By Yocelin Hernandez/reporter
Although each of TCC’s five campuses has a library, not all students know about their resources.
To check out materials from any of the campus libraries, one needs only a student ID or any government-issued identification along with a school schedule.
Giovanni Rebosio/The Collegian
To help with term papers, the libraries have many databases and large book catalogs, where students can gather information. Staff can help guide students through the process.
South student Elizabeth Garcia uses the library frequently.
“Whenever I have a big paper, I always do it at the library,” she said. “You can work alone or ask because the staff is very friendly and know what they’re talking about. Also, it’s just a good place to go if you have a hard time concentrating anywhere else.”
The majority of TCC’s libraries will print 10 free pages for students and staff per day. Additional copies are 5 to 10 cents each. Students just locate a computer, complete the assignment and give the computer’s number to the front desk worker.
South student Judith Barajas said she often goes to the library to print out an assignment before class.
“I don’t know how many times that’s happened to me,” she said. “But I always just rush to the library and get it done in time. It’s so easy because it’s right there.”
All TCC libraries contain basic resources, but each has its own unique features.
The Jenkins Garrett Library, the oldest of the five libraries, is located on South, the first TCC campus built. Director Linda Jenson said she likes that the entire library is made of glass.
“You can actually see outside,” she said. ”It is very pretty.”
The South library contains the largest popular reading collection of the TCC libraries located downstairs toward the front. The library also offers a selection of textbooks that students may check out at the circulation desk for two-hour onsite use. The staff also conducts classes on library usage and maintains 64 computers for student use.
Drake’s Study Break Café, located downstairs in the covered area toward the back, has lounge chairs, vending machines, magazines and three private study rooms.
Students can find other private study rooms in the quiet area outside the café. These rooms, usually for larger study groups, are available to students without an appointment. This area has become the library hot spot for South students like Lilia Campos.
“Our class is in the building next to the library, so we hang out there and eat our lunch without having to worry about the heat, wind or anything,” she said. “If we actually meet up to study, we always use the private study rooms. It’s perfect for either situation.”
Inside NW Campus’ Walsh Library, students can find the career and employment services office that has free access to MyPlan.com, which assists in career-finding based on personality and interests. MyPlan contains information on many career choices, majors and college transfers, library director Sandra McCurdy said.
The office staff also assists students in résumé development and practice interviews.
The Walsh Library has two private study rooms available on a walk-in basis and 108 desktop computers and 28 laptops for student use.
The SE library is equipped with 43 desktop computers. Director Jo Klemm recently prohibited Facebook on those computers because of student complaints. However, students can still access Facebook by checking out a laptop at the circulation desk. Unlimited printing is offered for 5 cents per page.
LibGuides, which supply students with more detailed information on the library and its resources, are available 24 hours a day online at libguides.tccd.edu. The staff and library also offer assistance with databases, Web sources and library collections, such as the Graphic Novels Collection, the Arlington History Collection and the Community Resources Collection.
Students are allowed to check out up to 10 items for up to three weeks. Reference books and magazines are not available for checkout, but students can make copies for a fee.
TCC’s libraries support the TexShare library card, which allows students to check out books at many universities including Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington and Texas Wesleyan University.
The J. Ardis Bell Library, the largest library in the TCC district, is on NE Campus. Director Mark Dolive said he is proud of its legal collections and the fact that people from all over the country come because of its large selection. The library also houses the Texas Heritage department and the legal archives.
Computers for students are in the main room of the library as well as the learning areas: 40 upstairs and 32 downstairs. Dolive said staff members have just started making DVDs that students can watch. In addition, aid is offered to the hearing-impaired, and the library uses a disability support system that allows students to enlarge print size, which is great for presentations, Dolive said.
The newest of the five, the TR Library is equipped with 170 computers in different locations for student use. That’s the largest number of computers out of the five campus libraries, director Carol Everhart said.
It contains many academic and recreational books as well as non-print material. This library has many individual collections in various subjects including nursing, online health, children development and sign language. TR librarians offer a course in Information Literacy, which Everhart advises all incoming students to take.
The TR Library also is technology-savvy, Everhart said. It supports e-technology such as the Nook reader program and a few others. The library’s study area consists of 10 study rooms that students can use on a walk-in basis.
Aside from the physical libraries, students have access to many online resources as well. The TCC homepage supplies information on all five campus libraries and a database students can use when searching for articles needed for homework and projects.
The website also includes a catalog for finding books by title, author or subject. The website has added a streaming video search engine for students who need visual or film context on a subject. The search engine provides high-quality streaming videos.
