arrive, check in with someone at the help desk.  

The inside of the VR Classroom.
The Library’s VR Classroom.

Visiting the Library 

Due to COVID-19, the library is continuing some of our safety procedures. There is no food allowed in the library. Masks must be worn at all times, even in study rooms. When entering the library, everyone must swipe or tap their University ID. Loyola students, faculty, and staff must show their symptom tracker to the attendant. For the library building hours, see LNDL’s website.