Find Books
Library Catalog - search by subject, title, author or keyword.
To renew your books yourself:
(Remember, you can only renew books that are not overdue and that have not been previously renewed.)
- Go to our Library Catalog
- Click on Sign-in (Top left of the screen)
- Enter your MyVCCS username and password. This login is the same one you use to access email and the BlackBoard system. Look up your MyVCCS login information here.
- Click on My Account (Underneath the Sign-in link at the top left of the screen).
- Click on the number in the Loans line for your college.
- Click on the number next to the item(s) you want to renew, then click Renew or click Renew All
- You should see a message that the renewal was successful.
If the book you want to renew doesn't give you that option, it could be because it is on hold for another someone else, or it has already been renewed the maximum number of times. Please call us (540/453-2247) if you have any questions.
How to renew if you are not a student or BRCC employee? Both your login and password is your library barcode number. Call us if there are any problems (540/453-2247).
WorldCat - this is a worldwide catalog of over one billion items held in more than 10,000 libraries. If you cannot find the book you need in our library's catalog, look here. We can request it for you through interlibrary loan (which is free and quick).
Library of Congress Call Number Classification - Houff Library uses this system to shelve books. This chart can help you find books on a general topic.
eBooks on EBSCOhost is a shared collection of academic e-books from major university, trade and professional publishers.
eBooks on EBSCOhost User Guide
How to create a My EBSCOhost account
List of supported ereader devices
Gale Virtual Reference Collection is a set of electronic encyclopedias and reference books covering a wide variety of subjects and disciplines, such as health and medicine, history and criminal justice.
Oxford Reference Online Core Collection is a set of general and subject-specific dictionaries and encyclopedias.
PsycBOOKS offers full-text access to a variety of psychology and behavioral science books and chapters, including the Encyclopedia of Psychology.
Overdrive Audiobooks - browse, check out, and download best-selling audiobooks for use anytime and anywhere. Listen to audiobooks on your PC or transfer them to portable devices. Some titles can be burned to a CD. Can be downloaded or burned on your home computer but not on BRCC computers due to security reasons. Use your SIS login/password.
Books@OVID provide access to full-text nursing titles
Safari Books - over 5,000 computer science books online that can be read or downloaded for free.
Tutorial on how to find a book on our shelves
New Books - listing of books recently purchased by Houff Library.
Books in Print - look here if you cannot find the book you need in our catalog or if you are interested in buying the book yourself.
Other Libraries - includes area public libraries and the large Virginia state universities.
Need a title BRCC doesn't own? Use our interlibrary loan service.
Videos
American History in Video provides the largest and richest collection of video available online for the study of American history allowing students and researchers to analyze historical events, and their presentation over time, through commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries. (use myBRCC to login from off-campus)
Annenberg Channel is a free satellite channel for schools, colleges, libraries, public broadcasting stations, public access channels, and other community agencies. It is presented 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and airs an extraordinary range of teacher professional development and instructional programs funded by Annenberg Media.
CNN Video provides video clips in 14 different subject areas from world events to offbeat items. You'll find many new video clips each day.
FedFlix: The best movies of the United States Government, from training films to history, from our national parks to the U.S. Fire Academy and the Postal Inspectors, all of these fine flix are available for reuse without any restrictions whatsoever.
Fora TV: Public debate about myriad issues and policies that affect our world. "It provides deep, unfiltered content, tools for self-expression and a place for the interactive community to gather online (FORA, 2).
Freedocumentaries.org streams full-length documentary films free of charge, with no registration needed. For several films, we even offer the ability to watch trailers or to download the actual film. The films are a much-needed counterbalance to corporate media: an industry dominated by special interests thaat are gathered by our researchers as we scour the web for well-produced videos and present them to our viewers. We adhere to all copyright laws and honor the wishes of the producers.
Frontline(PBS-View Online) remains committed to providing a primetime venue for engaging documentaries that fully explore and illuminate the critical issues of our times.
Online Media Collections at UC Berkeley includes audio and videos available to the general public.
Open Vault (WGBH Media Library and Archives) provides online access to unique and historically important content produced by public television station WGBH for individual and classroom learning. The ever-expanding site contains video excerpts, searchable transcripts, a select number of complete interviews for purchase, and resource management tools.
ResearchChannel offers on-line audiences worldwide access to continuous web cast and searchable on-demand video library of over 1700 full length programs. These resources are available at Internet2, cable, DSL and modem speeds including many speeches. Contributing institutions include, though are not limited to, George Mason University, Stanford University, Tufts, University of Virginia, NIH and Library of Congress.
TED, Technology Entertainment and Design Channel: Debate and presentations made during annually held TED conference. Speakers are globally recognized figures such as Al Gore, Bono, Bill Clinton and Jane Goodall.
University Channel: (Princeton) A collection of public affairs lectures, panels and events from academic institutions all over the world. Lectures available both in audio and well as visual mediums.
Web casts from the Library of Congress Visitors can scan through a complete list of all 303 web casts, or browse a thematic list that organizes the talks into areas such as religion, government, and education.
