Library Distance Education Services

Olson Library provides services to support distance education courses and programs sponsored by Northern Michigan University. A variety of services are extended to students enrolled in these courses and to the faculty teaching such courses.

Introduction

Olson Library will provide information resources and research support to students enrolled in distance education courses. Services to our distance education students will be comparable to the services offered to our on-campus students. It is recognized that effective and appropriate services for distance education students may be somewhat different from those services required by on-campus students. The requirements of the academic programs and courses will guide Olson Library staff in the planning and delivery of library services to distance education students.

The contact person for Library Distance Education Services is Michael Strahan, 233 Olson Library, (906) 227-2463.

Library Definition of a Distance Education Student

Distance education students are those students registered for credit courses who have all of their classes at off-campus sites AND who are not residents of Marquette or the surrounding areas. Students living within a thirty-five (35) mile radius of Marquette are considered to be within the Marquette area.  Exceptions will be considered for students who are not residents of the Marquette area (as defined previously) AND who are enrolled in classes which meet on campus eight (8) times or fewer per semester.

Distance education courses may be taught using any of several methods of delivery (e.g. interactive television, learning package, or by an instructor at an off-campus site, etc.). This definition includes graduate students registered for thesis credit who live outside the Marquette area.

Student Registration for Library Distance Education Services (LDES)

To use Library Distance Education Services, students must register every semester.

The registration form may be mailed, faxed, or submitted via the appropriate online registration form below:

Submit a NEW LDES Registration
RENEW Your LDES Registration
UPDATE Your LDES Registration Information

OR request a registration form by contacting LDES

Mail:
Lydia M. Olson Library
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Ave
Marquette MI 49855
Telephone: (906) 227-2463
Fax: (906) 227-1333
E-mail

After the Distance Education Library Registration form is submitted, library staff will verify student eligibility for services. Since distance learners are not issued an NMU photo ID, they will be sent an LDES library card. Library staff will maintain a file containing all Library Distance Education Registration forms. This file is regularly updated.

Obtaining an NMU User ID

Students will need an NMU User ID and password to access most library provided web databases. If students have not received this information, please contact 906-227-1280 or access http://myuser.nmu.edu.

Services

Circulation of Library materials owned by NMU

Books, government documents, and other materials owned by Olson Library will be loaned and sent to students. Students may access the online catalog to determine what the library owns. Students may request items from Olson Library using the interlibrary loan form. Students without Internet access may mail or fax requests to Olson Library using the Loan/Article Photocopy Request form. These forms will be sent to students who do not have Internet access.

Items requested by students will be retrieved from the shelves and checked out to the student using the student's Library registration. The item(s) will be mailed directly to students using U.S. mail service. The library reserves the right to limit the number of items mailed. Due dates will be assigned in accordance with standard library loan periods, which is five (5) weeks for most items. To return borrowed items, students should mail the materials using U.S. postal service, book rate. The library will accept the postmark date as the return date. In some instances, materials may be sent and returned to the library at the course site location. Overdue fines and charges for damaged or lost items will be assessed as per standard library policies.

Materials may be renewed by contacting the Circulation Desk at (906) 227-2260 or by sending an
e-mail. Be sure to include your name, author and title of the item to be renewed, and the barcode number (inside back page).

Periodicals (magazines and journals) are not loaned to students. However, photocopies of specific articles will be mailed to students. These photocopied articles do not need to be returned to the Library. Request photocopied articles using the interlibrary loan form. Students are also encouraged to use the full-text library resources, which are available to all NMU students by using the feature available through almost all databases.

Delivery Time: Students should plan ahead to account for delivery times. Please allow minimum of seven days for receipt of requested materials from Olson Library.

Interlibrary Loan of Items NOT Owned by NMU

Periodical articles will be interlibrary loaned as needed. Olson Library will seek the most time and cost efficient method for securing periodical articles. Article copies will be sent directly to students and do not need to be returned. All interlibrary loan (ILL) subsidies provided to NMU students apply. Students may request interlibrary loan by Internet from the interlibrary loan form or through .

When submitting ILL requests, students must indicate on the form that they are distance students by entering LDES on the ILL request form Notes area.

* New Service* Olson Library will now borrow books, documents, or other monographic sources from other libraries for distance education students. Materials may be renewed (subject to lending library perogative); submit renewal requests. Materials must be returned by due date. Please allow two weeks minimum to receive requested items.

Reference Services

Students who need instruction on how to search particular databases, how to prepare bibliographic citations for papers and projects, how to evaluate sources, or other reference questions should e-mail requests or call the Olson Library Reference desk at (906) 227-2294. Lengthy reference questions may be referred to library faculty as appropriate.

Faculty Information

Reserve Reading

Faculty who wish to place reading materials on reserve should contact the Olson Library circulation desk at (906) 227-2260. Cooperative arrangements will be made whenever possible to have materials on reserve for students at the course site.

Library & Information Instruction

Faculty may wish to provide instruction for their entire student group on a specific topic such as how to access a particular online database (e.g. ERIC, FirstSearch, MEDLINE), how to prepare bibliographic citations, or how to evaluate information resources. Instructional materials will be provided to faculty and/or students upon request. Site visits (in person, via telecommunications, etc.) to have library faculty provide instruction at off-site locations may be requested. To make arrangements for class instruction, faculty should call the reference office at (906) 227-2294 or e-mail.

Olson Library staff are committed to providing quality Library Distance Education Services. Questions and comments should be directed to Michael Strahan, Reference/Instruction Coordinator, and LDES Librarian.