Frequently Asked Questions

Book loan periods:
MSMU Books: 1 semester + 1 semester renewal
Bestsellers, Graphic Novels, Doheny Maker Collection: 4 weeks + 1 renewal

Print Periodical (journals, magazines, etc.) loan periods:
Coe-Chalon Newer: 2 Hours
Coe-Chalon Older: 1 semester + 1 semester renewal
McCarthy-Doheny: 1 semester + 1 semester renewal

Please return items promptly. If you are not sure when your books are due and/or you need to extend the loan period, contact circdesk@msmu.edu or visit My Library Account to review your options.

MSMU Items:
Maximum of 200 items at a time

Getting a book from the other campus:

1. Sign in to My Library Account.
2. Click on the New Search button.
3. Search for books by author, subject, title, etc. or create an advanced keyword search including limits to material type, language, publication year, etc.
4. Under Availability, apply the Physical Items Held by MSMU filter.
5. Click on the title of the book that you want.
6. Note that if the book's status says, "On loan until MM/DD/YYYY," there will be a delay before the book arrives.
7. Under Get It, click the Request button.
8. Choose a Pick-Up Location and a “Not needed after” date. Then, click Send Request.
9. When the book arrives at its destination, you should receive an email.
10. It takes approximately 2-3 days to send books between campuses, so please plan accordingly!

Use the following MSMU interlibrary loan (ILL) services free of charge:

Find Books: From Other Libraries

Traditional ILL (WorldCat) FAQ

All required textbooks for all Nursing and Physical Therapy courses are available at Reserves at the Circulation Desk at each library.

The libraries may have other textbooks on reserve if your professor/instructor has requested them to be placed on Reserve.

Check Course Reserves to see if the library has your course materials.

Also, visit the Textbooks page to search for textbooks to borrow from other non-MSMU libraries.

We do not charge late fees for most materials. The only exceptions are Reserve materials which do accrue late fees. However if the materials are never returned or lost, a lost fee is charged.

MSMU Reserves Materials Fines
$2 per hour, $2 per day, or $2 per week depending on the loan length

MSMU Lost Materials Fees
$35 per item (or the cost of the item if the value is more than $35)
Replacement copies are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

ILL Material Fees
Varies depending on the lending institution.

See the fines table in "Loan Periods and Fines" for more information.

1. We may have a copy at the other campus - request it through My Library Account.
2. Then, try Rapido (coming Fall 2024) Search this larger consortial catalog and receive it in a few days.
3. Still can't find it? Try WorldCat - request it with an ILL Materials Request form.
4. Can't find it anywhere? Use our Suggest a Purchase form and we will try to track it down for you.

If you find an article that does not link to full-text immediately, don't worry, we can order it for you free of charge.  Just fill out an Article Request (Document Delivery) form, and your article will be emailed to you, usually within a couple of days.

You can read it the browser, or if you choose, you can download it. Different eBook collections may require that you create an account (EBSCO and ProQuest) and then download Adobe Digital Editions (free). For more on eBooks visit this eBook research guide or Ask Us!

McCarthy Library - Doheny: as you enter the building, the circulation desk is on the left.

Coe Library - Chalon: as you enter the library on the main floor (3rd floor), the circulation desk is located to the left, past the stairwell.

This is where you can request Course Reserves materials, borrow books and periodicals found in the stacks, return checked-out books, update library accounts, or pay lost item fees.

View library maps here.

Please visit Jobs at the Libraries to see if the libraries are hiring. Hiring in the libraries typically occurs before or at the beginning of each semester.

Gift Books

Gift books are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Please call or email before dropping off gift books. Please also review our gift policy or contact Cheryl Ocampo, Associate Director of Collections, cocampo@msmu.edu.

Special Collections & Archival Materials

If you wish to donate rare or MSMU-related items to the Special Collections department, please contact the University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian.

Other

All other donations (monetary, naming opportunities, etc.) should be referred to Institutional Advancement or the Give to the Mount page.

See the About page for instructions on how to donate directly to the libraries and review the Donation Policy listed there.

LAPL
While your MSMU Libraries account does not work at Los Angeles Public Libraries, you are welcome to apply for a free LAPL card. You will be able to access more books as well as additional useful databases.

USC
MSMU students may visit the Doheny Memorial Library on the USC campus to access databases as guests for 30 minutes per day. LA residents may purchase a community user card for $100 per 6-months of borrowing privileges. For more information, visit USC online.

UCLA
MSMU faculty members may apply for a free library card at UCLA that entitles them to borrow up to 200 items. Students may purchase a library card at UCLA for $80 per year that entitles 5 book checkouts at a time. Library cards must be purchased in the Young Research Library (YRL). Access to the UCLA libraries also includes access to UCLA's subscription databases via their wifi. For more information, visit UCLA online.

You can:

• Email us
• Make an appointment
• Drop-in at the Circulation Desk or Research Help desk at either campus!

1. Add money to your PaperCut account.
2. Select your document and send it to the cloud.
3. Release your document to print at any PaperCut printer.

Visit the Print, Copy, Scan guide for further instructions.