Have You Used These Resources at the JKM Library?
The Jennie King Mellon Library glows in the sun under a cloudless sky. (Annie O’Neil)
The Jennie King Mellon Library is many things for many people: a go-to study spot, a first stop for research, a source for entertaining media, and more. Jocelyn Codner, the library’s reference and outreach librarian, called it a “community center” for Chatham University, much like a public library may be for its surrounding community.
“The library offers a lot of different things at once,” Codner said. “Students can socialize, they can eat their lunch, get a private study room and really focus on their work, or take a nap. They can do a job interview, or just zone out and be alone.”
An abundance of materials and resources in the library are available to students, faculty, and staff at Chatham. Of course, the library houses an impressive collection of fiction and nonfiction books, plus films and TV shows on DVD. But the depth of the collection may surprise some students.
Here are a few other resources available at the library that may surprise you.
One-on-one research help
When researching, it can be hard to know where to start. For many students and faculty, the JKM Library is the first place they go for assistance with academic research. Codner said her favorite part of her job as a librarian includes offering one-on-one help.
“Please know that you can make a one-on-one appointment with a librarian whenever you need help with your classwork, your research, with projects—we will sit and give you an hour of our time and help you with whatever you need help with,” she said.
Librarians are available both in person and virtually; if needed, they can even hop on the phone or exchange emails to answer your questions. “Things that we can help students with are conducting research, learning how to use databases properly, learning how to think about research and how to approach their research, and narrowing down research topics,” Codner said.
“Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to and bounce your ideas off of,” she added. Stop by the main desk near the library’s front doors, go to the chat box on the library’s web page, or send an email to schedule an appointment with a librarian. Codner suggested students come to those appointments with a topic in mind and a clear idea of what they might need help with.
If there’s something the librarians can’t do for you, the Office of Academic and Accessibility Resources (OAAR) on the JKM’s third floor might be able to help.
Mia Herman ’25, a student worker at the JKM Library, stands next to featured displays on the library’s first floor. (Mick Stinelli)
Interlibrary loan
Mia Herman ’25, an undergraduate student at Chatham, started working in the library in May. She said she’s spent much of her summer at the library helping professors and graduate students find books through interlibrary loan.
“We have two main sources that we deliver and receive books through,” Herman said. There’s ILLiad, which focuses on academic materials such as journal articles, dissertations, and government documents. Another service, EZBorrow, covers a more varied spectrum of print books and DVDs, which students can borrow until the end of a semester.
Through ILLiad and EZBorrow, the JKM Library can receive via mail books and other materials from more than 50 different academic libraries. Codner said the interlibrary loan service is also a wonderful place for students to obtain textbooks, which may not be available at the JKM.
“If students do it early enough, and there’s still copies available, they’ll probably get their textbook through our partner libraries for the whole semester, for free,” Codner said. “We highly recommend people take advantage of it.” She warned, though, that those books can get snatched up quickly.
A library of things
Codner also mentioned the library’s increasing focus on being a “library of things,” a term used by the JKM’s head of access services, Kate Wenger, to refer to items that aren’t books.
Look at the Equipment for Loan page under the Use Your Library tab on the JKM website, and you’ll find laptop chargers, extension cords, external hard drives, headphones, and more available for borrowing.
The library even recently began acquiring fidget toys, which are available on the first floor, and in the future may even acquire lap mats or office supplies, Codner said.
A place to be
One of the finest resources offered by the library is space and comfort. Whether chatting with friends in common spaces or reserving a private room for focused studying, the JKM Library acts as a vital third space for students. The 24-hour lounge, located within the library’s entrance vestibule, can be accessed by students at any time of day.
Herman, who majors in interior architecture, said, the library “provides a wide spectrum of ways to experience the space and indulge in the resources we have.”
“You realize there are so many things here that can help and make you feel more comfortable doing your research, homework, or simply hanging out.”
Visit library.chatham.edu to explore some of what the JKM has to offer. You can stay up-to-date with the library with their newsletter or their YouTube and Instagram pages.