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Library Overview for Tutors: 10 Things to know about the Library

A go-to library resource for student tutors.

10 things to know about the Library

1. Library Website

2. Hours

  • Merced Campus
    • Monday through Thursday 8-8
    • Friday 8-5
  • Los Banos Campus
    • Monday through Thursday 8-6
    • Friday 8-2
  • Chat is available 24/7
  • The building itself is closed on weekends, holidays, & non-instructional days

3. Printing, Copying & Scanning

  • You will be helping with printing and copying a lot. 
  • Print release stations are on the 1st & 2nd floors. 
  • Copy machines are in the Copy Room (1st floor) and on the 2nd floor. 
  • Print costs:
    • 40 cents for color (it doesn't matter if it's double-sided; it's still 40 cents per side)
    • 10 cents for B&W (it doesn't matter if it's double-sided; it's still 10 cents per side)
    • 20 pages free per day at the ASMC Office in the Student Union. 
  • Print cards are needed for all printing & copying purposes in the Downey Center. 
  • Purchase print carts at the dispenser on the 1st floor of the Downey Center or pre-loaded cards at the Bookstore in the Student Union.  
    • Dispenser
      • Paper $1 bill needed initially (50 cents for card with a 50 cent balance)
      • The Service Desk on the 1st floor can break a $5 or provide a paper $1 bill from coins
      • Keep loading the same card with paper currency
    • Bookstore
      • Pay with cash, credit, or debit card
    • ATM is available outside the Bookstore
  • In emergency or stressful situations, send or escort students to the Research Help Desk as we sometimes have print cards with funds we have personally added to cards. 
  • More detailed information is available at the Printing & Copying FAQ

4. Study Rooms

  • Study rooms on either floor of the Downey Center are checked out with MCCD ID for 1 hour
    • 1st floor rooms: 6 rooms
    • 2nd floor rooms 3 rooms
  • More detailed information is available at the Study Rooms FAQ

5. Computers & WiFi

  • If you aren't able to help a student log into the computers or connect to WiFI, please refer students to the Technology Support Desk. 
  • Desktop Computers on the 1st and 2nd floors
    • Log in with your MC Portal username (the part before the @ in your campus email) and password. 
  • WiFi
    • If using a personal device, use the mccd-wifi network. 
    • If using a college laptop, use the mccd-secure network. 
    • Either network, use your MC Portal username (the part before the @ in your campus email) and password. 

6. Citation Guides

  • Please see the library faculty for help with any citation style, though the more common are APA 7, Chicago 17, & MLA 9.
  • The librarians also have guides, which are mini websites, for the more common styles on the library website.

7. Research Guides

8. Library Tutorials

  • You may have taken some of these library tutorials before, but they can be useful to revisit. 
  • We are working on a big update to these this Spring 2023. 

9. Library Staff at the Service Desk (1st & 2nd floor in Merced | Los Banos)

  • Check out Course Reserves & books
  • Lend computer & phone chargers
  • Lend white board markers & erasers
  • Locate a faculty librarian if one is temporarily away from the Research Help Desk
  • Call a faculty librarian to help students on the 2nd floor
  • Make change for print cards 
  • Discuss your library account
  • Help with printing, copy machines, & document scanners

10. Library Faculty at the Research Help Desk & Chat (1st floor in Merced | Los Banos)

  • Faculty librarians are usually scheduled at the Research Help Desk.
  • Please refer students to a faculty librarian for all research assignments as there is more to research than finding an article in a database.
    • We will refer students back to you when it's time. 
  • Chat is available 24/7.
    • During our open hours: usually always answered by a MCCD faculty librarian
    • After hours: faculty librarian from another college
  • We provide instruction and create instructional materials for in-person and online courses, so please refer other faculty to us.  
  • We often have emergency print cards or access to one for stressful times.