Library Services to Faculty

New faculty are often surprised to find GCC's library the equivalent of many four-year institutions. This is one of the premier community college libraries in the state. All the facilities and resources of the Glendale College Library are available to faculty. The physical library is located on the 3rd and 4th floors of the library building. The library web site provides remote access to most materials and services.

Accessing Library Materials

Reference service & Internet assistance: Reference librarians offer help in using library resources effectively, in locating materials, and in connecting users with information outside the library. Assistance is available at the reference desk, by telephone (ext. 5577), email (bjones@glendale.edu) or by completing the online reference request form.

Electronic resources: Our library online catalog provides quick access to our entire collection: over 81,000 books, 500 CDs and 330 periodical subscriptions. In addition, there is online access to approximately 20 full-text databases and a collection of electronic books. Access to most article databases and the e-book collection is available from off campus. Faculty may log in using their Glendale Community College email ID and password.

New materials: The New Books list is published on the library web page every Monday. It includes all newly available library materials including periodicals, cassettes, and CDs.

Borrowing privileges: Faculty may fill out an application for a library card at the Circulation Desk. General circulating items are due at the end of each spring semester, but are subject to recall by other users. Faculty may check out reference books overnight and should make such requests at the reference desk.

Interlibrary loans:

Faculty may request that items unavailable in the GCC Library be ordered through interlibrary loan (ILL). Depending on the responsiveness of the other library, materials arrive anywhere from one to six weeks later. ILL requests may be made by completing a form at the reference desk or online at:

You may also borrow materials directly from Pasadena City College (PCC) and Cal State Los Angeles (CSULA) using your GCC photo I.D. To get your GCC photo I.D., you can go to room AA1 at the beginning of the semester, or to room AD138 during the semester. You don't need a barcode on your card in order to check out books from PCC or CSULA, but you do need proof that you are a current employee of GCC (e.g., a current pay stub).

Faculty Holds

Faculty may call the circulation desk to have a specific item held for them. If the item is available, the faculty member will be notified and it may picked up at the circulation desk.

Collection Development - Purchase Requests

Library collection and purchasing suggestions: We encourage faculty members to make recommendations for library acquisitions. These requests can be made at the reference desk, by calling Susie Chin at ext. 1072, emailing Susie , or by filling out a Library Material Purchase Request form online.

New tenure-track faculty may request a $500 New Faculty Fund from their liaison librarian. This “grant” is intended to help mend any collection inadequacies you find in your field or for courses you will be teaching.

Course Support

Creating Effective Research Assignments: When planning a class assignment, please call or email your liaison librarian to make sure our resources are sufficient.  We can put library materials aside for your class so everyone has a chance to use them. The reference librarians can be briefed so they can better help your students understand the assignment and find the information they need.

Here are some tips to help you create research assignments that are effective and meaningful:

  • Design your assignment so that the information students are seeking has context and meaning for them. Avoid treasure-hunt assignments as these usually lead to frustration for the student.
  • Work through the assignment yourself to make sure the resources students need are available to them.
  • Hand out written copies of assignments. If you can, list some of the resources students will need to use.
  • If you provide students with a citation they need to look up, make sure the citation is complete and accurate. This helps students find the right material and it sets a good example.
  • Research can be a lengthy process, so encourage students to start their research as early as possible.
  • If you have a large class, avoid giving assignments that require the use of the same resource by everyone. You can further help students' access to materials by placing required items on reserve.
  • If you limit the use of the Web for research, make sure students understand the difference between materials on the open Web and those available through databases subscribed to by the library. Many of these databases provide full-text access to scholarly materials some of which may or may not be available in print.
  • Encourage students to consult with a reference librarian for effective research strategies.
  • Ask students to attend library workshops, or arrange for other library instructional services that might be of use to your class.

New courses: When you are planning a new course or class assignment, let us know! Your library liaison can work with you to develop bibliographies and order the library materials necessary to support your new course.

Library Instructional Services: The library offers a wide variety of instructional services to support classroom teaching and student success. These services include credit-bearing courses like Library 191 and the following Workshops:

  • Research Strategies

  • Searching Online Catalogs

  • Locating Journal and Newspaper Articles

  • Internet Essentials

  • Academic Research on the Web

  • Critical Evaluation of Web Resources

  • Improving Library Research

  • Government Resources

  • Citing Sources

Besides the workshop program, there may be other library instruction components that could benefit your students. Please contact your division's library liaison to discuss options such as:

  • Brief presentations to your students in your classroom
    This is a good method for introducing students to the library and familiarizing them with library resources.

  • Sessions integrated into your course
    Repetition of topics like research skills, critical thinking and evaluation, and documentation of sources help to reinforce these newly acquired skills.

  • Customized handouts on resources and research techniques
    Handouts can be created in print or online.

Reserves: Faculty may place library or personal materials on reserve for students. For maximum access, all such items are for use in the library only. You can make reserve arrangements online by filling out the Reserve Materials Request Form, or you can contact Sarah Williams, Library Reserves Technician, at ext. 5586 to arrange reserves.

Please submit requests at least one week (5 working days) before needed for class.

Library liaisons: Each division has a liaison librarian who serves as a contact for information about library programs, resources, and services:

Division Liaison Extension
818-240-1000		 E-mail
Health Sciences Nancy Getty 5795 ngetty
Biology Brenda Jones 5578 bjones
Business Brenda Jones 5578 bjones
College Services Brenda Jones 5578 bjones
English Susie Chin (2007/08) 1072 schin
ESL, Credit Zohara Kaye 5576 zkaye
ESL, non-credit Zohara Kaye 5576 zkaye
Health & Physical Education Susie Chin (2007/08) 1072 schin
Language Arts Nancy Getty 5795 ngetty
Mathematics      
Non-Credit Business & Life Skills Zohara Kaye 5576 zkaye
Physical Science Brenda Jones 5578 bjones
Social Science      
Technology & Aviation      
Visual & Performing Arts Nancy Getty 5795 ngetty

Last Updated 8/20/08 jyw

[top of page]