Frequently Asked Questions

Masks are required in the Library for all patrons and library staff. This is in keeping with CDC guidelines and Purchase College policy, which states masks are required indoors campus-wide, regardless of vaccination status, while the campus is in a COVID “Orange Zone” (i.e. high transmission area).

See the Library’s mask and social distancing policy for full details.

Direct link to this FAQ on masks.

The Library’s current hours are available on the Hours page.
Direct link to this FAQ on hours.

As a Purchase College student or employee, you are eligible for a Westchester Library System card (public library card). A WLS card allows you to borrow materials and access electronic resources including Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning), Overdrive (ebooks), kanopy (movies), Hoopla (ebooks, movies, music), audiobooks, and more!

If you are a Westchester resident, you will need to apply through your hometown library to obtain a card.

If you are not a resident of Westchester County, but you are a member of the Purchase College community, you can apply online through Harrison Public Library or Purchase Free Library. Both libraries are in the Town of Harrison and both serve our school as crucial partners. The online application takes minutes and you will generally have your card in 1-2 days. If you have any issues with the online application process, please email us and we will contact the Purchase Free Library for backup.

See this FAQ for full WLS card signup details.

For policy details and complete directions on how to place library materials on physical reserve, please see Course Reserves.

Direct link to this FAQ on Reserves.

Yes, there is WiFi (wireless internet) in the Library that both guests and Purchase affiliates can use. Both are managed by CTS.   There are two WiFi networks with the following names:

Please see our Wi-Fi Heat Map for coverage areas in different buildings.

PurchaseWiFi:  Students, faculty, and staff should choose the “PurchaseWiFi” network. The username is your Purchase email username (firstname.lastname WITHOUT the @purchase.edu) and the password is your Purchase email password.  You should only have to enter your username and password once to have access.

PurchaseGuest: Guests and visitors to campus should choose the “PurchaseGuest” network.  The password changes at least twice a year.  You can ask a library employee at the Circulation or Reference desks for the current password or view the Guest Wifi page.

Note that PurchaseGuest network is limited; it enables you to view webpages and use most apps, but not to use high-bandwidth services like Skype, video streaming, etc. On mobile devices, the guest network may also prevent off-campus email accounts from refreshing (such as Gmail or the Mac OS mail app). To get around this, access your email via a web browser, rather than an app or mail client.

For more info, see the Connecting to Wireless Page.

As a faculty member, you are encouraged to link directly to the Library’s subscription databases and online journals, just as you would link to any website or resource on the Internet, from within your Moodle course pages. This is a best practice for a number of reasons. 

• Accessibility. Many databases offer text-to-speech options and provide stable, searchable, and accessible PDFs 
• Ensures compliance with copyright
• Builds research skills by familiarizing students with various databases and interfaces
• Allows students to take advantage of value-added features such as citation generator, exporting to citation managers, and availability of various file formats.

In order to make resources from the Library’s subscription databases and online journals available to students who may be accessing Moodle from off-campus (remote user access), you must include the EZProxy prefix code in the item’s URL.

The EZProxy prefix code is: http://ezproxy.purchase.edu:2048/login?url=

This bit of code must be placed before the rest of the article’s URL in order to make it available from off-campus. This can be done by following a few simple steps:

• locate the desired article in our online databases / journals
• look for the document’s persistent or durable URL, within the context of the item, not in the browser address bar
• When using ProQuest Direct, for example, click on “Copy Link” to copy the article’s durable URL and then add the EZProxy prefix code before the rest of the URL
• Copy and paste the EZProxy code into the URL field when adding a new resource “link to a file or website” in Moodle
• Copy and past the article’s URL so that it appears after the EZProxy code

Example:  http://ezproxy.purchase.edu:2048/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1625264641&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=10792&RQT=309&VName=PQD

To Display a link on the front page of your Moodle course:

• Make sure that editing is turned on, click the ‘Turn editing on’ button on the upper right side
• In the section where you want the file to show up, click on the Resources pull-down menu and select the ‘URL’ option
• Enter into the Name field the text you want to use to describe the link on the front page of your course
• You must enter a description of the link in the Description area
• Under the “Content” heading, paste in the item’s External URL. Remember to include the EZProxy prefix code if the item is from the Library’s subscription resources
• Click the ‘Save and return to course’ button

Remote users will be prompted for Database User Authentication and will login using their username (firstname.lastname - do not include @purchase.edu) and Purchase email password.

Direct link to this FAQ on ezproxy.

Please visit our computer lab resources page for more information on computers, software, and printers in the campus Library labs.

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Detailed directions for manually adding a course librarian, learning assistant, co-teacher, etc. are available at the TLTC’s Moodle Basics help guide > Adding Users.

Link to this FAQ: How do I add a course librarian to my Moodle course?

All Library fines are paid through Student Accounts. Go to My Heliotrope for further information on paying your bill. The Library no longer accepts payments of any kind at the Library service desks.    

If you have any questions about fines, please speak to a Circulation Supervisor, either in person or by calling (914) 251-6401. 

If you have graduated or no longer have a current More Card, and need to pay an outstanding fine, contact Marsia Riley either by email marsia.riley@purchase.edu or phone (914) 251-6403.

Direct link to this FAQ on paying fines. 

Current Purchase College students, faculty, and staff who present a valid Purchase College ID card may borrow library materials according to the loan periods specified on the Borrowing & Renewing page.

Due to system limitations and the COVID situation, the following affiliations will not be able to borrow books and materials:

• Friends of the Library
• Manhattanville College students and faculty
• Students and faculty from SUNY institutions
• Faculty from WALDO (Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization) institutions

Guests, alumni, and community members not affiliated with the above institutions do not have borrowing privileges. Due to COVID, use of the Library’s on-site materials is also limited only to current Purchase ID cardholders; guests are not allowed to visit the Library.

Direct link to this FAQ on borrowing. 

The Interlibrary Loan Internet Accessible Database (ILLiad) is the resource sharing management software used to process all interlibrary requests at Purchase College. The ILLiad system allows users to place requests, track requests, check due dates, request renewals, and view interlibrary borrowing history.

Direct link to this FAQ on ILL.

The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center is located in the Purchase College Library, on the lower level.

Link to this FAQ about the TLTC.

No, you do not have to submit a paper copy of your Student Project (senior project, capstone paper, or master’s thesis) to the Library. All projects are submitted digitally via the Student Project Portal, a submission system within MyHeliotrope. (The process no longer takes place in Moodle). The Library does not require and will not accept paper copies of Student Projects.

Link to this FAQ on paper student projects.

Readers on Student Projects (senior projects, capstone papers, and master’s theses) can manage project invitations and move quickly between student project spaces in the new MyHeliotrope submission system.

The DVDs are on the First Floor next to the Reference Area. The Academic Film Collection is to the right of the Reference Desk. The Popular Film Collection begins after the Academic Collection and Blu-Rays and wraps around on the shelves to the left of the Reference Desk. More information about finding films and video at the Library.

Direct link to this FAQ on DVDs.

Yes! Vending machines with snacks, cold beverages, and coffee are located in the 2012 Lounge on the first floor.

Eating and drinking are allowed only in the 2012 Lounge. Please enjoy, but kindly clean up after yourself. If you experience problems or errors with the vending machines, please contact the Circulation Desk. Refunds are issued by the More Card office.

Direct link to this FAQ on vending machines.  

Please see the Special Collections & Archives page for more information.

Yes, the Library has a popular reading collection! You can browse fiction, nonfiction, leisure reading, and bestsellers on the popular reading shelves located on the first floor, to the right of the Reference Desk when you’re coming down the steps from the Library entrance. Books in the Popular Collection are shelved alphabetically by author’s last name.

You can search for specific books in the popular collection online using the Library Discovery Search . You can find graphic novels in the catalog as well or browse the graphic novel collection, located directly across from the popular reading shelves.

 Direct link to this FAQ on the popular reading collection.

Yes, the Library has graphic novels and comic books. They are located on the main floor, just beyond the Reference Desk. For more information is available at the Graphic Novels collection page.

Direct link to this FAQ on graphic novels. 

Turnitin is a plagiarism prevention tool that is available to all Purchase College students, staff, and faculty. You must be a current Purchase College community member to access our instance of Turnitin.

The Turnitin Self-Checker allows Purchase College students to check rough drafts of papers, essays, and assignments for originality and proper citation. You can use the Similarity Report generated by Turnitin to identify paraphrases or citations that need revision before your final draft is due.

The Turnitin Self-Checker is available to all Purchase College students, faculty, and staff (requires current Purchase College login) and is not connected to any particular course or assignment.

Please note: only current Purchase College students, staff, and faculty can access Purchase College’s Turnitin Self-Checker. You must have a current Moodle/email account to login. There is no Guest access available.

Login to Moodle to access the Turnitin Self-Checker and self-enroll into the space.

To upload a paper to the Turnitin Self-Checker, see the Student Submission directions at the Turnitin tab of the Moodle: Beyond Basics guide. 

Direct link to this FAQ: How do I use Turnitin to check my own drafts for originality?

Please see the Student Projects guide which includes information about submitting senior projects, capstone papers, and master’s theses. It covers setup of the Student Project Portal space, the research process, locating senior projects from past years, formatting the project, and final submission steps.

Direct link to this FAQ on student projects.