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Library FAQ

What are the library hours?

Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. Check the Library Homepage for possible closings or special hours.

The library will be closed on holidays and breaks listed on the BRCC academic calendar.

The online library is always open and you can access electronic resources and helpful guides at the Houff Library website. The library staff is available to help. You can contact us at library@brcc.edu or use the Ask a Librarian chat!

What can I use the Ask a Librarian chat for?

Ask a Librarian chat librarians can assist you in a variety of ways. Working on a paper at 2 am and want to run your research topic by someone else? Need help refining your search terms or uncovering a stronger search strategy? Getting frustrated by the catalog or databases? Want to double check a citation? The Ask a Librarian 24/7 chat is for you! Chat librarians can help with all these things and so much more!

If you have any questions on specific assignment details, including due dates, course expectations, or whether or not a database or source will work for your assignment, please check in with your professor. 

How do I listen to audiobooks through Libby?

Follow the instructions on the Library Technology Guide to download the Libby App to borrow and listen to audiobooks through Libby.

To search an catalog of books available to you on Libby, check out their Overdrive page.

Where is the BRCC College Archive?

The College Archive is located in the Houff Student Center, room G172.  Access is by appointment only. Contact the library to make an appointment.

Does Hauff Library provide textbooks?

Some of them! Houff Library has some required textbooks available – these textbooks are provided by your instructors and are placed On Reserve behind the Library Information Desk. However, most of these textbooks are for in-library use only. We have a scanner in the library and a copier. Please ask us at the desk for more information. 

How do I know what textbooks I need for my classes?

To look up your class and see the list of required and recommended course materials, go to the efollet link under MyBRCC or visit the BRCC bookstore website and go to find courses. This will show the textbooks for the class and from the list you can select “add to cart” for print and digital books, including rental textbooks.

Contact the bookstore if you have any problems using the website: 540-234-8606 or brcc@bkstr.com.

How do I find articles for a research paper?

The library provides access to thousands of online, full-text articles through our databases. Check out the A-Z List of all library databases at BRCC. Once you are in the database you select, type in the name of the work or author you are researching. We have step-by step guides available to help you with the discovery process. If you are off-campus, you will need to log in with your MyBRCC username and password when prompted. See our Off Campus Access page for more.

If you still don’t find what you need, ask us for help! If you need help using the databases, let us know and we will be glad to assist you.

How do I access resources and articles from off campus?

Follow the instruction on the Library Off-Campus Access page

Does the library have tutoring?

Yes! Writing assistance and course tutoring are available, free of charge, to all BRCC students in the library and virtually. We recommend students make an appointment via Navigate, however students may be seen on a drop-in basis as time and staffing allow. Off-hours appointments are also available by request. Visit our tutoring guide to find more information. If you have further questions or need assistance making an appointment, please email tutoring@brcc.edu or visit the Houff Library front desk.

Are there writing tutors in the library that can help me with my paper?

Yes! Writing assistance is available and free. Please see our Writing Assistance page for all the details.

I need books for my assignment. How can I get them?

BRCC students can check out print books in our library and also have access to thousands of full-text academic ebooks online through some of our databases! (Just sign in with your myBRCC credentials when prompted.)

Great places to find academic ebooks:

You can also search for books in the Library Catalog and limit your results to books and online access.

Who can use the library?

Anyone may use the Houff Library! As a community service, the Houff Library is open to the public free of charge. Access to technology resources and the circulation of library materials requires a BRCC ID or BRCC library card. For more information on acquiring an ID as a student or community member, please see our guide on Houff Library Resources.

Does the library have laptops?

Yes, laptops are available at the information desk and can be checked out to students to use on campus or for extended use. 

How do I borrow a laptop?

BRCC students can borrow an on-campus, 5-week, or 15-week laptop by coming to the information desk at the library. Students must be enrolled in at least one class and have a BRCC ID or photo ID with them to check out the laptop. 

Please come by the front desk to fill out a form to borrow a laptop or to be added to the waitlist. Please note being placed on the waitlist does not guarantee you will be able to check out a laptop. 

5-week and 15-week laptops are available to borrow one week before the first day of classes. 

How do I renew or return my books and other library materials?

You can return your books to the library or use the book drop outside of the Houff Building (G Building) entrance closest to the F Building. If you want to renew your materials you can call us at 540-453-2247 or email us at library@brcc.edu.

How do I schedule an appointment with a librarian?

You can schedule a research appointment with a librarian by logging into MyBRCC and setting up an appointment through EAB Navigate. More detailed instructions here (YouTube video)

Can I check out library materials if I am a dual enrollment student?

Yes; dual enrollment students have the same access to resources as all BRCC students. Check out our Dual Enrollment Guide for more info.

How do I get a book or article that is not in the BRCC library?

Interlibrary loan, often abbreviated as ILL, is free a service that allows BRCC students, faculty, and staff to borrow materials from other libraries. 

Book requests generally take 2-7 days to arrive. Article requests usually take 1-3 days to fulfill. It is best to start your research assignments early to get requests processed and materials shipped in time. 

You can submit requests for books and articles not available at our library using the ILL request (Google form). 

How much does it cost to print in the library?

All printing is free to BRCC students, faculty and staff. Students may request color copies from course instructors or use the computer lab in V112. V112 is used as a classroom–please check our Campus Resources Guide for course timeframes.

How do I check out library materials?

Bring your free BRCC student/staff ID to the information desk or a photo ID with the items that you want to borrow. We do require all students fill out a technology agreement form to borrow calculators or webcams.

If you are a community member you must have your community member card that we provide or a photo ID. If you are under 18 and want a community member library card, you must have your legal parent/guardian present with you to obtain a signature.

Why and how should I create an EBSCO research account?

Creating a free EBSCO account will allow you to set up “Projects” to keep track of articles for different purposes. For example, you can set up a project for your English course and save all your resources for that specific class in the same place. For more information on that process, check out the EBSCO guide.

How do I contact Financial Aid?

Check the Financial Aid page for hours and contact information.

Can I use other college libraries such as JMU and Mary Baldwin?

Yes! Current BRCC students, faculty, and staff can use other local academic libraries who are part of the VIVA Cooperative Borrowing program. This includes JMU, MBU, EMU, Bridgewater, and others. Here is the full list of colleges. To use library resources at VIVA libraries you will need to have your current BRCC ID.

Blue Ridge Community College has cooperative library agreements allowing students to use other academic libraries in the Valley through the VIVA Cooperative Borrowing Program. Please visit the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) website for a full list of participating institutions: VIVA Cooperative Borrowing Program. If you have questions, email us at library@brcc.edu

How do I connect to BRCC WiFi?

Check out the VCCS WiFi Help article.

What do I do if MyBRCC is down?

MyBRCC not working, but you still have coursework to do? Use one of these links instead. 

How can I get help from the library?

There are several ways to receive help from the library. You can visit us in person for assistance on the second floor of the Houff (G) Building, email library@brcc.edu, call us at (540) 453-2247 or set up a one-on-one appointment via Navigate (Navigate Instructions (YouTube video)).

For assistance after hours or on weekends, check out the 24/7 chat service. For more information on contacting the library, and the resources and services we provide, see Library Resources. For students in the SDV class, see the SDV resource guide

In terms of useful resources the library provides, we have a plethora of materials that you can find/use on and off campus:

How do I link back to an article in a database?

Most library databases provide a permanent/persistent link that will take you directly back to a specific article or ebook you have found. Don’t use the URL you see in the browser window–this is only a temporary link. Look instead for the share or permalink button in the database menu–usually located at the top right of the page. There are several icons that can be used to represent the share feature. Or, look for the DOI and use the web address listed there. 

Which newspapers are available at the library?

Houff Library has a subscription to the physical copy of the Daily News Record, which is located on the information desk in the library. We can also send you articles from The News Leader or The Richmond Times; just email us a request at library@brcc.edu. BRCC students and staff also have access to the NewsBank Database. 

How do I renew my calculator?

Calculators can be checked out for a semester but must be renewed every four weeks. Calculators must be brought into the library to be renewed; they cannot be renewed over the phone.

I’m doing research on literature, novels, or short stories and need literary criticism, literary analysis, and author biographies. Where do I get them?

You can find full-text literary criticism, literature analysis, and author biographies in our library databases. We recommend using the databases mentioned in the English 112 Research Guide. The Gale Literature database is particularly useful when researching literary criticism. Once you are in the database you selected, type in the name of the work or author you are researching.

We have step-by step guides available to help you with the discovery process. If you are off-campus, you will need to log in with your myBRCC username and password when prompted. Here is a guide to that process. If you still don’t find what you need, email us for help!

How can I get help enrolling for classes or with my course schedule?

Visit the Houff Student Center (Building G) reception desk, or Student Services Virtual Reception Room (Zoom) to get information, resources, or for returning students to meet with an advisor.  The reception desk will be open Monday – Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 8:30 am to noon.

More information can be found on our Registration page.

How do I use local public libraries?

All public libraries require a library card from their organization.

Why should I use library resources instead of just the internet?

Why is it important to make use of library resources, instead of relying solely on the general internet? There are many advantages to using library print and digital resources over those that you find on Google or Google Scholar.

  • Library resources will always be free to you. While you can find a ton of free resources on Google, there are many that may ask you to create an account to access, or make you to pay to see the entirety of a resource. General Google results are often inundated with advertisements, which while harmless, can often be distracting or overbearing. You will not have to create an extra account to access library resources while you are a student at BRCC, and you will never have to deal with advertisements in library resources. 
  • Many professors will require peer-reviewed journal articles, and there is no easy way to limit your results in Google or Google Scholar to guarantee that you are seeing academic, peer-reviewed materials. Google can provide you with millions of results, but you will have to spend a lot of time verifying that those resources can be trusted as good, bias-free research. Library databases make the research process a lot easier for you.
  • Library databases include built-in filters that allow you to effectively adjust your results to match the needs of your assignment. Want to make sure that you are only seeing full-text, peer-reviewed academic journal articles? There are filters for that. Need an article written within the past five years on a specific subject area? There are filters for that.
  • Tired of algorithms? Library database results are based on relevancy to your search terms and active filters rather than a complex algorithm involving your personal internet search history and what is popular at the moment. This relative search neutrality allows you to see results from multiple perspectives and build your research from the ground up. Academic research usually requires you to understand the full spectrum of a concept, rather than building a thesis on a biased perspective or information set.