LibAnswers: Ask A Librarian FAQ

Digital Textbooks:

The library has a large digital textbook collection that's free to use. Use the link above to search for your classes in order to find the textbooks you need. The library's digital textbooks have two hour loan periods and are renewable unless others are waiting in line to access them. Every textbook has a maximum user cap. These caps very based on how many digital copies of an item the library owns. If a book is already in use by the maximum number of users, we highly encourage students to get in line to access the item by signing up for its wait list. When students get in line to use digital textbooks, our textbook team gets a notification that can prompt us to get more copies of that textbook in order to meet demand as our budget allows.

Physical Textbooks:

The library also offers free access to physical textbooks and other course materials. Physical textbooks and other Course Reserves have 48 hour loan periods and will automatically renew unless someone else is waiting in line to use them. If your textbook does not automatically renew, you will receive email notifications letting you know that it is about to be due. For more information about course reserves and textbooks, please visit this FAQ page and guide to searching for textbooks on reserve.

Requesting a Book from the Library 

Unlike our local public libraries, Cabrillo College Library does not offer a request service through your library account. 

If you are interested in a book from the main stacks of the library that is checked out to someone else, please visit the Check Out Desk or service desk in the Watsonville ILC to ask for assistance in placing a hold request on the book. You can also submit a hold request through our Ask A Librarian form. Placing a hold request will not change the due date for the person who currently has the item. However, a hold request will prevent the person who already has the item from renewing it and, when the item is returned, it will prompt library staff to hold it for you. You will be notified via email once the item is available for pickup from the Check Out desk.

Please note: We do not place hold requests for materials that are currently available on the shelf in the library, and we also generally do not mail books or other materials to off-campus locations. Please come in and ask for assistance in locating the item, and we can check it out to you!

We also cannot hold materials for you after they have been checked out to you. Please be prepared to carry items away with you at the time of checkout.

Textbooks

Library users can place requests on physical course reserves items (textbooks).

How to get in line to use a physical textbook:

• You can get in line to use a physical textbook by placing a request.
• Requests can be made in person at the Cabrillo Library's Check Out desk, using the Ask A Librarian form, or by calling (831) 479-6484 during operating hours.
• You will receive a notice via email when the requested item is available for you to check out.
• You cannot place requests on items that you already have checked out.
• You cannot place multiple requests on duplicate copies of the same item.
• We highly encourage you to use requests to share textbooks!

Library users can also get in line on a waiting list to access one of our Controlled Digital Lending online textbooks when the textbooks are already in use. We encourage students to do so! 

Solicitar un libro de la biblioteca

A diferencia de nuestras bibliotecas públicas locales, Cabrillo College Library no ofrece un servicio de solicitud a través de su cuenta de biblioteca.

Si está interesado en un libro que otra persona ha prestado, visite el Mostrador de salida o el mostrador de servicio en el ILC de Watsonville para solicitar ayuda para realizar una solicitud de retención del libro. También puede enviar una solicitud de retención a través de nuestro formulario Ask A Librarian. Hacer una solicitud de reserva no cambiará la fecha de vencimiento de la persona que actualmente tiene el artículo. Sin embargo, una solicitud de reserva evitará que la persona que ya tiene el artículo lo renueve y, cuando se devuelva el artículo, le indicará al personal de la biblioteca que lo retenga por usted. Se le notificará por correo electrónico una vez que el artículo esté disponible para recogerlo en el mostrador de salida.

Tenga en cuenta: no realizamos solicitudes de reserva de materiales que están actualmente disponibles en el estante de la biblioteca y, por lo general, tampoco enviamos libros u otros materiales a ubicaciones fuera del campus. Acérquese y solicite ayuda para ubicar el artículo, ¡y podemos verificarlo para usted!