Welcome Back to the Library!
The Library would like to officially welcome all Purchase College community members to campus!
Library staff have been hard at work this summer preparing for a great 2023-2024 academic year, and we are looking forward to bringing you all some exciting renovations and new resources.
New for Fall 2023
Here’s what you can look forward to this Fall at the Library. You can also stay up-to-date on Library news by checking the Library website and following SUNYPurchaseLib on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
New Library Director
Please join us in welcoming our new Library Director, Tony White. Tony joins us from Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University in Toronto, the largest and oldest art and design university in Canada, where he served as the University Librarian and Director of Library Services. Tony has also held leadership positions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Indiana University, Bloomington. Tony’s first day will be Sept. 7; please stop by and say hello!
New Popular Reading Books
Browse and check out our revamped “popular novels” collection on the first floor. Includes a selection of recently-published bestsellers, fiction, sci fi, mysteries, biographies, and popular nonfiction. Books can be checked out for 30-days and are intended for leisure reading / entertainment. Preview a list of titles on the Popular Collection guide.
DEIASJ Books
Thanks to a grant from SUNY via the Provost’s Office, Purchase College Library is building a collection of over 300 print and ebooks related to diversity, equity inclusion, antiracism, and social justice across a wide range of academic disciplines. DEIASJ principles inform nearly all Library acquisitions, but this dedicated money required a dedicated focus in these areas and added much needed titles to our collections.
Building Renovations
As a part of the Academic Bathroom Rehabilitation Project, the bathrooms on the main level near the 2012 Lounge are currently under renovation. The new bathrooms will be ADA compliant and address sustainability issues by bringing them up to today’s standards. They will also offer gender neutral options. During renovation, please use the restrooms on the first floor, north side (near the Music Collection) and on the lower level.
The Library’s exterior ramp was also renovated over the summer. The ramp is now open!
Services & Resources
Library staff are available to assist you in a variety of ways! Here’s a quick overview of our services:
Reference/Research Help
You can ask a librarian for help in-person at the service window on the first floor near the Director’s Office (room 1010H), or use our chat, text, and zoom virtual reference services! Zoom reference is also available by appointment. Email ask@purchase.libanswers.com to request a zoom research appointment.
Study Spaces
The Library has study zones for silent, quiet, and group study depending on your needs; we invite you to find your zone! Please respect the rules of each study zone and be mindful of your peers.
Viewing, Audio, and Group Study Rooms
The Library has special-use rooms for watching movies, studying in a group, and digital audio editing. Follow the links above to learn how to request these rooms.
Circulation
The Library’s dedicated circulation staff handles all borrowing/circulation services. To checkout any of the Library’s circulating materials, please bring your MORE Card to the circulation desk (yellow desk by the Library’s front entrance).
Course Reserves
Students, check Discovery Search to see what course materials are on reserve for your classes. Items on course reserves can be checked out for 3 hours and used inside the Library.
Faculty, please place reserves requests here.
Online Collections & Databases
We continue to bring you the databases, streaming films, and ebooks you need for your research, with both on-campus and off-campus access.
Interlibrary Loan
Request books, articles, films and other library materials from across SUNY as well as from a worldwide network of libraries through our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. ILL items are shipped to Purchase College Library for pick-up at the Circulation Desk; articles are sent electronically as PDFs. For estimated delivery times and instructions on placing ILL requests, see the Interlibrary Loan Guide.
Technology
Assistive Technology
Specialized hardware and software designed to help campus community members with visual, hearing, and/or learning disabilities is housed in the Library’s Assistive Technology Lab (1015C in the DMZ). Contact the Office of Disability Resources for help using this equipment and for a detailed list of available software and hardware.
General Technology Help
CTS Helpdesk technicians will be stationed within the Library in the Tech Assistance Office on the first floor (room 1002B) Monday -Friday 12:00pm - 4:00pm. You may also use the CTS Video Chat Help Support service for technology help via Zoom.
Computer Labs
The Reference Commons, Digital Media Zone (DMZ) Commons, and Labs 1004B, 1004C, and 1004D are open for all to use when there isn’t a class scheduled. The Library’s computer labs include both Macs and Windows PCs. For a list of available software, see the CTS Standard Software lists.
Printing
The Library has three brand-new printers! All computers in the Library are connected to black-and-white and color printers, all located in the Reference Commons computer area. To print, students use their Papercut printer points, managed by CTS.
Scanners and more
The Library’s three book scanners and microfilm reader are available to all on a first come, first served basis.
We can’t wait to see you in the Library this year!