Frequently Asked Questions

In most cases, you can check out a laptop for seven days at the Circulation Desk.  If you need a laptop for longer than seven days, you will need to bring it back on the due date and you can check out a new one at the same time, if one is available.

However, there are special circumstances under which you can check out a laptop for an extended period, as much as a month or even an entire semester.  These circumstances include needing to have your own device repaired or replaced, and course requirements that your device cannot meet.  The library's laptops are intended to be a temporary replacement for your own device, not something you can use for your entire Meredith career.  Contact the library to explain your need for an extended laptop checkout, and we will try to accommodate you.  You can fill out our long-term laptop request form to start the process. Watch this video to see how it works.

You can also check out an iPad from the Media Services Desk, if you would prefer a tablet computer.  As with laptops, they can be checked out for seven days.

Alumnae can get a free library card and borrow up to five books and other library items at a time.  These items can be checked out for three weeks at a time, with up to two renewals per item.

Alumnae cannot access the library's research databases, online journals, or e-books from off-campus, because the database license agreements only provide access to current Meredith students, faculty, and staff.  However, alumnae can access the library's databases from public computers in the library building.

For more details, see the Alumnae Services webpage.

All six study rooms are available for use, including five on the 2nd floor and one on the ground floor.  You may reserve four of the study rooms on our Study Room calendar.  If this is your first time reserving a study room, you will need to create a free account.  Watch this video to see how to reserve a room.  The two smaller "study nooks" on the 2nd floor are available on a "first-come, first served" basis.

 

Students can check out books from the General Collection for three weeks, with the possibility of two renewals for a total of six additional weeks.  Any students who are writing a thesis paper may check out needed books for an entire semester.  They should speak with a librarian or Circulation staff member in order to obtain these extended borrowing privileges.

Meredith students, faculty and staff may borrow books from the libraries of other members of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges (CRC) consortium. The other members of the CRC are:

• North Carolina State University
• Shaw University
• St. Augustine's University
• Wake Technical Community College
• William Peace University

Simply visit the other library, get the book(s) off the shelf, and present your Meredith ID at that library's circulation desk to check the book(s) out.  You can check out up to five items at a time, and the standard loan period is 30 days.

The library's online reference sources, including Credo Reference and the Gale Virtual Reference Library, can be searched from the Reference Sources guide on the library website.  There is a link to this webpage from the OneSearch tab on the library homepage.

If you are an instructor who wishes to put items on reserve for a course, please complete the Course Reserves Request Form.  Faculty teaching hybrid or fully online courses are encouraged to contact their department's liaison librarian to discuss copyright-friendly alternatives to traditional print reserves.  You may put either library materials or your own personal copies of materials on reserve.  Electronic reserves are not available.

For your first time sending a print job from your laptop to the library printers, you will need to install the PaperCut Mobility Print system.  Make sure that you are on-campus and using the Meredith wireless network before getting started.  Visit the Mobility Print website and follow the instructions.  This can also be installed on tablet computers, Chromebooks, and phones.

Another alternative, which doesn't require installation but only offers no-frills printing with limited user options, is WebPrint.  You can upload your document to this website and print it from there.

If you encounter issues with installing Mobility Print, or with printing after installation, contact Technology Services for assistance.  For more about printing on PaperCut, see the Student Printing page or the Employee Printing page on My Meredith.

During the fall and spring semesters, you can find a research librarian available at the Ask desk (reference desk) during the following hours:

• Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Sunday 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Desk hours may be reduced during the summer, holidays, and breaks.  If you need research help, you can contact the research department in a variety of ways listed on the Ask a Librarian webpage.

Reserves are located behind the Circulation Desk on the main floor of the library.  You can search the library's reserves by instructor name or course number to find reserve materials.  Ask the Circulation staff if you want to borrow an item on reserve.

During the regular academic year, Camcards are not required for entry before 8pm on Sunday-Thursday, or during regular operating hours on Friday and Saturday.

Only current Meredith students, faculty, and staff will permitted to enter after 8pm on Sun-Thu.  During those hours, they will need to swipe their Camcard at the library entrance.

You can mail the items to the library using the US Postal Service; be sure to choose their "Media Mail" rate.  Fill out the Postage Credit Form with the amount you spent on postage, and we will process a credit to your student financial account.  If you live in the Triangle region, you may prefer to return the items to our library building in person.

Items designated as being located in the Reference Collection are mostly found on the wall across from the back stairwell of the Main Floor of the library.  These books may not be checked out, but can be used in the building.  Reference books are organized by Dewey Decimal call number.  There are also two smaller specialized reference collections that can be found on the Ground Floor (basement level) of the library: the Legal Reference collection and the Music Reference collection.

It depends on the type of reserve specified by your instructor for the item.  Here are the three possibilities:

1. Strict reserve: Three hours, and the item cannot leave the library.
2. 24-Hour reserve: 24 hours, and the item may leave the library.
3. Three-Day reserve: 3 days, and the item may leave the library; it can be renewed one time.

To find a list of items on reserve for a course or instructor, and the type of reserve for each, please search the library system's reserves module.

Friends can get a library card with their membership dues, and borrow up to ten books and other library items at a time.  These items can be checked out for three weeks at a time, with up to two renewals per item.

Friends cannot access the library's research databases, online journals, or e-books from off campus, because the database license agreements only provide access to current Meredith students, faculty, and staff. However, Friends can access the library's databases from public computers in the library building.

For more details, see the Friends Services webpage.

Books from the General Collection that are checked out to faculty and staff are due in the first week of the following August.  After 21 days, books may be recalled at the request of another library patron. Faculty may renew books up to two times.

Magazines can be found in the Periodicals Room on the library's ground floor (basement level), organized alphabetically by title.  However, the best way to search for magazine articles is by using the library's online resources.  See the Magazines Research Guide for access to popular current and historical magazines, and for links to databases where you can find full-text magazine articles.

The library does not charge overdue fines for most materials.  However, there are still overdue fines for items on Reserve and equipment borrowed from Media Services.  Additionally, patrons will be charged replacement costs plus a processing fee for items that are never returned or lost.  See the library's Overdue Fines table for complete details.  

Borrowing privileges are suspended for any student with total fines exceeding $10 and are reinstated when fines are paid.  Faculty are not subject to overdue fines.  Fines may be paid at the main service desk during the library's operating hours.  If you're a student, you may choose to have the fines sent to the Business Office to be added to your bill.

You can check out videos (which are located on shelving behind the circulation desk) for one week, with an option for one renewal for an additional week.

If you are a student in a distance learning program at Meredith, you can fill out our Distance Learner Media Request Form to request up to five DVDs to be sent to you by mail.  To allow for shipping time in both directions, the checkout period will be 3 weeks.  You will need to return the DVDs to the library via US Postal Service "media mail".