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Questions about:

Contact us
How do I contact someone at the library?

For general library information during our regular hours, call 530-879-4017.

For reference questions during our regular hours, call 530-879-4024.

You may also e-mail us with your reference questions or other requests at ReferenceLi@butte.edu.

We are located at:
3536 Butte Campus Drive
Oroville, CA 95965-8399

If you would like to speak with a specific staff member, our contact information is here.

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Butte College Library Materials
What kind of materials does the Library have for students and staff?

The Butte College Library currently has over 70,000 print books, 28,000 eBooks, 29,000 electronic periodicals, and 164 print periodicals and newspapers.

Do you have newspapers, magazines and journals in print?

Yes, we have 164 local and national newspapers, magazines, and journals in print. They are located in the Periodicals room on the first floor of the Main Campus library. Journals, magazines and newspapers cannot be checked out, but you can make photocopies (10¢ per copy). There are photocopy machines on the second floor of the Main library.

Click on the Print Journal Titles to browse the list of printed journals.

(By the way, we hold over 29,000 electronic journals, magazines and newspapers you can access online, anytime.)

Do you have CDs, cassettes, videos and DVD's?

The Library does not purchase music, movies, or books-on-tape. However, some educational videos can be borrowed and/or viewed at the Chico Center Library Room 219.

Copies of instructor-owned DVDs are also available at the reserve desks at Main and Chico Center. There are in-house viewing stations at both libraries.

Otherwise, please check with your public library.

Does the Library buy new books regularly? How do I know if there are new books?

Yes, the Library purchases new books on an on-going basis. New book titles are listed on the Library Web site under Collection Development --> New Books link.

Can I recommend a book for the Library to purchase?

Yes, you can suggest a purchase by filling in the Book Recommendation Form on the Library home page. Please note that the Library does not purchase textbooks or any audio-visual materials for the collection. For faculty suggestions for multiple titles, please send the Faculty Request Form via intercampus mail.

I am looking for a book that the Library does not have, is there any way I can find it?

We can look for the item for you through our Interlibrary Loan service. Current students, staff, and faculty can request an Interlibrary Loan from other libraries. Books are usually free. However, the lending library requires a fee for the reproduction of an article, $10-$20.

Please make sure the book or article is not in the catalog or in our article databases before submitting a request.

To make a request, visit the Interlibrary Loan desk in LB 211 on Main Campus Library or complete the Interlibrary Loan Request Form online at the Library web site. To learn more about Interlibrary Loan, visit the Interlibrary Loan page.

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Borrowing Butte College Library materials
Do I need a library card to check out books?

No, the Butte College Library does not issue library cards. Current students, staff, and faculty can check out library materials by showing any valid picture ID.

How many books can I check out, and how long can I keep them?

A student can check out up to 10 items for 3 weeks. Items not requested by another person can be renewed.
Faculty can check out up to 40 items for 3 weeks.

Items in the Reserve Collection can be checked out from 1 hour to 7 days: the loan period is set by the instructor.

Neither print newspapers, magazines, and journals nor books in the Reference Collection can be checked out.

Can I renew books online?

Yes. Click on the Renew Books Online link from the "Online Services" page to renew your books.

Can I return books checked out at the Main Campus at the Chico Center?

Yes. There is a book drop in front of the Chico Center building, right next to the mailbox. Regular circulating books from the Main Campus can be returned to the book drop.

Reserve books belonging to the Chico Center Library need to be returned to the Reserves desk in Room 219 and Main Campus reserve books need to be returned to the Main Campus Library Circulation & Reserves desk.

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Borrowing media or audiovisual materials
Does the Library have CDs, cassettes, videos and DVD's?

The Library does not purchase music, movies, or books-on-tape. However, some educational videos can be viewed at the Chico Center Library in Room 219.

There also instructor copies of videos & DVDs on reserve a the Chico Center and Main Campus Reserve Desks. There are in-house viewing stations at both libraries.

Otherwise, please check with your public library.

Where can I find educational video tapes for my class presentation?

The Chico Center Library in Room 219 holds a small collection of educational video tapes for instructors.

Students may view a video inside the library but may not take them home. You can ask your instructor to check out a video for you if would like one for in-class presentations.

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Course reserves and reference materials
What is the difference between course reserves and reference materials?

Course reserves are textbooks, articles and other supplemental materials that instructors place on hold at the Library for their students. Course reserve materials usually have a limited loan period to ensure availability to other students in the class. Course reserves are located at the Circulation Desk in the Main Campus Library, and in Room 219 at the Chico Center Library. You may make photocopies of reserve materials in accordance with copyright law.

Reference materials are library books, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, statistics, etc. They cannot be checked out, but you can make photocopies or read them in the Library. Reference materials are located at on the second floor of the Main Campus Library, and in Room 219 at the Chico Center Library.

How do I know if my instructor has put a book or DVD on reserve?

You can check the online catalog reserves tab or ask a librarian.  Be sure to search by only one field: either Instructor, Department, or Course. If your instructor hasn't put the material you need on reserve, you can make a suggestion to him or her if you like.

I take classes at the Chico Center only. Do I have to go to Main Campus to get books on reserve?

The Chico Center Library (inside Room 219) has its own Reserve Collection. Check the online catalog or call the Reserve desk at 879-4366 or 879-4017 to see if the book you need is available at the Chico Center.

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Research, finding books and articles
How do I find books in the Library?

Use the Library online catalog to search for books. For help searching, try our Online Catalog Tutorial.

How do I find journal articles in the Library?

From the Library home page  at http://www.butte.edu/library, click "Search For Articles." You can choose a database by subject, name or provider.

Learn how to search for articles from Finding Journal Articles.

What are scholarly journals? Where can I find them?

Scholarly journals are collections of articles written by scholars, researchers or specialists. They are usually published by recognized societies or professional associations for professional and academic audiences.

To learn more about the differences between scholarly journals, magazines, web resources and online research databases, check out the Scholarly Journals handout.

I don't know how to find the information for my term paper. Is there anyone I can ask for help?

You can ask the librarian to help by going to the Reference desk on the second floor of the Main Campus Library, or in the Chico Center Library during regular hours. You can also call the reference desk at 530-879-4024 during our regular hours. 

Twenty-four hours a day, you can use our virtual reference chat or email a librarian at referenceLi@butte.edu.

To learn some techniques to write a term paper, read How to Research a Term Paper.

To learn search techniques, read the Search Techniques handout.

To learn how to cite sources, check the print  APA or MLA Style Guides, or visit our "Web Resources" page.

My instructor asked us not to use the Internet for research, does it mean that I shouldn't use the library databases?

When an instructor asks students not to use the Internet for research, they are usually referring to information from the World Wide Web; in other words, any Web pages. Why? Because most Web pages do not go through any editorial review process and have no indication of where information was obtained. Often, the reliability and accuracy of the information are questionable. Finally, what was on the Web today may be gone tomorrow (or in 10 minutes)!

However, the Library research databases are electronic versions of printed reference books, or magazine and journal articles and reports. They are paid subscriptions that are accessed online. If you read an article from Time magazine in one of our databases, it is the same article that was published in print last week! Our database subscriptions are not the kind of "Internet Resources" that you might find on the World Wide Web.

Always double-check with your instructor if you are in doubt.

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Can I access the Library databases and eBooks from home?

Yes, absolutely!

1. Go to the Library home page and click on "Off-Campus Access." Log in by following the instructions on the authentication page.

Username: Your last name plus the first two letters of your first name (all one word)
Password: the last four digits of your Student ID number (for students) OR the last four digits of your Social Security number (for faculty instructors & permanent staff)

2. If you have successfully logged in, you will be taken to the Library home page, and the URL should appear as: http://libproxy2....

I followed the log in instruction for Off-Campus Access, but got the message "wrong username or password." What´s wrong?

There are several possibilities:

  • You have made a typo or entered spaces in your user name.
  • Your first name or last name appears differently on your driver's license.

Your name in the system is based on your driver's license. Or you may have a hyphenated, accented or otherwise complex last name that constitutes an unusual username. If so, try different combinations to form your username.

Other possible reasons include:

  • You have moved but have not updated your new address with Admissions and Records.
  • Your phone number is not current at Admissions and Records.

If any mail sent to you has been returned to Admissions and Records by the post office, you will be temporarily blocked. In this case, you need to update your address and telephone number in MyBC Portal. You should be able to access the Library databases within 48 hours after the update.

A final reason for being blocked is:

  • You have outstanding fines or fees. Speak with Admissions & Records.

If you have checked all of the above and still cannot log in, call the Library at 530-879-4024 or email the Librarian by clicking on the Ask a Librarian link on any library page.

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Computer and Internet
Can I bring my laptop to the library and connect to the Internet?

Yes, if you have wireless capability. All of the campus is a wireless HotSpot!

Use your Butte College email address (example:jdoe001@student.butte.edu) and your MyBC password to log into the wireless service.

Log into MyBC for more information or contact the Student Technical Helpdesk at 530-895-2925 for help.

Click here for a list of locations you can plug in your laptop at the Library.

Can I print to the library printers from my laptop?

No.

What programs do you have on your computers?

The Library has 73 computers with Internet, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel; plus Open Office. We have 5 computers with special software and equipment for people with disabilities: Kurzweil, Jaws and DragonSpeak Naturally. We also have Inspiration software on 15 computers to help people with different learning styles organize their ideas and papers.

What is the difference between the Library databases and resources found on the Internet?

The Library research databases are collections of high quality journal articles, magazines, newspapers, and other publications available through paid subscriptions. Resources found in these databases are not generally available on the World Wide Web.

Most of the resources in the databases are printed resources made available online for remote access and are searchable. Some instructors ask students not to use "Online Resources"; they usually mean not to use the resources found on the World Wide Web. You should use books, print journals and/or online research databases for your term papers.

To learn more about the differences between Library research databases and Internet resources, read the Scholarly Journals handout.

Google Scholar partnership

Butte College has established a partnership with Google Scholar using OpenURL technology to locate our scholarly and professional journal articles.

You can search the world's scholarly literature online at http://scholar.google.com. Google Scholar includes peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

Our partnership allows Google Scholar to determine which electronic journals and papers in the results list are owned by Butte College Library, and then includes special links to articles from those sources when they're available. Look in the results list for "Get full-text@Butte CC" or "Check resources@Butte."

To make these links appear, just access Google Scholar from any Butte College campus, and you'll automatically see the "@Butte" links.

For off-campus access, follow these steps:

  1. If you have cookies blocked, set your browser to accept cookies.
  2. Click on "Scholar Preferences" under the gear icon at the top right of the page google gear icon
  3. Type "Butte College" in the 'Library Links' section.
  4. Check the box that now appears next to Butte College below Library Links.
  5. Click "Save preferences."
  6. Start searching with links to your library's resources. You'll see "Get full-text@Butte CC" to the right of our holdings

You will need your user name and password to access these resources from off-campus. Click here to find your user ID/password.

Why do the librarians and instructors discourage students from using resources found on the World Wide Web?

Most Web pages do not go through any editorial review process nor do they give any indication of where information for the content was obtained. And often the reliability and accuracy of the information are questionable.

However, the Internet also has a tremendous amount of useful, current and high quality information that cannot be found easily elsewhere. Therefore, careful evaluation is needed when using the information found on the World Wide Web.

To learn how to evaluate information from Web sites, check out the Critically Evaluating Web Sites handout.

If I really need to look up information on the World Wide Web, are there any sites you recommend?

Yes, some Web sites are more reliable than others, such as Web sites from government agencies (.gov) and educational institutions (.edu).

Our librarians have also hand-picked a list of recommended Web sites that may be useful for your information needs. The Web site list is organized by category; click on "Web Links" from the Library home page to access these resources.

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Reference and workshops
Do I have to come to the library in person to get help from the librarian?

Not at all...

You can get reference help in various ways:

  1. Ask questions by E-mail
  2. Call the reference desk 530-879-4024
  3. Visit the reference desk in person on the second floor of the Main Campus library, or in Room 219 at Chico Center.
  4. Chat with a librarian online 24 hours a day.
  5. Schedule a consultation session with a librarian if you need extensive help or advice.

Go to the Ask a Librarian page to learn more about our reference services.

Are there any workshops on search techniques, term paper research, etc.?

Yes, the Chico Center Library offers weekly drop-in workshops on various topics for students and faculty. The workshop schedules are online here: Workshop Schedules.

We also offer workshops by appointment only at the Main Campus Library.  Please contact a librarian at 530-879-4024.

Students will receive an attendance slip after the workshop and they may get extra credit from their instructors. Faculty can earn Flex hours by attending the workshops.

We offer online workshops via the Internet, here. We also have a self-paced Research Paper Learning Module that guides you from start to finish, online.

Finally, we have workshops on DVD available in the Chico Center Library (Room 219) and in Room 104 at the Glenn Center.

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Copiers, scanners and printers
Where are the photocopiers and scanners?

The photocopiers and scanners are located in the Reference department on the second floor of the Main Campus library and in the Chico Center Library (CHC 219). The copiers print in black & white only. Copying is permitted in accordance with copyright law.

Can I use a print card to make photocopies or scans?

No. The print card does NOT work on the copiers or the pay scanners. You will need to use dollars or coins.

Do I need a print card to print at the library?

Yes, you'll need a print card to print from any lab computer on any campus. Print cards for the computer printers may be purchased at the bookstore, in the library, or in the LRC. The refillable print card costs $1. Each print out costs 10 cents. the card vending machines only take paper money, no coins or credit cards, and do not give change.

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Can I use the group study rooms?

Yes, if you are studying in a group.  Access is on a first-come, first-serve basis for groups in all study rooms except for LB 310.

These rooms are for student use only, and are for use by groups (2 or more persons) of Butte College students.

You may not use these rooms for games, individual use, or group use not related to academic study at Butte College.

Please, no food or drink, and keep cell phones turned off while in the building.

Can I reserve a group study room?

Groups of 3 or more Butte College students may reserve LB 310 for group study up to two weeks in advance, for a maximum of 3 hours per week. You must sign into the room and also sign out of the room at the Reference Desk, as it is kept locked when not in use.

You can make a reservation by visiting the Reference desk in person on the second (main) floor of the library.

NOTE: Should your group of 3 or more not arrive within 15 minutes of your reserved time, all reservation(s) will be cancelled.

You may not reserve or use these rooms for games, individual use, or group use not related to academic study at Butte College.

Please, no food or drink, and keep cell phones turned off while in the building.

Please see the librarians at the Reference desk, 2nd floor, or in LB 302 or if you made a reservation and LB 310 is occupied.

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More questions? Send an E-mail to the librarian or call 530-879-4024.

Butte College | 3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville CA 95965 | General Information 530.895.2511

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