Library Information Services

Library Service Points

The Davis Family Library is located on Storrs Avenue, across the quad from Old Chapel and is home to the main collection (including the video collection) and the Technology Helpdesk.
Armstrong Science Library is located on the first and second floors of McCardell Bicentennial Hall and is home to the science and psychology collection.

Phone extensions

Technology Helpdesk in Davis Family Library	443-2200
Davis Family Library Circulation Desk	443-5494
Davis Family Library Reference Desk (research questions)	443-5496
Armstrong Science Library Circulation Desk	443-5449
Armstrong Science Library Reference Desk	443-5018

Library & ITS Hours

The Davis Family Library, Armstrong Library, Special Collections, and Helpdesk hours of operation can be found [1].

Library & ITS Departments

Circulation Desk

The Circulation Desk, located in the front area of the Main Library, is where Middlebury members and visitors can borrow and return books, media, elctronic equipment, and many other items available for loan. In addition to books and movies, the circulation desk lends out some technical equipment (projectors, videocameras, external hard drives) and offers other services such as InterLibrary Loan.

See Circulation Desk for more information.

Technology Helpdesk

The Technology Helpdesk is the group to contact with any technology-related questions. Highly-trained consultants answer your calls and work with you to solve problems with software, troubleshoot a hardware problem, or help with any other computing-related issue. If your question requires more in-depth assistance, the Technology Helpdesk contacts the appropriate resource to solve your problem or provide you with training.

You may contact us for help in the following ways:

Call the Technology Helpdesk at 443-2200.
Send an e-mail to helpdesk@middlebury.edu.
Visit us in the Main Library, main floor, room 202. (We're friendly! Come say hi.)

Want to work with us?

Technolog Helpdesk consultants are responsible for ensuring that Middlebury's tech network runs smoothly. Consultants must have good interpersonal skills, a strong sense of responsibility, the ability to analyze a problem and think critically, and the willingness to learn new skills. We enjoy a varied job that always presents new challenges, opportunities to grow and expand one's role, and a flexible schedule. A Helpdesk consultant job lets you meet tons of people from all parts of the Middlebury campus (often because you've saved their thesis...) and gives you the flexibility to explore a variety of skills and talents.

If any or all of that sounds good to you, stop by the Helpdesk (LIB202) and say hi! You're welcome to hang out for a bit to see what our job is like. Then take a look at our official-looking application, online at go/beageek.

Digital Media Development

The Digital Media program provides support for faculty, student and staff media development, including:

Images and document creation: posters, diagrams
Audio: podcasting, voiceovers
Video: digital stories, animations
Digital Spaces: 3D visualizations, virtual worlds

The Wilson Media Lab is a specialized computer lab in the Main Library that is designed to meet as many media production needs as possible. The Lab is open whenever the Library is open. In addition, digital media tutors are available to answer media-related questions during limited hours.

See Media Services for more information.

Wilson Café

Take a study break in the Davis Family Library's Wilson Café. They have drinks, salads, sandwiches, and munchies. There are also vending machines outside the Café. For other food options you can go to the McCullough Student Center or other dining locations.

Technology Resources

The ITS Website

Many services are available from our main webpage. To find the LIS website, type go/lis in the Address field of your browser and press . You can also find lots of computer and technology documentation online at go/helpdesk.

The GO-tionary

GO is a utility that gives easy access to registered pages on the Middlebury College website. To use it:

When at Middlebury, type go/keyword into your browser address bar and press .
When off campus, type http://go.middlebury.edu/keyword into your address bar and press .

There are hundreds of registered GO definitions that can be used while you are on-campus or off-campus. A small sampling of active GO links: go/activate, go/helpdesk, go/forward, go/bannerweb, go/directory, go/calendars, go/courses, go/catalog, go/grille, go/docs, go/files, go/midcat, go/reserves, go/spanish, go/german, go/segue.

See the whole gigantic list of active GO links by simply typing in go/here. You can browse existing links, and even create your own.

Printed documentation

If you need help with a common topic such as connecting to a server, using printers, or setting up multi-language support in Windows XP, our online documentation at go/docs should be your first step. However, our most popular articles can also be found in printed form on the racks next to the door to the Helpdesk, LIB202. Feel free to grab a copy of any of these documents that might be useful to you.

On-Campus training and workshops

LIS offers a number of computing workshops throughout the academic year. Faculty, staff, and students may attend, free of charge. Visit go/techworkshops to view the list of offerings.

This schedule is constantly updated with workshop information. Please check back often. Customized workshops may also be arranged on request, time and resources permitting.

Please e-mail helpdesk@middlebury.edu or call x2200 to register for a workshop. Seating is limited and is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Some workshops are scheduled by request for specific academic classes. Seating may not be available in these workshops.

Computer labs and software

ITS maintains around 17 computer labs accessible across campus. These labs:

all are connected to the network and to a nearby printer
all allow you to log on using your Middlebury username and password
all have the Microsoft Office suite installed (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook / Entourage) as well as other standard applications
are mostly PCs with Windows XP, but some are all Mac computers
some have Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. installed

Printing

Each public computer lab has a printer for use by students, faculty, and staff. To print documents:

Save any files to print online, email them to yourself, or keep them on a thumb drive. Log in to one of the workstations in the library and access the files that need printing from there. Personal computers cannot connect to our printers.
After sending the print job from a library computer, you must release your print job from the Print Release Stations located next to each of these printers. Enter in your username and password at the Print Release Station and a list will appear showing all of your documents that are waiting to be printed.

Microfilm and Microfiche Stations

At some point in your Middlebury career, you'll probably need to access an article from our microfilm collection. We have several machines in the back of the Main Library for just this purpose. Microfilm and microfiche reading stations can be scary at first - feel free to ask a librarian for help using them.

See also Microfilm and Microfiche Machines for more information.

Computer and software resources

Using computers in the library

Library has many computers in scattered locations for your use, as well. In the Main Library, you can also check out a laptop computer from the Circulation Desk for in-house use on a 4-hour loan period.

You can plug your own laptop into the college network at any of our libraries. You will have access to file servers, e-mail services, and the Internet. The library staff members can guide you to appropriate locations to use the network, or you can use the wireless network, if you prefer.

Purchasing a Computer

Consult Computer purchase guidelines for general information about points to consider when buying a computer.

Software available to Middlebury faculty, staff and students

Students, faculty, and staff all have FREE access to install the Microsoft Office suite and Sophos antivirus software on any computers that will be part of the Middlebury network.

Our Microsoft Office package includes MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, version 2010 / 2011 (Mac). You can install this by requesting an Office install CD from the circulation desk at the Main Library.
Enterprising users can alternatively install Microsoft Office 2010 / 2011 from our server location. This is available on the Middfiles server at //middfiles/Software/Office.
Sophos Antivirus is virus protection software for both Windows and Mac. To install it, go to go/sav. Installing Sophos is optional for personally-owned computers; however, we strongly suggest that all computers have some form of virus protection on them.

Additional software, such as Photoshop, FileMaker Pro, and SPSS, can be installed on college-owned computers on an as-needed basis, subject to our licensing availability. Please send an email to helpdesk@middlebury.edu explaining what software you need and why you need it, and we will see if it is available.

Finding and using library materials

Borrowing policies

Most books have a loan period of 4 weeks. Other materials, such as videos and equipment, often have a shorter loan period. However, you can renew your loan on materials if the borrowing period hasn't expired yet, by going to go/midcat and clicking on the My Midcat link. If your loan has expired, you won't be able to borrow any materials until you have returned all other borrowed materials and paid any late fees.

Materials on reserve

If material is placed "On Reserve" by your professor, it can only be checked out for a limited time. This is to ensure that everyone in your class has a reasonable chance to access the assigned material. The Circulation Desk manages all materials on reserve; talk to them in order to borrow reserved materials. You can look up reserve material by course or instructor name in Midcat. Click on the Reserves link on the top menu bar or type go/reserves in the address bar. Loan periods are set by the professor and are 2-hour, 4-hour (media/films), 1-day, or 3-day loans.

You can view Electronic Reserve or "e-reserve" materials for your course from any computer on the Middlebury network. To access Ereserves, go to go/eres. Your professor will give you the course password required to view the materials.

Find Books, Videos, DVDs, CDs, or Articles

Use Midcat (Middlebury Catalog) to search for a book, CD, video, article, or other material in the library. To get to Midcat, type go/midcat in the Address field of your browser, or click on the Midcat link on the LIS website.

For journals, click on the Journals A-Z tab in Midcat to get to a list of the print and electronic journals Middlebury College subscribes to.
In the Main Library you can check out videos at the Circulation Desk. Most of them must be used in-house, but there is a Browsing DVD collection that can be checked out for 3 days. There are viewing stations on the main floor.
Seek help from a reference librarian (see the section on reference librarians) if you're having trouble finding books or articles on a particular subject. Reference librarians can also point you to research guides on your particular subject.

Get help from a Reference Librarian

Reference librarians are happy to provide help searching for library materials. Find a reference librarian at the Circulation Desk or the infodesk in the main library. You can also contact them by emailing your question to rlibrary@middlebury.edu, or use our web interface by going to go/askalibrarian. Librarians typically respond to email or online contact within 24 hours.

In the Main Library, reference librarians are normally available during the following hours (holidays and breaks excluded):

Monday-Thursday	9 AM - 5 PM; 7 PM - 10 PM
Friday	9 AM - 5 PM
Saturday	Hours vary
Sunday	1-5 PM; 7-10 PM

If you have a big research paper and need extensive help, you can make an appointment for a research consultation. Please ask at least several days in advance. You can fill out a request form online from the LIS home page or e-mail the librarian for your subject area directly. To find out which librarian covers your subject, go to go/liaisons and look for your subject from the right menu bar.

Requesting materials from other libraries: NExpress and ILL

NExpress is useful if you need to access a material that our library doesn't have or that someone else has borrowed out for an extended period of time. Use the button or the link in Midcat. If the book is checked out, the item will be “recalled” and the borrower will be requested to return the item within one week.

Before requesting an item that is already checked out, look for the item in NExpress in case it is available from one of 7 other New England Libraries we have a special arrangement with.
Materials requested through NExpress will usually arrive within 2 - 4 days. If you need materials immediately, check with a librarian to see if they can find another resource that meets your needs.

InterLibrary Loan (ILL) is a broader but slower material exchange resource. If Middlebury College libraries or NExpress doesn’t have the book or article you need, you can request items through ILL. ILL requests can be made by going to go/ill and filling out a request form. Talk to a Reference Librarian if you need help. ILL services take time, so please plan ahead when using this resource.

Library & ITS Wiki