On This Page

In light of the most recent Smith COVID-19 news, the Libraries have transitioned to offering services online and remotely. Please send any questions you may have to libraryhelp@smith.edu.

Libraries & Hours

Library buildings are closed for the remainder of the semester. See below for online and remotely offered library services.

Everyone, including Non-Smith borrowers, can return library items by using the book drop outside of the Young Library (outside the entrance to Bass Hall).

Books

 Smith and Five College books, DVDs, and other physical items in our collections are not available at this time due to library building closures.

Smith Books:

• All students can bring books borrowed from Smith College home with them for the term. (These books have Smith labels).
• Seniors must return books by Friday, May 15. The Libraries are determining a way for students to send back books postage-free.
• Faculty, staff, first year students, sophomores, and juniors, loan periods are extended through mid-September.
• Library items that are returned late by Smith community members will not be charged any fees.
• Recalls of books from all Five Colleges will be discontinued.
• Many different eBook collections are available. Details are available on the Find Books LibGuide.

Books From the Other Four Colleges:

• Students can take books with them that are borrowed from the four colleges (Mt. Holyoke, Amherst, Hampshire, and UMass).
• Please either renew these online or return them through the mail to Smith Libraries by the due date. Information on how to return books for free will be sent to you soon.

Requesting Books from the Annex: Books from the annex are unavailable at this time.

Interlibrary Loan: Before you leave campus please return Interlibrary Loan books (they have a colored paper band around the cover). They can be returned in book drops. Interlibrary Loan will not be providing borrowing or lending services for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

Access to eResources

All library eResources are available from off-campus. Use the links on the Libraries website and enter your Smith username and password when prompted. Please see our FAQs for more information. If you have trouble accessing a particular e-resource remotely, please report the issue to Ask Us so that we can fix it for you and other library users.

Here is a brief list of good places to start:

• Spring 2020 Class Guides - Lists of resources for individual courses
• Subject Guides - Lists of resources for academic disciplines as well as guides for finding resources by type (articles, books, images, video, and more)
• Library Databases - Alphabetical listing of Smith subscribed databases for research. Can be filtered by subject and resource type.
• Find Books - Where to search for ebooks.
• Find Articles
  • To access articles not available through Smith or the Five Colleges online, please fill out an Interlibrary Loan request. If the library is able to find your requested material, you will receive a digitized copy as a PDF.
• Journal Locator - Search for specific eJournals online
• Find Primary Sources – Includes e-resources for finding primary source materials
• Find News and Newspapers – Databases for connecting to online newspapers and other news sources.
• Resources for Remote Teaching & Learning - A guide that both students and faculty can use

Research Help

Ask questions and get help from a research librarian:

• Ask Us - Submit a question at any time. Library staff members monitor and reply to messages between 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
• Meet With Us - Schedule a virtual meeting with a research librarian.
• Special Collections - Submit all questions and requests to specialcollections@smith.edu. Reference inquiries that require materials investigation will be held in order of when they were received and responded to once the campus is opened. Digitization services are not available at this time.

Course Reserves

The print reserves program is suspended for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. E-reserves are still available via Moodle. If you’re unfamiliar with how reserves work on Moodle, get in touch and we’ll walk you through it. Library staff are working with faculty to purchase eBook versions of Course Reserves. Faculty may request that online resources be added to Moodle using our new online Reserves Request form.

Special Collections

Special Collections is offering services online and remotely. Minimal reference services will be managed remotely by staff. Smith course support is the primary responsibility at this time; all other services will be limited and delayed.

Reference inquiries that require materials investigation will be held in order of when they were received and responded to once the campus is opened. Digitization services are not available at this time.

Please submit all questions and requests to specialcollections@smith.edu.

For Faculty

Course Materials

• To request the purchase of online materials, including eBook copies of print materials you currently use with students, use the Book Request Form. Many titles are available from publishers in eBook form with unlimited simultaneous users, meaning multiple students can read them at the same time.
• To request scanning of print materials to be added as an accessible PDF on Moodle, or to request that online resources (articles and more) be added as an URL link on Moodle, use the new Course Reserves request form. If you’re unfamiliar with how reserves work on Moodle, get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.
• When requests are submitted for purchase, the Libraries will prioritize e-books over print materials.
• Librarians are available to support Faculty with selecting alternative course materials. Please be in touch with your departmental library liaison or send your questions to: libraryhelp@smith.edu.

Online Teaching Help & Workshops

• The Libraries are offering multiple "Finding Online Materials for Your Course with the Libraries" workshops; sign up here. Please see the accompanying Resources for Remote Teaching & Learning LibGuide.
• ITS is providing COVID-19 Digital Support for faculty.
• Research librarians, special collections curators and archivists, and Spatial Analysis Lab staff are available to provide subject-specific workshops remotely for your courses. Submit inquiries through Ask Us.

Research Librarian Consultations

• Schedule an appointment to meet via Zoom or by phone with research librarians.
• Use Ask Us to submit questions, or send email to libraryhelp@smith.edu.
• Find your Library Liaison 

Special Collections Research and Course Support

Special Collections course support requests should be directed to the relevant collection steward:

• College Archives: Nanci Young, nyoung@smith.edu
• Mortimer Rare Book Collection: Shannon Supple, ssupple@smith.edu
• Sophia Smith Collection of women’s history: Maureen Callahan, mcallahan@smith.edu 

Smith student and faculty digitization needs will be prioritized over other reference requests. Please submit all research inquiries to specialcollections@smith.edu.