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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 NMU credit courses who have all of their classes meet online-only (via NMU EduCat™ or other course-management system) or meet on-campus eight (8) or fewer times per semester/summer (hybrid course) or meet at an off-campus site, AND who are not residents of Marquette or the surrounding areas. This definition includes graduate students registered for thesis/project credit who live outside the Marquette area.
Students whose mailing address (according to NMU records) is within a thirty-five (35) mile radius of Marquette are considered to be within the Marquette or the surrounding areas, and are not eligible for Library Distance Education Services.
Student Registration for Library Distance Education Services (LDES)
To use Library Distance Education Services, students must register by submitting the online registration form.
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.
Remote access requires an NMU User ID
Students will need to use their NMU User ID and password to access most library provided databases and resources. If students have not received this information, please contact 906-227-1280 or access http://myuser.nmu.edu.
Services
Document Delivery of Articles
Olson Library subscribes to over 40,000 periodicals (magazines and journals) available online. Students are encouraged to use the online full-text library resources, which are available to all NMU students through OneSearch or by using the  or Full-Text link in databases. Periodicals are not loaned to students. However, photocopies of specific articles not available online will be sent to students. These photocopied
articles do not need to be returned to the Library. Request articles through Step #3 of
or
use the interlibrary loan form .
Circulation of Library materials owned by NMU
Books, government documents, and other materials owned by Olson Library will be loaned and sent to students.
We encourage students living in Michigan to request these materials through MeLCat using your local/hometown public library.
However, for those students who do not have a local library, they may access the online catalog to determine what the library owns, and then 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 barcode. 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 via the library catalog by log in to your account, by sending an e-mail, or by contacting the Circulation Desk at (906) 227-2260. Be sure to include your name, author and title of the item to be renewed, and the barcode number (inside back page).
Delivery Time: Students should plan ahead to account for delivery times. Please allow minimum of ten 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
I am a distance student on the ILL request form Notes area.
Olson Library will borrow books, documents, or other monographic sources from non-MeLCat libraries for distance education students. Materials may be renewed (subject to lending library perogative). Materials must be returned by due date; students may also submit renewal requests. Please allow two weeks minimum to receive requested items.
Reference Services
Students who need instruction on how to use OneSearch or use particular databases, how to prepare bibliographic citations for papers and projects, how to evaluate sources, or other reference questions should ask for assistance via IM chat, phone, or e-mail. Lengthy reference questions may be referred to library faculty as appropriate.
Faculty Information
Course Reserves
Faculty are encouraged to place reading materials on e-reserve. Please consult Course Reserves page.
Library & Embedded Instruction Services
Faculty may wish to receive library instruction for their entire student group on a specific topic such as how to access a particular online database (e.g. OneSearch, PubMed, etc.), how to prepare bibliographic citations, or how to evaluate information resources. Instructional materials will be provided to faculty and/or students upon request. To make arrangements for class instruction, faculty should call the library at (906) 227-2260 or e-mail.
Library liaisons are also available to provide personal course-specific support within EduCat. For more information and to request an embedded librarian, please consult the Embedded Library Instruction Services page.
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. |
