FAQ

The Library Instruction Classroom (Room 39) is available as a computer lab for PC students between 9:00 pm and midnight on Sunday through Thursday evenings during the regular semester.

The lab may be opened earlier if all computers in the Reference area on the Main Level are in use. Library Hours

How does 24-hour access work?
During the regular semester the Library is open for PC students on a 24-hour schedule beginning on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 and continuing through 5:00 pm on Friday.

After 10 pm you must enter through the 24 Hour Study by scanning your PC ID card. Library Hours

May I bring food and drink into the Library?
Light snacks and drinks in approved containers are allowed in study areas. Please use the 24 Hour Study, located near the front entrance for carry-out meals from GDH, Springs, or local restaurants. Food and Drink Policy

Can I check My Library Record online?

Yes! To view your library record go to any THOMCAT screen and click MY LIBRARY RECORD in the blue bar across the top. Enter your name and the 10-digit barcode number found on the back of your PC ID card, then click submit.

When logged-in you can view your checked out items and fines, renew books, search the catalog, and save Preferred Searches that can be viewed and run again at a later date.

How can I renew my library materials?

There are three ways to renew library materials:

1. Bring your books to the Circulation Desk at the library at any time and our staff will renew them for you.

2. You may renew materials online twice by logging-in to MY LIBRARY RECORD. Enter your name and the 10-digit barcode number found on the back of your PC ID card, then click submit. Once you are logged-in follow Help with RENEWAL directions.

3. Call the Circulation Desk at the library to renew checked-out materials by phone at (864)833-8299.

If your library materials are overdue at the time of renewal, the fines will be added to your library record. PASCAL Delivers books cannot be renewed.

My professor put an item "on Reserve" in the Library. Where do I find it?

Professors often place items (books, articles, DVDs) on Reserve at the Circulation Desk for use by an entire class. These items are usually restricted to use within the building for an hour or two. Reserve items must be checked out using your PC ID card. More about Reserve Services

Where is Media Services and what services do they provide?

Media Services is located on the Lower Level of the Library at the back of the addition represented by the dark green area on the floorplan.

You can make color prints, copies, posters, scan images, laminate, bind reports, as well as get help with video production, check out a camera, and much more. Contact Doug Wallace and his staff at -8312 for pricing and questions.

STUDY SPACES

How many study rooms does the library provide?

Where are the study rooms located?

The Library has 12 small (1-2 person) study rooms, and 12 large study rooms in addition to the 24 Hour Study. The larger study rooms vary in size, accomodating from 4 -12 or more persons.

Refer to the Library Location Guide for floor plans showing locations of individual and group study rooms. Small study rooms for 1-2 people are indicated by dark yellow and larger study rooms in a lighter yellow.

Which rooms have whiteboards?

Can I check out dry-erase markers?

• Many study rooms in the Library have wall-mounted whiteboards:
Main Level - Rooms 118, 119, 120 in Reference Area and 125 in Reading Rm.

Upper Level - Rooms 206, 213, 215, 216, and 220

Lower Level - Rooms 2, 53, and Classroom 54

• Dry-erase marker kits are available for checkout at the Circulation Desk, as are Accessory kits containing scissors, glue stick, whiteout, and a hi-lighter.

What is the Library’s policy regarding group study rooms?

See our Group Study Room Policy.

Is there a map or floor plan of the Library?

Click here to view Library floor plans on our Location Guide page.

Is there a noise policy or code of conduct for library users?

View the entire Library Quiet Policy.

A Silent Zone has been designated on the Main Level beyond the Reference Computers. No conversation is permitted in this area. If you must speak, please do so briefly and in whispered tones. The open bridge area above is included in this designation.

A Quiet Study Zone has been designated in the open areas of the
Upper Level where brief, low-volume conversation is permitted. Group study and prolonged conversation should be moved to the Lower Level or to a group study room.

A Conversational Study Zone has been designated in the open areas of the Lower Level where collaborative study and low-volume conversation is permitted. The 24 Hour Study and Group Study Rooms on each floor are included in this designation.

Which other buildings on campus provide study spaces?
Most classroom buildings on campus are open until 10 pm during the regular school year. Harrington-Peachtree is open until midnight.

PRINTING /LAPTOPS/WIRELESS ACCESS/SOCRATES

Where can I print papers in the Library?

Printers are available in the Reference area on the Main Level and in Room 39, the Instruction Classroom/evening Lab on the Lower Level.

Where can I print in color on campus?

Media Services, located on the lower level of the Library, has a color copier/printer. Contact Doug Wallace (8312) for pricing.

Does the library have laptops for check-out?

Yes, laptop computers can be checked out for two-hour use within the Library building.

Library laptops are connected to the wireless network and to the printer in the Reference area on the Main Level of the Library.

Can I print to the Library printer from my personal laptop?

No. Patrons can print to the library printer on the Main Level only from library laptop and Reference area desktop computers at this time.

How do I access the wireless network on my personal laptop?

To access the wireless network on your personal laptop, just choose Blue Hose from the list of available wireless networks listed by your laptop. Once you choose Blue Hose from the list of available wireless networks, it should connect you automatically. If you run into problems and cannot connect, first try restarting your laptop and if that does not work, try speaking to one of our Reference Librarians.

What is Socrates? How can I load Socrates onto my laptop?
Socrates is a public folder providing temporary storage of computer files for use

on the PC campus. Any PC person may create a folder in Socrates for storing documents. Socrates can be found on the desktop of most college owned computers.

Students using Library or computer lab computers should always save their work in an alternate place like Socrates or to a personal USB drive.

See instructions here from Campus IT for loading Socrates onto your personal laptop or desktop computer.

REMOTE ACCESS TO LIBRARY RESOURCES

How do I connect to Library journal and e-book databases from

off-campus?

PC students, faculty, and staff can access the Library's subscription resources (A-Z list or Subject list) from off-campus locations.

You must enter a database through the Library website and then provide your

e-mail username and password when prompted. This information will authenticate you as a licensed Presbyterian College user and allow you to access all PC subscription databases remotely until you close the browser [Safari, Firefox, IE] you are using.

For additional information and troubleshooting tips, click here..

Do I need to log-in to use THOMCAT when I'm off-campus?

No, the Library catalog can be accessed via the Internet and does not require authentication.

RESEARCH TOOLS AND GUIDES

How do I find books on my topic?

Searching THOMCAT, the library catalog, will direct you to titles on your topic, tell you where they are located in the library, and whether or not they are checked out.

The library also has several thousand e-books which are identified in THOMCAT searches with an icon like the one just below.

Connect to our Find Books page for details and additional options including borrowing books from other libraries.

How do I find DVDs and CDs in the Library?

Use the DVD/Video TAB on the THOMCAT search screen and enter keywords that describe titles or subjects of DVDs/videos that you seek. THOMCAT will search for either DVD or VHS, but not both together at this TAB.

Use the Music CD TAB on the THOMCAT search screen and enter keywords that describe titles or performers of music CDs.

DVD and CD collections are located on the Lower Level in the Movies & Music Room found near the bottom of the Main Staircase.

How do I find journal articles on my topic?

The Library subscribes to a variety of article databases to support student research. Connect to our Find Articles page for details and search options.

How do I locate a specific journal?
Use our Journal Finder tool to determine whether PC has a subscription to the journal or magazine that you need:

In the box below Journals by Title (Full Text), type in your journal title. Click Browse. If the initial results show more than one title, select your title from the list by clicking on it.

The databases that index your journal and the dates available for that journal will be displayed in a list made up of as many as three groupings:

Full Text Resources In Your Library [print or microfilm]

Full Text Resources Online

Indexing only [not full-text]

You can read any full text journal online when date coverage is available. Click on a database that covers the date you need, then select year or date, then issue number or date. The contents of the issue you select will appear with article titles displayed in page number order. Browse through the issue to find the article you seek. Full text articles are usually in HTML or PDF format. Click on a link to view the article. If you have questions, please contact a Reference Librarian.

How do I find newspaper articles?

Thomason Library subscribes to several current online newspaper collections like LexisNexis and Custom Newspapers.

You also have access to several historical newspaper databases with older content. These can be searched using keywords related to the information you seek. For more information see Find Newspapers.

The Library also subscribes to the print editions of several South Carolina, regional, and national newspapers which are located on the Main Level next to the 24 Hour Study.

When ordering a book through the PASCAL Catalog, what number are they requesting after I enter my name?

Enter the 10-digit barcode number on the back of your PC ID card.

Does the Library have any e-Books?

Yes, the Library has several searchable Collections of e-books.

What are course related library guides?

Upon request by an instructor, the Library will provide an online guide for finding resources related to specific course content and assignments. There are also guides for broad subjects or disciplines like Career Planning and Health/Medicine.

The Guides include topic related encyclopedias & dictionaries, style manuals, databases for books and articles with search tips, and web collections with primary source materials, images and more. View all Course and Subject Guides

Why should I use Library databases when everything is on the web?

Databases are NOT the same as the Internet. Articles in library databases tend to be more reliable, thorough, and scholarly than most information on the Internet. The majority of scholarly research materials are hidden in publishers' databases and journals that search engine spiders can't retrieve. Presbyterian College pays for subscriptions to article and e-book databases which you can access through the Library website.

We're here to help!

Please contact a Reference Librarian if you have questions.

E-mail: libref@presby.edu Phone: 864-833-7080

James H. Thomason Library

Frequently Asked Questions

THOMCAT:

Search Library Catalog

PASCAL Catalog

Journal Finder