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Coquitlam Library
Monday: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
New Westminster Library
Monday: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Learning Centre New Westminster
Monday: 11:30 am - 5:30 pm
Learning Centre Coquitlam
Monday: 11:30 am - 5:30 pm
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FAQs

Use this page to find answers to the most Frequently Asked Question about our Library and Learning Centre. If your question is research related check out our Research FAQs

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Borrowing

Can I donate books to the Library?

Thank you for thinking of us but the Douglas College Library is not accepting donations at this time. For more information about our Collections Development policy see our Library Policies on the About page.

Please consider donating books and other materials to one of the charitable organizations listed on the the Recycling Council of British Columbia website. The Recyclepedia tool lets you search by city and material type e.g. Soft Cover Book, Hard Cover Book, Textbook, Ebook reader.  

Can reserve items be renewed?

Reserve items cannot be renewed. You must return a reserve item by its due time. However, you can check it out again if no one requests it within 15 minutes. This policy ensures fair access to high-demand reserve items for all patrons. See Renewals and Reserves.

What adaptive and assistive hardware and software does the library offer?

The library has several pieces of adaptive and assistive hardware and software for use inside and outside the library.

Borrowable equipment includes C-Pen Exam Reader Pensnoise-cancelling headphones, and induction loops. Please visit the library's equipment page for more information on what is available.

Adaptable workstations in the library are outfitted with padded chairs, adjustable desks, ELMO document cameras, and software such as Kurzweil 3000, NVDA, and Express Scribe. Please see the list of on what is installed on library computers.

Where are the books located?

At the New Westminster Campus, regular two week circulating books are located on the second floor. At the Coquitlam Campus, books are located on the lower level. Reference books, which do not circulate, are kept on the main floor of both campus libraries.

Can I borrow a laptop from the library?

Yes. Laptops may be borrowed by Douglas college students and employees. The loan period is 24 hours though some exceptions may apply. Please note that wireless printing from laptops is not available.

I am not a student or employee at Douglas College. Could I use a computer in the library?

No. Computers in the Douglas College Library are available to Douglas College students and employees. Users must comply with the Douglas College

 as well as all college and library polices, licensing, and contractual agreements. Individuals who have business with the College may be temporarily signed in at the discretion of the library, provided that there are sufficient spaces available for students and employees.

Visitors from other academic institutions participating in the "Eduroam" network may login into Eduroam Wi-Fi using their campus credentials.

Example: 

studentnumber@douglascollege.ca
Your CNA Password

Is there wireless access in the library?

Yes. Wireless computing is available throughout the College at both campuses and Anvil Office Tower, but not wireless printing. The login process is the same as accessing a desktop computer using your CNA. 

Visitors from other academic institutions participating in the "Eduroam" network may login into Eduroam Wi-Fi using their campus credentials.

For more information on Wi-Fi credentials please see the Logins and Passwords page.

Can I book a study room?

Library study rooms are available for small groups and can be booked online.

Anvil Office Tower also offers study rooms which can be booked using the Extron screen mounted outside each study room OR via Office 365. Please refer to the Quick Start Guide for booking procedures. More information is available on the Room Technology List: https://rtl.douglascollege.ca/rtl/.

If you are looking for a space to do online classes the College is making rooms N6212, S1711 and S1809 (NW) and room A1150 (COQ) available so students can transition between in-person and online classes without leaving campus. These rooms are not equipped with headsets or webcams so please bring your own or stop by the Equipment counter to sign out any equipment you may need.

Can we eat in the library?

Drinks in covered spill-proof containers and foods that won't disturb others or leave a residue are acceptable. Quick snacks are fine, but all warm food needs to be eaten outside of the library. 

Is there a campus space to do my online class?

The Douglas College Library has a number of spaces that are suitable for attending online classes. You may use the back north east area on the main floor of the New Westminster campus library. If you're attending in a group you may book a study room.

Additionally the College is making rooms N6212, S1711 and S1809 (NW) and room A1150 (COQ) available so students can transition between in-person and online classes without leaving campus. These rooms are not equipped with devices for online classes so please bring your own or stop by the Equipment counter to sign out a headset or a webcam. 

Is there a quiet place to study?

Sometimes it can get a little noisy on the main floor of the library during the height of the semester. If you're looking for a quiet place to study, we've reserved the second floor of the New Westminster Campus and the lower floor of the Coquitlam Campus as a quiet space with study carrels. There is also a silent study room on the main floor at the New Westminster campus equipped with study tables and lamps with USB outlets.

May I use my cell phone in the Library?

In consideration of other library users, people are strongly encouraged to leave the area before using their phones. Patrons are asked to either set their cell phones to low or vibrate.

I have a citation for an article. How do I find the full text in the library?

First find out if the library has the journal by typing the journal name in the search box on the library homepage and selecting the Journal Titles tab. If your journal is available online, you will be given a link to the database(s) where it can be found. If you find an article without the full text while searching in a database you can try requesting that article via Inter Library Loan or reach out to a Librarian for more assistance.

Can I get tutoring in languages other than English?

  • The Learning Centre is a multilingual centre, so tutoring may occur in languages that will contribute to student learning.   
  • However, because the language of instruction in most courses is English, an important goal is for the tutor to prepare the student for using English in their coursework.

How can I make the most out of my tutoring sessions?

  • Plan time before your tutoring sessions to prepare and then time afterwards to incorporate feedback from your tutor and practice new skills 
  • Do as much work as possible before seeing a tutor 
  • Bring specific questions about assignments and course content that you have already worked on. 
  • Remain active and attentive during the tutoring session 
  • Limit distractions from electronic devices, food, and side conversations 
  • Build in time between appointments to incorporate tutor feedback

How does working with a tutor help improve my writing?

In your tutoring sessions, your tutor can help at any stage of the writing process to:  

  • help you evaluate and understand the assignment instructions  
  • discuss your questions about your writing  
  • review writing techniques, such as thesis development, organization and use of topic sentences 
  • suggest methods for improving your reading practices and writing 
  • identify error patterns in your writing and help you improve your editing skills 

We can’t proofread for you, but we can help you improve your editing skills by 

  • helping you recognize errors and showing you strategies to fix them yourself 
  • guiding you to helpful resources  
  • giving editing advice and practice  

How long are the tutoring appointments?

  • The appointments are 25 and 55 minutes long. It’s a little confusing, as our online booking system shows appointments to be 30-minutes and one-hour long.  
  • Tutors reserve the last 5 minutes of your appointment to do record-keeping and provide you with an emailed client report. Please help your tutor by ending your session on time.

Is tutoring confidential?

Peer tutors have signed a confidentiality agreement to keep all student conversations and written work private. Tutors will only share information about tutoring sessions with faculty and staff in the Learning Centre.  

What can I get help with?

  • Tutors can help you with work you are doing for courses you are currently enrolled in at Douglas. 
  • In keeping with the Douglas College Academic Honesty policy, tutors are not able to do school work for you nor supply answers for assignments that you must submit as your own work  
  • In addition to helping you with course assignments and course concepts, tutors can help you work on improving your study and academic skills (writing, reading, study, math, and computer skills).

What happens during an appointment?

During your tutoring appointment, your peer tutor will help you  

  • evaluate and understand the assignment instructions 
  • guide you to find resources for and answers to questions about your assignment 
  • suggest techniques for improving your academic and study skills 

When tutors can't help you, they will refer you to Learning Centre faculty or to your own instructor. 

What happens if I need to cancel an appointment?

There are four ways to cancel an appointment:

​Tutors understand that students have to cancel appointments for many different reasons. If you do have to cancel, please do so with as much notice as possible, so that other students have the opportunity to book an appointment at that time.

What is the policy on long papers for Submit A Draft tutoring?

Because tutors have an hour to work on your paper, they might not be able to provide feedback on the entirety of your paper. Instead, they might focus on certain aspects on your paper based on the appointment description. If you'd like additional feedback, we recommend making a second appointment with the same tutor, and let them know what parts to focus on.

I am a new student and cannot access My Library Account

First, ensure you are logging on with your CNA information which is your student number and the password you use when logging on to Blackboard. See more information on passwords at the College

Sometimes new students will try and access their account before the Library has had a chance to load new records into the Library system. In this case please contact library@douglascollege.ca and a public services staff member may be able to assist you.   

Are there scanners in the library?

There are card-operated photocopiers at both campus libraries which also act as scanners. Scanning to USB is free - come to the front counter first to retrieve a card to unlock the machine. If you forgot your USB drive, we'd be happy to lend you one.

Do I have to pay for printing?

Yes, the College no longer supplies free printing to students. Pages may be purcchased via debit or credit at the front counter for cost of 10 cents per black and white page and 50 cents for a single-sided page of colour printing. See more detailed information on printing at the College.