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Guide to: Library Services for Foreign Language Assistants

Helpful information and resources for Foreign Language Assistants

Books & eBooks

OUR COLLECTIONS:

CrossSearch is the Libraries' multi-search "discovery" tool. CrossSearch searches a cross-section of journal articles, newspapers, CDs, images, and many other types of resources available through the libraries. It is also our main catalog.

To focus your search on items in the catalog (e.g., books, e-books, and DVDs), use the Catalog Only limit in CrossSearch. 

Books in the Libraries 

Holy Cross uses the Library of Congress Classification system. 

  • Call Numbers A-G:  Dinand Mezzanine Level (one floor down from the Main Reading Room). 
  • Call Numbers N, TR:  Dinand Visual Arts Wing (on the main level) 
  • Call Numbers H-L, P, U-Z: Dinand Ground Level 
  • Call Numbers M: Fenwick Music Library, Brooks Hall 
  • Call Numbers Q-T [except TR]: O'Callahan Science Library, Swords Hall 

Faculty can request digitization of chapters or sections from books held in the Libraries’ print collection for course or personal use. Contact eres_mgr@holycross.edu or place a Document Delivery request.  If you are not sure which sections you would like digitized, we would be happy to scan a table of contents for you. 

Electronic Journals & Databases

FROM OTHER LIBRARIES: 

Interlibrary Loan: 

Faculty can request books, chapters, journal articles and more from other libraries using the Interlibrary Loan service.  Holy Cross uses the ILLiad system for Interlibrary Loan. Physical items obtained on Interlibrary Loan are picked up at the library you have identified in your ILLiad profile. 

 Using Document Delivery & Interlibrary Loan

 Checking the Status of an Interlibrary Loan Request

 Renewing Interlibrary Loan items

Worcester ARC: 

Holy Cross students, faculty and staff have access privileges at other institutions in Worcester through ARC (Academic Research Collaborative). ARC is a cross-borrowing agreement between Holy Cross and other universities in Worcester and in the general Worcester area. In addition to Interlibrary Loan services, you may also check out circulating items from ARC libraries directly.  

To see if an item is available at an ARC library, use the WorldCat database to search for the item you are interested in, then click to view the full list of libraries where the item is available. To use an ARC library, visit the Circulation Desk in Dinand to request an ARC Borrower's Card. Then bring both the ARC card and your Holy Cross ID with you to visit the other library (exception: you will need proof of MA address to borrow from the Worcester Public Library). 

Note: It is always a good idea to check the library's catalog and current access policies before making a trip to check out a specific item. There is a complete list of participating libraries on the Worcester ARC website.

Boston Public Library: 

The Boston Public Library issues both library cards and e-cards to anyone resident, working or studying in the state of Massachusetts. In addition to borrowing from BPL's extensive print collections, a card allows access to their online database subscriptions. An e-card can be obtained online, without visiting BPL in person. Note that to check out physical materials, museum passes, etc., you will need to visit the library and upgrade your e-card to a full library card. More information about the eCard program is available on BPL's website.

AJCU Passport: 

AJCU Passport is a program available exclusively to faculty, through the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities (AJCU). The Passport program allows faculty to visit and check-out books from libraries at other Jesuit institutions. Questions about the Passport program should be directed to Eileen Cravedi, ecravedi@holycross.edu.

Note: It is always a good idea to check the library's catalog and current access policies before making a trip to check out a specific item. You can see a map of AJCU institutions on the AJCU website. 

PURCHASE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Faculty are welcome to suggest purchases for required course materials or for additions to enhance the general collection. To allow us to be better stewards of the library budget and in light of the Provost's support of individual research funding, the library will prioritize these areas for collection building. Please reach out to your liaison librarian with any questions. 

Suggestions may be submitted to your liaison librarian or via our online form. We are adding new titles all the time, so before submitting a request, please double-check our catalog to confirm that it is not already in the collection. We encourage you to use Interlibrary Loan to 'preview' materials for relevance/value before recommending them for purchase. 

Recommendations for purchase of books and ebooks are generally accepted between mid-July (when purchasing resumes for the new fiscal year) and May 1, with the exception of materials required for summer courses. Recommendations received after May 1 will be reviewed in the next fiscal year. 

To recommend new periodicals or electronic subscriptions (for journals, databases, etc.), please contact your liaison librarian directly.

Video & Audio Resources

FILMS FOR COURSE VIEWING:

If you need streaming access to film(s) for your course, please submit a film request form. We will research any available options and get back to you. 

We encourage you you to explore films that are already available in the Libraries' collections (on the following tabs). Please feel free to contact us for help identifying films for which we have existing access, or for questions about the status of a film license. 

Due to licensing and copyright laws, the Libraries are able to digitize DVDs only under limited circumstances. We may be able to obtain a one-year license to your preferred film via platforms such as Kanopy or Swank, if the title is available, or it may be accessible through AVON, another streaming service. We suggest using justwatch.com to find common platforms where the film is available for $4 or less; many faculty discover that their students are fine with this path. 

DVDs & VHS: 

The Libraries own a number of films on DVD and a limited number on VHS. Films in these formats are shelved in the Dinand Media Room, which is located on the basement level directly off the Blue Room, and can be searched by title using CrossSearch or the Library Catalog. 

NOTE: The MRC is no longer housing DVDs or digitizing films; all DVDs are in Dinand, and digital formats are purchased and provided by the library.

Faculty may check out DVDs and VHS for one semester. Portable DVD players can be checked out from the Dinand Circulation Desk. 

Due to licensing and copyright laws, the Libraries are able to digitize DVDs and VHS only under limited circumstances. We may be able to obtain a one-year license to your preferred film via platforms such as Kanopy or Swank, if the title is available, or it may be accessible through AVON, another streaming service.

We suggest using justwatch.com to find common platforms where the film is available for $4 or less; many faculty discover that their students are fine with this path. As a complement to the justwatch.com option, we are always willing to put a physical DVD on reserve for students to check out and watch in the library.

CURRENT STREAMING LICENSES: 

See the spreadsheet below for a list of films currently licensed from Kanopy, Swank and Docuseek2 and their expiration dates. 

Note that this list does not include titles from AVON (Academic Video Online), which are available on an unlimited basis for the duration of our AVON subscription and do not have expiration dates. Films available as part of the AVON database can be searched via CrossSearch or by going to AVON directly. 

Streaming films with expiration dates [requires Holy Cross e-mail login] 

ADDITIONAL SOURCES FOR STREAMING FILM: 

The following list includes selected sources for streaming video. You can also search CrossSearch to see what films we already have access to. Simply enter your keywords, then, on the results list, then, under Resource Type on the left toolbar, choose Videos (you may need to click Show More for Videos to appear as a category). 

If you would like to quickly determine whether a specific film is available for rental via Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, etc., JustWatch.com is another useful resource. 

Library Databases:

Open Access Resources:

SOURCES FOR STREAMING AUDIO: 

The following list includes selected sources for streaming audio. You can also search CrossSearch to see what films we already have access to. Simply enter your keywords, then, on the results list, then, under Resource Type on the left toolbar, choose Audio (you may need to click Show More for Videos to appear as a category). 

Library Databases:

Open Access Resources: