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The CUA
Libraries: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ...
- Have a question that's not listed?
- Send your questions, comments or suggestions via the online form at
[http://libraries.cua.edu/form/contact.cfm]. For questions regarding
research in a particular area, see our list
of subject librarians at
[http://libraries.cua.edu/about/subjlibs.html].
Use of the Libraries
- How do I find the CUA Library?
- The main library for CUA is Mullen Library, located on the
Catholic University of America campus between the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception and the Brookland-CUA Metro stop.
There are also 4 libraries on campus in the University Libraries
system, with special collections in Engineering/Architecture/Math,
Music, Nursing/Biology, and Physics.
See http://libraries.cua.edu/about/collecs.html
for their locations.
The CUA School of Law maintains its own library.
The street address for the CUA campus is 620 Michigan Avenue,
Northeast, Washington, DC 20064.
How do I use the libraries?- The CUA Libraries are open to the public for research. All
patrons must show a photo ID to the guard at the front door, and those
not affiliated with CUA or one of the WRLC schools must sign in.
Members of the CUA community can see more about their borrowing
privileges at http://libraries.cua.edu/access/circpriv.html.
How do CUA alumni use the libraries?- CUA alumni are entitled to special
borrower status once they have obtained an Alumni Association Card
from the CUA Office of Alumni Affairs.
- Alumni may borrow circulating material from the CUA
Libraries for a three-week loan period. Alumni do not have borrowing
privileges at the other WRLC schools or remote access to the ALADIN
article databases.
-
How do I find the libraries' hours?
How do I know if the libraries will be open on an upcoming holiday?
- See the Mullen Library
hours at [http://libraries.cua.edu/about/mulhours.html], or call
(202)319-5077. Campus Library hours
are available at [http://libraries.cua.edu/about/camhours.html]. The
libraries are open regular hours for any holiday not listed on those
pages.
- How do I find the study areas in Mullen Library?
- Study spaces are located throughout the first, second and third floors of Mullen. Group study
areas are found in two locations on the second floor. Room 216 is at the north end of the Main
Reading Room. To locate Room 219A turn right after entering the second floor hallway, go to the
end of the hall and turn right again. It is located at the end of the hall on the left.
- How do I find out what services are available for patrons with disabilities?
- For information on research assistance and computer software available for patrons with specials needs or disabilities please see Services for Patrons with Disabilities.
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Circulation and Library Account
- How do I tell which books I have
checked out?
How do I tell if there are fines on my account?
How do I renew my books online?
- For information about your library record, including the
books you have checked out, a listing of fines on your account, and the
ability to renew your books online, go to ALADIN at http://www.aladin.wrlc.org.
Click on myALADIN in the blue bar at the top of
the page.
How do I contact someone about overdue
books or other questions about my library account?- For questions about your library record, contact
Access Services at (202) 319-5060.
How do I update or change my email preference in MyALADIN?- 1) Log into MyALADIN
2) Under the Welcome greeting is your current email address, click "Edit"
3) Under user profile is your current email address, click "Edit Emai"
4) Enter new email address and click "Update Email"
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Photocopying
Several self-service copy machines are available in Mullen Library and most of our campus libraries. All of them require
a copy card or Cardinal Card to make copies. Please see the following for the common questions and answers.
-
How do I buy a copy card?
- Current students, staff and faculty do not need to buy separate copy cards. Because the copy machines work off Cardinal Cash, you can simply add value to your Cardinal Card AKA your ID. You may add to your Cardinal Cash account using a credit card online or using cash at one of our two add-value stations. Our add-value stations are located on the second floor of Mullen Library and in our Music Library in Ward Hall. Our add-value stations only accept ones, fives, tens and twenties.
Visiting researchers may purchase copy cards at our add-value
stations. Blank cards cost $.50, and you must be sure to re-insert
your blank card into the add-value station to claim your remaining
value.
- How do I locate the library copy machines?
- Self-service copy machines are located in Mullen Library, the Nursing/Biology Library, the Engineering/Architecture Library, and the Music Library. In Mullen Library, machines are available on the first, second, and third floors.
- How much does it cost to make
copies?
- The charge is $.10 per copy.
- How do I get change to buy a
copy card?
- You must bring appropriate change with you. The card
dispensers only accept dollar bills (i.e. ones, fives, tens, and twenties).
- How do I make copies without a copy
card?
- A copy card or Cardinal Card is required to use the copy machines.
- What kinds of copying can I do?
- The self-service machines produce single- and double-sided,
black-and-white copies, size 8.5” x 11”.
- How do I ask for help with the
copy
machines?
- For questions about toner, paper, paper jams, and any
mechanical difficulties with the copy machines on the first and second floors, visit the reference librarian at the
Information Desk (x5070) in the lobby of Mullen Library. If the copier on the third floor is experiencing difficulties
please notify the librarian in the Religious Studies Library. In the campus
libraries, ask an available staff member.
- How do I do bulk copying and
color copying?
- Bulk, color, and special copying, including binding, can be
arranged by calling services such as:
Kinko’s Capitol Hill
715 D Street, SE (on D between 7th and 8th)
Washington, DC 20003-2153
(202)547-0421
usa1810@kinkos.com
Copy General Corporation
2000 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202)547-0421
lstreet@copygeneral.com
or
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202)944-5488
marketsquare@copygeneral.com
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Computer Hardware and Software
- How do I print?
- Printers are located in Mullen and each of the Campus Libraries.
There is no fee for printing.
Mullen Library has printers in several locations. On the first floor there is a printer at the Information
Desk and in the MERIC Lab (Room 116). On the second floor there is a printer in the hallway outside
of the Main Reading Room. On the third floor there are two printers in the Theology/Philosophy/Cannon Law
Library (Rooms 314 and 316).
- How do I locate the computers?
- Mullen Library and each of the Campus Libraries have computer
workstations available for research.
Within Mullen computers that may be used for research are located on the first, second and third floors.
There are a number of Macintosh stations in the lobby on the first floor. There is also a PC lab on the
south end of the first floor in the MERIC Lab. The second floor has several PC computers in the hallway
outside of the Main Reading Room.
CUA students, staff and faculty may check out wireless laptops to be used within Mullen Library from the
Circulation Desk on the first floor. These computers have word processing software. For more information
about the wireless network please see Mullen Wireless.
- What software is available on the libraries' computers?
- The desktop computers located throughout the library are for research purposes only. Therefore they only
have internet browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari) on them to permit access to the internet and the online
catalog.
The wireless laptops may be used for word processing as well as research. Programs loaded on the
laptops include: Microsoft Office Suite 2000 (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Frontpage), internet browsers
(Firefox, Internet Explorer), WinDVD for watching DVDs, and Trillian for chat.
Mullen Library also makes available several reading and writing technologies, which enhance access to
information for students with disabilities and also help students with visual impairments type and edit
their own documents. For more information please see Assistive Technologies.
- How do I use the wireless network?
- CUA students, staff and faculty may check out wireless laptops to be used within Mullen Library from the
Circulation Desk on the first floor. You may also bring a personal laptop to Mullen Library and use
the network for research and internet access. More information is located at Mullen
Wireless.
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Research Help and Guides
- How do I speak to a librarian?
- For questions about using the library or help with your
research, call Reference & Instructional Services at (202)
319-5070.
How do I contact the librarian with
responsibility for my subject? - See our list of subject
librarians at [http://libraries.cua.edu/about/subjlibs.html]. You can
contact these librarians by phone or e-mail for assistance.
For a complete list of library staff, see the staff directory at
[http://libraries.cua.edu/about/staffdir.html].
- How do I learn to use the
library?
- You can sign up for an individual or group workshop, and
learn more about our Library Research
Consultations and Workshops at
[http://libraries.cua.edu/instruct/instruct.html].
How do I use ALADIN? - There is a list of Guides to using
the ALADIN Databases at
[http://libraries.cua.edu/instruct/instruct.html#guides]
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- What is ALADIN?
- ALADIN is the online system for the Washington Research
Library Consortium. It includes the online catalog for the WRLC member
libraries, article databases, course reserves, image collections,
and Internet resources. ALADIN is available at http://www.aladin.wrlc.org
The WRLC Libraries Catalog is accessible to the general public
without going through patron validation. CUA students, faculty, and
staff can access article databases from off campus by
logging in with their library barcode or university ID number. For more
information, see Connecting to the ALADIN
Databases at [http://libraries.cua.edu/instruct/aladconx.html]
How do I find books on my topic?
- To find information about resources owned by CUA and the
other WRLC member libraries, check the WRLC Libraries Catalog
in ALADIN. To find books on a
particular topic, try a Keyword search. If you are searching for a
particular book or journal title, you can search by Title, Author, or
Journal Title.
For more information on the ALADIN databases,
see [http://guides.lib.cua.edu]
How do I find journal articles
on my topic?- To find more information about individual journal articles
on your subject, try one of the Article and e-Journal Databases in ALADIN. These databases cover
the major periodicals in their subject areas, so you can see what has
been published. You may still need to search the WRLC Libraries
Catalog to find out where you can get a copy of a particular
journal.
For more information on the ALADIN databases,
see [http://guides.lib.cua.edu]
How do I find course reserves
or electronic reserves?- Please see our page on Finding
Course Reserves for help using the Course Reserve search in the
WRLC Libraries Catalog, and the Blackboard system for electronic reserve.
- How do I locate a book with the call
number that I found from the ALADIN catalog?
- First look at the catalog record for the location of the book. This will indicate whether the book is located
at a campus library or in a collection at Mullen Library. If the location is Mullen Library Stacks
use the call number to consult the stacks map and find the
room that the book is in.
- How do I get a copy of a
dissertation written at CUA?
- Dissertations circulate to CUA borrowers with valid,
updated library privileges, including students from other WRLC schools.
Locations and call numbers for dissertations and masters theses can be
found in the WRLC Libraries Catalog in ALADIN.
Patrons may also access electronic copies of dissertations dated after
1996 through Dissertation
Abstracts International, a database in ALADIN searchable by title,
author, school, area of study, and more. The "Free Download" button in
a dissertation record indicates its electronic availability.
We do not lend CUA dissertations dated 1962 or later through Interlibrary
Loan or copy them. These dissertations are available for purchase
through University Microfilms International (UMI), at http://www.umi.com.
Dissertations dated before 1962 may be copied or borrowed through Interlibrary Loan
by persons not affiliated with CUA or the WRLC. Contact your local
public, academic, or business library for details.
- How do I find the videos in the CUA libraries?
- In the ALADIN catalog you can search for the title of any video as if it were a book.
You may also browse a list of all the videos held by
The CUA Libraries. In the ALADIN catalog, type video?
in the search box, choose "keyword", limit the location to Catholic, and click
"Search". The catalog should retrieve all videos (DVD or VHS) located in any
CUA campus library, and will indicate either CU: Central Reserve: Two Hour or CU: Central
Reserve Audiovisual (both at the Mullen Circulation Desk), or will specify another campus
library location. You may want to combine the word video? with other search terms
(director, actor, topic, etc.) to create a shorter list (for example "john wayne" video? to find films starring or about the actor).
- How do I access the databases if I'm not on campus?
- Anyone may use the WRLC Libraries Catalog. Patron
validation is not required to use the catalog.
To use the article databases, go to
ALADIN and enter your university ID number or library
user barcode in the blank marked Patron ID, then press return. You should see the list
of article databases appear on your screen.
If you see a new screen saying "patron
validation failed," try retyping your information to make sure the problem was not just a
typographical error. If you are sure this message is in error, contact the
Access Services office.
If you do not have current,
valid borrowing privileges, you may visit the CUA Libraries and use our resources on-site.
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