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• Course Reserves and Copyright

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General Library Support

Although the Healey Library building is closed, Healey Library staff members are hard at work behind the scenes to provide library services with as little disruption as possible to you. In other words, although the building may be closed, we’ve still got you covered!  

Below is the current status of library resources and services. Please note that due to the fluidity of the COVID-19 situation, these services may be adjusted at some point in the future; refer to this page for the most up-to-date information and FAQs. Announcements will also be released via various library channels:

• Library website
• Library research guides
• Ask a Librarian
• Healey Library Facebook page
• Healey Library Twitter account

Please direct any questions to Library.Circulation@umb.edu for a response within 1 business day, Monday-Friday. 

All library departments are monitoring their departmental voicemail remotely and responding to emails regularly throughout the day during normal business hours, Monday-Friday.

 

FAQs

Can I visit other Boston-area libraries to use their collections?

Each library sets their own visitor policies, many of which have changed dramatically during the global pandemic. We recommend contacting the library to confirm their visitor policies before making a trip to that library.

Is the library building open?

The Healey Library building is closed until further notice. Thus, at this time, laptops, and computer labs are not available to library users. However, most library resources (articles, e-books, databases, streaming video) are available online, and library services continue remotely as detailed below! Users may also request physical library materials for digitization or curbside pickup. Curbside pickup is currently available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 10am-1:30pm, at the ISC drop-off area. Please note that Library Curbside services are unavailable on days the campus is closed, including holidays and inclement weather closures. See a map of the curbside location or an interactive campus map.

Library staff are providing support for all Healey Library departments remotely during library operating hours Monday-Friday. At this time, no library services are offered on Saturday or Sundays; patrons may contact Ask a Librarian 24/7 chat for assistance during these times.

Will I be charged library fines if I cannot return library materials I have checked out during this period?

Healey Library is waiving all overdue fines until the campus reopens. Please hold onto any Library materials you currently have checked out, including laptops and interlibrary loan items, to return at a later date.

Is there any way to return library materials and ILL books now?

You may return library materials and ILL items via our contact-free curbside program, which is available Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am-1:30pm at the Integrated Sciences Center (ISC).  No appointment is necessary. Please note that Library Curbside services are unavailable on days the campus is closed, including holidays and inclement weather closures. See a map of the curbside location or an interactive campus map.

You may also send items back via USPS*, UPS, or FedEx.  Please use the following address.  We strongly recommend adding tracking to your package.

• Healey Library at UMass Boston
• ATTN: Circulation
• 100 Morrissey Blvd
• Boston, MA, 02125

* If you would like to request assistance with postage costs, please contact Library.Circulation@umb.edu.

What are the hours for library support?

Library staff will provide support via email, telephone, and other remote platforms during the Library’s regularly scheduled hours of operation, Monday-Friday. Library support is currently unavailable on Saturdays and Sundays. Please use the 24/7 live chat for assistance during these times.

How can I contact the library with questions?

Any questions about library support and services can be directed to Library.Circulation@umb.edu and staff, working remotely across all library departments, will answer as soon as possible (within one business day). For assistance with library research questions, please use any of the channels available through Ask a Librarian, including a 24/7 live chat.

How can students access textbooks that are physically on reserve in the library building?

Since the Healey Library building is closed, its physical collections are unavailable, including textbooks and other physical materials on reserve. Faculty are strongly encouraged to request digitization of physical library reserves materials, scan course reading materials themselves as needed to upload to their course Blackboard pages, or find substitutes for books and materials on reserve. See the Course Reserves section below for more information and a review of different options available to faculty and students.

Which Healey Library services are not available at this time?

Because the Healey Library building is closed until further notice, the Library cannot currently provide access to any of the following resources or spaces: library laptops or computer labs in the Healey Library building; the Archives Research Room; or physical archival or special collections. Although the library building is closed, some staff are onsite to provide modified services for the delivery of the library’s physical materials. All users may use the library requests form to request library items for digitization or curbside pickup. 

I’m a UMass Boston student/faculty/staff, and I need access to a laptop. What are my options?

If you are a faculty or staff member, please ask your direct supervisor.

If you are a student:

• Students who need a loaner Chromebook should go to this link and sign up to get one: https://www.umb.edu/chromebookloan
• Students who need a loaner laptop should contact their area’s dean, who will send the request to the Provost’s office.  If approved, the student will be sent a link to sign up to get a loaner laptop. The student should include a brief justification for why a laptop is required for the student.

Are there other library and information resources available to UMass Boston faculty, staff, and students during this time?

Yes! See the Free Resources section below for additional suggestions for research and leisure content that the UMass Boston community can access at no cost.

Support by Department

	Services Status	Departmental contact	Response Time (Estimate)
Cataloging	All services normal	Library.Cataloging@umb.edu	1 business day
Circulation	The library building is closed No access to physical course reserves material, library books, or library laptops Books can be renewed online through UMBrella Fines will be waived until campus re-opens All library departments are providing remote support during the Library’s regular hours of operation, Monday-Friday	Library.Circulation@umb.edu	1 business day
Office of the Dean of Libraries	All services normal	Library.Admin@umb.edu	1 business day
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)	Electronic article and chapter scan requests are being processed as usual Physical interlibrary loan book borrowing is available, provided you or a proxy can pick up items via our curbside program. ILL items can be returned via our curbside program, or via USPS, UPS, or FedEx. You will not be responsible for any overdue fines that may accrue during this time, however due to the significant overdue dates, library staff may contact you to coordinate the return of an individual item, at the request of the owning library.	Library.ILL@umb.edu	1 business day
Library Business Office	All services normal	Library.Business@umb.edu	1 business day
Library Reserves	While the Healey Library building is closed, physical reserves borrowing is not available Please refer to the Course Reserves section below for more information, resources, and suggestions	Library.Reserves@umb.edu	1 business day
Library Systems and Discovery Services	All services normal	Library.Systems@umb.edu	1 business day
Reference, Research, and Instructional Support	All reference and instruction services normal but delivered remotely: Ask a Librarian 24/7 live chat Virtual library instruction session Virtual research consultation Credo Instruct: Self-paced, fully online information literacy lessons and assessments	Library.Reference@umb.edu	1 business day
University Archives and Special Collections	The Archives Research Room is available to view archival collections, Special Collections books, and theses and dissertations by appointment only during the fall 2021 semester. Appointments are available between 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. Many services in University Archives and Special Collections (UASC) are still offered remotely. UASC’s finding aids and digital collections are available online through Open Archives	Library.Archives@umb.edu	1 business day

 

Course Reserves and Copyright

Since the Healey Library building is closed, Healey Library staff have introduced modified operations to allow for access to physical library materials. For course reserves, library staff offer scanning services for textbooks and other materials previously on physical reserve in the library.

What does this mean for faculty?

Faculty may use the library requests form to request scanning of physical library reserves materials. Alternately, faculty may scan course reading materials themselves as needed to upload to their course Blackboard pages, or find substitutes for books and materials on reserve. See the bullet points below for options.

What about copyright?

With the strong support of higher education copyright specialists who note that “Fair Use is made for just these kinds of contingencies,” Healey Library encourages faculty to prioritize the needs of their students when providing access to course reading material during this time of educational disruption. 

How do I scan materials for my students?

If you don’t have a scanner at home, many mobile phone apps are available to create PDF scans with your smartphone! These include TurboScan and Scannable (for iPhone–linked to Evernote). To create accessible PDF scans from your phone (PDFs that can be read by assistive technology software and devices), use Microsoft Office Lens (free for Android and iOS) or Voice Dream Scanner ($5.99 for Android and iOS). If your scans need cleaning up, this can be done with Adobe Acrobat DC, a software that is available free to UMass faculty and staff. 

After creating a PDF, upload it to your course page in Blackboard, including the following disclaimer: “This scan is being provided as part of UMass Boston’s effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It is for your personal use only, and is only intended for use during the time when University public health measures prevent access to your personal copy or a copy on physical reserve at the library. Please discard this copy once you have access to your personal copy or to the physical copy at the library, and do not share it.”

What other options do faculty have to replace physical reserves?

• • E-book and streaming video purchases

    Faculty may contact Library.Reserves@umb.edu to discuss the possibility of the library purchasing e-book copies of course reading material, or licensing streaming videos, where feasible.

 

Academic Integrity

UMass Boston Academic Honesty web pages

Please review UMass Boston’s Academic Honesty web pages for policies, information, resources, and support for both faculty and students.

Healey Library Academic Integrity guide with quizzes

This guide and accompanying assessments for students provide detailed information from the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Academic Honesty section of the Code of Student Conduct (Appendix B, pages 38-41), along with ways to learn about the critical importance of academic integrity and for students to ensure that they are maintaining academic integrity in their studies at UMass Boston. The guide includes self-paced learning modules, videos, and assessments for students to test their knowledge.

Free Resources

Boston Public Library 

Any student or resident in the state of Massachusetts can register for a Boston Public Library eCard and access the BPL’s extensive electronic resources remotely. These include both academic research resources as well as leisure reading and entertainment materials for all audiences (including teens and kids)!