Visitor Guide

Introduction

Welcome to Syracuse University Library. This guide is intended for visitors who are not affiliated with Syracuse University, but who wish to make use of the Library’s collections and/or facilities. Syracuse University Library includes E.S. Bird Library, and the Science and Technology Library and its branches. This guide does not apply to the H. Douglas Barclay Law Library, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, or the F. Franklin Moon Library of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Collections and Facilities

Visitors are welcome to use the Library's collections for research and study purposes. These materials include collections housed in Library stacks; government documents; reference collections; current periodicals and newspapers, except those held on reserve; and microform collections. Unless they are registered as guest borrowers, visitors may only use Library resources in-house. Depository collections of U.S. government publications, and assistance in using them, are freely available to all visitors. With the exception of these depository collections, the Library may at times give priority in service to University-affiliated users, and may limit visitors' access to selected facilities, collections, and services.

Visiting faculty whose institutions participate in the OCLC Reciprocal Faculty Borrowing Program may obtain a free guest borrower card. For more information, contact a supervisor at the E.S. Bird Library first floor circulation service area.

Additional Resources

Visitors may also use:

The Classic Catalog (showing SU holdings) and numerous web-accessible research databases. The catalog is available without restriction at library.syr.edu. Most other electronic resources are accessible to visitors only from campus workstations.
Resources in the Special Collections Research Center in accordance with that department's policies.

Services Not Available to Visitors

The following services are not available to Library visitors:

Interlibrary loan (ILLiad)
Course reserve materials
Selected workstations and computer software
Data restricted by licensing agreements
Certain media materials
Recall of materials checked out by others
Media Services workstations, except when viewing government publications

University research library collections and services are not designed to meet the needs of younger students or children. For this reason, visitors of younger than high school age should be accompanied by an adult at all times when viewing government publications.

Visitor Registration

All visitors are encouraged to register at the E.S. Bird Library first floor service area, the Science and Technology Library service desk, or the relevant branch library service desk. Visitors must register in order to use the Library's public computer workstations, to access the Library's catalog and databases, and to borrow materials (a fee may apply; see Borrowing Privileges for more information).

To register, visitors must provide an original, current government-issued ID with a photo and address and complete a visitor registration form.

Individuals from institutions with which SU Library maintains access agreements (currently LeMoyne College, Onondaga Community College, and Upstate Medical University) may present their currently valid insitutional I.D. in lieu of a government-issued photo I.D.

Upon registration, visitors will receive a Visitor Card allowing them to use designated computers (see Computers) and in-house use of certain library materials.

Patron Confidentiality

In recognition of the individual's right to privacy, the Library does not release patron or circulation records unless legally required to do so. For further information, see Patron Privacy Policy [PDF].

Loan Policies

Library materials are loaned to guest and institutional borrowers for 28 days. Up to ten items may be checked out at a time. A few types of materials, for example course reserves and most media including videos, may not be borrowed. Newspapers and periodicals held behind the service desk may be used with a guest borrower’s card.

Failure to return Library materials by their due date may result in the loss of borrowing privileges. Borrowers agree to be responsible for all fines, to reimburse the Library for lost or damaged materials, and to return immediately materials recalled for another patron. For details, please refer to Syracuse University Library Fine Policies.

Groups and Tours

Group tours of the Library and instructional sessions for students or groups of high school age or older may be arranged by calling the Instructional Services Department at 315.443.2730 at least two weeks in advance of the intended visit. The Library schedules such tours and sessions during times that do not conflict with campus academic needs.

Rules of the Library

The SU Library is committed to providing Library users with the resources required for research and study in an atmosphere that enhances the pursuit of scholarly activity. Library facilities and services are not available to visitors for casual or recreational use. Food is permitted only in food vending areas and in the E.S. Bird Library cafe; beverages are permitted in securely sealed containers only, and are restricted in designated locations within the Library.

Visitors who engage in noisy or disruptive behavior or who are using Library facilities for purely recreational purposes may be asked to leave.