Category Archives: General Library Info

Free printing in the ERC lab!

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Students– did you know that you know that you can get 10 free pages of computer printing in the library per day? You can, and there’s no catch– with your current ID in hand, just go to the computer lab in the main campus library. Our lab is down the stairs inside the library and immediately to your right.

Durham Tech offers 10 free pages of black and white printing for current students in both the ERC main campus library lab and in the Wynn Center computer lab. Both labs require current Durham Tech IDs.

It is quick and easy to get your ID or your updated ID sticker at Campus Security in Building 8.  There is no cost to get an ID or sticker, except if you are replacing a lost ID (the replacement cost  is $10).

Need to print more than 10 pages? Yes, sure, you can do that! The cost is 5 cents for each additional page over your first 10 pages. You can also print upstairs for 5 cents per page for every page.

How does it work? Easy! Just bring your current Durham Tech ID, which you’ll need to show at both the door of the library and again at the door of the lab. In the lab, log in to our computers using your Web Advisor username. Once you send your print jobs, the ERC computer lab monitor will release up to 10 pages for free and you will pick them up right there in the lab.

If you print more than 10 pages, the lab monitor will give you a bill, which you will pay at the front desk upstairs in the library. Then library staff will then release your print job and you will retrieve it in the lab.

Some questions we are frequently asked about lab printing:

Can I get my 10 free pages on the upstairs computers?
No. Free printing is available downstairs in the lab only.

Can I pick up my print jobs upstairs?
No. We can’t change the print job destination to upstairs.

Can I print double-sided in the computer lab?
No. The downstairs printers do not have that option.

Can I print in color from downstairs?
Yes, just select a color printer from the menu when you send your job. Cost is 25 cents per page.

Can I pay for additional pages or for color print jobs using a debit or credit card?
Sorry, we can accept only cash to pay for print jobs.

Can I print in the ERC lab without my current student ID?
No, you must have your current Durham Tech ID with you every time you enter the lab.  The lab monitors cannot look you up or accept other forms of ID.  If you are in the library without your ID using your one time library courtesy pass, you can still print at the computers upstairs for just 5 cents per page.

Do you have any questions? Let us know. We look forward to seeing you in the library!

Summer School Reading: Textbooks On Reserve in the Library

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Waiting for your books to arrive or need to save some cash this summer?

The library has many textbooks on reserve for you to borrow in-library for 2 hours at a time.  Give us a call or stop by to see if we have something that can help you out for the summer semester!

Remember that we offer our regular library services over the summer as well, including research and citation help, inter-library loan, book check-out, a computer lab, and upstairs printing for $.05 a page.

Current Student IDs: Not Just for Main Campus Library Access!

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ID Card

Now that the first week of class is over (Congrats!  You did it!), students should have stopped by the Security Office on Main Campus or Security Desk at the Northern Durham Center or Orange County Campus to order or update their student ID.  Please be aware that students without updated Durham Tech student IDs will not be allowed into the Main Campus library starting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015 (see below for more information on the ID policy).  

However, a current student ID doesn’t just get you access to the books, DVDs, computers, CDs, and other perks of the Durham Tech library– it also can get you discounts at local and national chains, both in-person and online.

Locally (click on the links for more information):

National chains with local presences:

(Be sure to check at national chains to see if they’re currently honoring student IDs as policies may vary.)

Investigate for yourself using the following lists:

Good luck and happy saving!

More information on the student ID policy: Students may sign in at Main Campus library one time per semester with an alternate form of photo identification and proof of their current enrollment (syllabus, textbook, etc.).  Current students may not sign in as guests— their names will be checked with the one-time pass list, and they will be denied entry if they have already used their pass this semester.

Please note that Durham Tech students taking classes on other campuses must still have a current student ID in order to enter the Main Campus library.

Our Library Computer Lab

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Photograph of a librarian teaching a class in the library

In addition to our computers upstairs, our main campus (ERC) library is glad to be able to offer a computer lab that is open to all current Durham Tech students!

In the ERC lab, which is down the stairs inside the library and immediately to the right, our lab monitors offer technical support, a scanner is available, and you can print up to 10 black and white pages for free each day. Subsequent black and white pages are 5 cents each, and all color copies are 25 cents each.

The lab is available to students whenever the library is open, except for times when librarians are teaching library instruction classes. During these times, which are posted on the lab door, the lab is reserved for students in these classes only.

We want the lab to be a quiet area dedicated to academic work, so please keep our policies for using the lab in mind:

  • Only current Durham Tech students may use the lab, and a new or updated Durham Tech ID/proof of current student status is required. No children are allowed (no one may accompany students into the lab).
  • Only academic work is permitted.
  • No food or drink is allowed.
  • Cell phone use is prohibited.
  • Keep it quiet–no loud talking or headphone noise is permitted.
  • Students are expected to comply with Durham Tech’s Appropriate Use of Computing Resources Policy.

Let our library staff know if you have any questions, and thank you for complying with our policies and keeping our lab a great place for students to work! And remember, students must also show their current (new or updated) Durham Tech student IDs to enter both the library and the lab.

What Can Your Library Do For You?

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Whether you’re a new student, returning student, staff or faculty member, the library has resources and services to help your semester be a success, both in person and on our website!

Did you know that in the library you can:

And much more!  And all of our databases and other digital resources?  You can even access them from home!

Come by and see us!  If this is your first time using the library, please remember to bring your updated Durham Tech ID for entry.

New Library PC Reservation System!

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Image has the PC Reservation logo and the image of a computer monitor.

At Durham Tech, our students and their academic work are our highest priority.   We are excited to introduce you to our new PC Reservation system in the Main Campus library, which  is designed to ensure that currently enrolled students will be able to access the upstairs library computers in a more timely manner.

Here are answers to some of the questions you may have about our new system:

What if I am a…

  • Current Durham Tech curriculum student, staff, or faculty member? 

To access our library computers, just log in with your Web Advisor username (last name, first initial, last four digits of your Durham Tech ID number).  You may log in up to 5 different times for a computer session.  You are allowed180 minutes for each session at all Web Advisor computers except the Express Computer, which limits all sessions to 15 minutes each.

  • Current Durham Tech student without a Web Advisor account?

You will need a Guest Pass from the desk to log in, but you may have multiple (up to 5) sessions daily.   We will need to see your Durham Tech student ID and we will issue you a library card.  Then when you come in, just show us your library card and we will ask you to sign in and then we will issue you your guest pass.

  • Guest (includes public patrons and students not currently enrolled)?

            Guests may use one of four designated GUEST computers for one session of up to one hour per day, no extensions.   Guests will need a Durham Tech library card in order to receive a guest pass.  Each time you come in, we will ask for your library card and have you sign in, then we will issue your guest pass to use a computer.

  • How can I get a public patron library card for a Guest Pass?

Patrons must be at least 16 to be issued library cards and use computers. To be issued a public patron library card, guests who are 18 years of age or older should present proof of identification and North Carolina residence at the circulation desk.    High school students (not including Durham Tech Middle College students, who have a Web Advisor username) from Orange and Durham Counties need a completed Parental Authorization form as well as identification in order to be issued a library card.

  • Can I log in on more than one computer?

No.  You must use your own Web Advisor username and you are limited to one computer at the time.

  • Can I make reservations in advance?

Yes!  Current Durham Tech students, staff, or faculty may set up their own reservations daily.

  • Can my child use a computer while I do my work?

No.  Children under 16 may not use library computers even under parental supervision.

           Important Information Regarding Children in the Library:  

Children are not allowed to be left alone in the library– we want children to be safe!  If space is available, children may sit beside parents working on computers upstairs. Children are not allowed in the downstairs computer lab, which is for the use of currently enrolled students only.

   Please note that all computers will time out and log off your session after 15 minutes of inactivity, so be sure to save your work and monitor any time away.

The PC reservation system is also installed in the computer lab downstairs, and students will need to log in using their Web Advisor username there as well.  Remember that the lab is only for currently enrolled students;  you’ll need to show your Durham Tech student ID with a current sticker and sign in.

This system is new to us as well as to you, so we appreciate your patience as we work out the kinks.  Please ask us if you need help or if you have questions!

Read the book and watch the movie

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Books often translate well to film.  Here are some of the titles that the library has as both book and DVD.

Red collage with the picture of a film reel and the phrases "From Books to Film," "Read the book," and "Watch the movie."

Visit our display on the lower level for these titles.

  • Anna Karenina
  • Diary of Anne Frank
  • Eclipse
  • Emma
  • For Colored Girls
  • Freakonomics
  • Freedom Writers
  • The Hours
  • A Lesson Before Dying
  • Life of Pi
  • Lord of the Rings
  • Moneyball
  • The Namesake
  • No Country for Old Men
  • A Raisin in the Sun
  • The Road
  • Sense & Sensibility
  • Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
  • Water for Elephants

Recently adapted books-to-film coming soon: Cloud Atlas and Great Gatsby