Yes, librarians can help you via email, Zoom or other means; visit the liaison librarians page for contact information.
Yes, to protect the health of our users and staff, Coates Library will only be accessible for those with a valid Tiger Card.
FAQs
- Will there be restrictions on who can come into the library?
- Will I still have access to ILL?
Yes, interlibrary loan can fill your requests electronically for articles and for book chapters. We may have difficulty filling requests for books, because other libraries may have stopped lending books to partner libraries during this period.
- Can I still access all of Trinity’s databases and ejournals from my home?
Yes, almost all of our databases and ejournals are available remotely; you will usually need to authenticate yourself when asked with your TU ID and password. Other connection options are listed here.
- Can I still have a one-on-one appointment with a librarian for research help?
- What are the new library hours?
Please check our hours page at https://lib.trinity.edu/hours or by following us on social media for the most updated information.
- How do I get things out of my locker?
Please call the Circulation Desk at (210) 999-8127 or email libcirc@trinity.edu to arrange a time for you to come to the library.
- Can I still check out reserves?There are several ways you can access items that are on reserve.1) Check TLearn. Your professor may have posted chapters from your textbook already.2) There are a variety of free textbook services operating during the outbreak. We’ve checked and both of these have many of our reserve books.
- RedShelf – https://studentresponse.redshelf.com
- VitalSource – https://get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-helps
3) If none of the earlier options have what you need, send libcirc@trinity.edu and we will try to work with you to get your the content you need. - Will I be fined for overdue materials?
You will not be fined for any materials returned late. If you require assistance, please feel free to contact Circulation at (210) 999-8127.
- How do I return the materials I have checked out?
You may return them to the library directly, deposit them outside in the book drop beside the library’s loading dock, or mail them to the following address:
Trinity University
Attn: Coates Library Circulation
607 Kings Ct
San Antonio, TX 78212
- Do alumni have access to InterLibrary Loan (ILL)?
Alumni do not have access to InterLibrary Loan (ILL). Your ILLiad account is deactivated when you graduate. If you return as a student or faculty/staff, contact us at ill@trinity.edu and we can quickly reactivate your account.
For More Info / Source(s)
- Are library resources (including online databases and journals) available to TU alumni?
Please review the link below for information related to obtaining an alumni card and library privileges for alumni. You may use most online databases in the library by obtaining a guest userid and password from the Circulation Desk. Off campus use of databases is available only to current Trinity students, faculty and staff with the exception of JSTOR and ProjectMUSE. Contact us at asklib@trinity.edu for assistance.
For More Info / Source(s)
- How do reserve books work?
To check out a book on reserve, come to the circulation desk and provide your professor’s name, course number and/or the name of the book. If it’s on reserve, you can check it out with your Tigercard.
- Who can I contact with specific Access Services questions?
To speak with the Manager of Access Services, contact Jason Hardin at (210) 999-8181 or by e-mail.
For general Circulation questions, call the Circulation desk at (210) 999-8127.
- How do I renew items that I've checked out?
Visit the Library Catalog, and click on the Login option at the top of the screen, then follow the log-on instructions that appear. You’ll be able to check your Library account, see charged items and their due dates, and renew items that have not reached their renewal limit. Or, go directly to the login screen by clicking here.
Please note that we do not offer renewals over the phone.
Alternately, you may wish to bring your currently charged items to the Circulation desk and request that they be discharged and checked back out to you. This procedure has the advantage of resetting the limit on the items’ renewals. Please note, however, that if an item has an outstanding hold or recall request, we cannot check it back out to you. Additionally, all returned items marked as “lost” must be processed to remove the lost status and to remove any related fines and fees (if appropriate) before being checked back out to any patron.
- How do I recall a book?
In general, to place holds/recalls on items that are checked out, just go into the item record in the library’s catalog (https://mill.trinity.edu) and click on the “Request” button. Then follow the log-on instructions and supply the requested information about your preferences.
- What are the Library’s loan periods and overdue policies?
This depends on the patron category (i.e., student, faculty, staff, alumnus, etc.) and the type of item being circulated. For a comprehensive explanation of a specific policy, please select one of the following patron categories:
Trinity Alumni
Trinity Classified Staff
Trinity Faculty and Contract Staff
Trinity Students
Trinity Summer Program patrons (Special Privileges card)
Trinity Trustees
Associates and Business Affiliates
TexShare Card Program
Researchers (Special Privileges card)
Spouses and Children of Trinity faculty/staff - Where do I pay my library fine (library or Cashier) and do you take cash or tiger card?
Library fines can be paid at the circulation desk with cash, check, or Tiger Bucks.
- My spouse/partner is a professor or staff member at Trinity. Can I currently, as a dependent, check out books, films, etc?
Yes, you may! The only requirement is that you present at the circulation desk a Trinity Dependent ID card (available through the University’s Tiger Card Office: tel. 210-999-7825, Storch Bldg room 005). We can then register you as a Dependent patron. The link below has specific loan policy information.
For More Info / Source(s)
- How can I appeal overdue charges on my library account?
If you would like to appeal/request a waiver of any charges on your library account, contact either Jason Hardin (Manager of Access Services) at (210) 999-8181 or by e-mail to jhardin@trinity.edu; or Jennifer Marshall, at (210) 999-8180, or by e-mail to jmarsha3@trinity.edu. We will be happy to discuss the situation with you.
You may also feel free to stop by the circulation desk, and submit a Circulation Appeal Form, in the event that Mr. Hardin or Ms. Marshall are not immediately available.
- Can I check out materials even if I’m a guest and not part of the Trinity community?
As Trinity University is a private institution, our funding is limited and we must restrict the circulation of Library holdings to those patrons who are either directly affiliated with the University (faculty, students, staff, etc.) or who directly support the mission of the University and the Library. There are several programs, however, that permit certain off-campus patron groups to check materials out. Please see the descriptions of these services, below.
Coates Library is private, but always open to the public. Off-campus patrons who are ineligible for any of the below programs are still welcome to use our materials and resources “in-house”.
TexShare – Faculty, staff, students, and patrons of institutions that participate in Texas’ statewide TexShare card program may borrow up to four books at one time, for a period of four weeks, by presenting personal institutional identification along with a valid TexShare card.
Alumni – Graduates of Trinity University may establish a permanent Library account (permitting the check-out of up to eight books at any one time) by bringing their valid Trinity Alumni card to the Circulation desk and paying a one-time, non-refundable fee of fifteen dollars.
Associates and Business Affiliates – Individuals and institutions who participate in business arrangements with the University and/or who help to support the mission of the University are eligible to receive Associate/Business Affiliate Library cards. Requests for this privilege should be made through the Development Office (210) 999-7415.
- How do I see how much time I have left on an item I've borrowed?
You can always view everything you have checked out, including the time due for hourly loans, by logging on at https://mill.trinity.edu/patroninfo. You can also dial the circ desk at 210-999-8127. Please feel free to call us if you have further questions!
- Where can books for recycling be dropped off?
Please email database.maintenance@trinity.edu, to arrange a place for you to drop-off your materials.
- What type of materials does the library accept for recycling?
Materials for recycling should come from your campus office, and may include books, journals, VHS tapes, cassettes, and DVDs. We do not accept LP records or LaserDiscs.
- Can I bring books to the library for recycling? How do I schedule a drop-off?
In line with Trinity’s efforts to maintain a sustainable campus, the Coates Library continues to offer a book recycling service for faculty and staff members. We understand the need for a responsible, convenient method of dealing with books that are no longer of professional or departmental use.
*Our only condition for offering this service is to email us ahead of time to make arrangements.*
If you have any materials to recycle, please email database.maintenance@trinity.edu, and provide the following information:
1. Drop-off date
2. Number of boxes
We will arrange a place for you to drop-off the materials.
*Materials for recycling should come from your campus office, and may also include journals, VHS tapes, cassettes, and DVDs. We do not accept LP records or LaserDiscs. *
- Does the library keep past copies of the campus yearbook, The Mirage?
Digitized versions of both the campus yearbook, the Mirage, and the campus newspaper, Trinitonian, are now available online. Click on the link below to access the Mirage and the Trinitonian.
For More Info / Source(s) (Links open in new window.)
- Does the library purchase multiple copies of books and other materials?
The library acquires two copies of books written or edited by Trinity University faculty members (one copy for special collections and one for the circulating stacks), but generally speaking, it does not buy more than one copy of a given edition of a book, video, CD, etc. If there is evidence of unusually high and ongoing need for a particular item, additional copies may be bought on a case-by-case basis. The library also does not usually add donated materials which duplicate items already in our collection.
Exception: Duplication of content sometimes occurs when both the print and electronic versions of a book are bought. This duplication is not intentional, and the library makes every attempt to minimize such duplication.
- What is the library's policy for gifts--in other words, for donating materials or funds to the library?
The Coates Library has benefited significantly over the years from donations of books and other materials to its collections. At this point in time, the library provides not only print, but also digital and other media information, as well as important study and research space for our users. Library staff look to increase the quality of our collection rather than its size, and potential donations from generous friends of the library are considered with that goal in mind.
The Coates Library gift policy, which includes contact information for the appropriate library staff members, can be found at the link below.
For More Info / Source(s)
- How do I access library databases if I'm a retired faculty member?
The Faculty & Contract Staff Handbook states that full-time faculty and staff who retire from Trinity may choose to retain certain benefits, including continuing access to library databases.
Please contact the ITS HelpDesk at (210) 999-7409 if you wish to request continuing access to digital library resources.
For more information about this please consult the Benefit Continuation for Retired Faculty & Staff guide.
- Am I able to read the current issue of The New York Times online?
Starting April, 2014, current Trinity students, faculty, and staff may access the same day’s full New York Times (as well as most content back to 1980 and selected articles before that time) through a web browser or smartphone/tablet apps. Your account pass must be set up while using a computer or device on our campus network, but thereafter you may access the newspaper anywhere you have Internet access.
Please read instructions for setting up your account in the library guide linked below.
Unfortunately, the New York Times does not allow us to offer this content to alumni or library visitors.
For More Info / Source(s) (Links open in new window.)
- What is the login for full-text access to ScienceDirect?
We don’t have straight full-text access for the journals in the ScienceDirect database. When students find articles that they need, they must request them by going through this page. Our library will get the PDFs for articles that are requested, but note that we are charged $26 per article by the publisher. We absorb that cost for students. We just ask that you make sure you request items you definitely need. If that’s the case, please put in your request!
- Is there a charge for interlibrary loan?
There is usually no charge to students for materials received through ILL. A faculty or staff member is charged only when his or her charges in a single fiscal year exceed $500. Rush delivery, when requested by the recipient, will be charged in full.
- Who may use interlibrary loan?
Current Trinity University students, faculty, retired faculty, and staff in good standing are eligible.
If your borrowing privileges have been blocked, we cannot supply interlibrary loan services to you. However, as soon as you take the needed steps to restore your good standing, we will be happy to fulfill your requests. To discuss your status, please contact Jason Hardin, Head of Access Services (jhardin@trinity.edu, 8181).
- How long may I keep Interlibrary Loan (ILL) books?
It all depends on the library that lent it to you, but usual loan periods are
- books — a month
- DVDs and CDs — 1-2 weeks
The maroon book strap on your item will give you the due date.
You may request one renewal of a given item, as follows:
Renewal requests may be made as early as 14 days before the due date and as late as the day before the due date. To request a renewal, log on to ILLiad and under “View,” click on “Checked Out Items.” Click on the transaction number for the item you want to renew, then on “Renew Request.” ILL staff will request a renewal and let you know if the lending library has granted it.Otherwise, please email the ILL unit at ill@trinity.edu or call 8473.
If you need the item beyond the renewal, let us know. We are happy to request it from a different library.
- How do I return borrowed interlibrary loan materials?
Return all your borrowed books, DVDs, and CDs to the Coates Library circulation desk.
Please leave the maroon book strap attached!
- What is interlibrary loan?
Interlibrary loan is a service which provides you with study and research materials not available in the Coates Library. We borrow books, DVDs, and CDs for you from other libraries and deliver electronic versions of journal articles to your desktop. The conditions of this service are set by local agreements, the regulations of the individual lending libraries, and the National Interlibrary Loan Code.
- Where can I get help for citing sources?
For information on citing sources using one of a number of styles (including MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, and ASA), visit the library’s Citing Sources pages.
If you need assistance with a citation management tool, the Citation Management Tools LibGuide includes instructions and tutorials.
- How will other scholars discover my work once it appears in the Digital Commons, and how can I tell how often it is viewed?
Once your work is uploaded to the Digital Commons@Trinity, it will be accessible freely to viewers who browse the Digital Commons. More importantly, Google and other search engines index this site, so people searching with these tools will discover your work as they search the web. Your work is most likely to appear higher in search results in subsets like Google Scholar. Additionally, you will be provided with a permanent URL for your work, and you may place this on your own website, email it to colleagues, etc., to promote your research.
- Can I bring an emotional support animal into the library?
In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the only animals permitted in the library are Registered Service Animals (dogs), a category defined through federal law here: [https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html]. Pets or emotional support animals are not permitted in the library.
- Are you open to the public?
Due to COVID-19 Coates Library is currently closed to the public and is only accessible with a valid Tiger Card.
- What is One Search?
OneSearch allows you to search across most of the library’s resources from a single search box. Use it to discover relevant information on any topic from the library’s collections, whether it is in journal articles, books, or videos.
What is in One Search?
- Articles from many, but not all, databases and journals to which the library subscribes
- All books, videos, sound recordings, and other material contained in our library catalog
What is not in One Search?
- Some databases that we subscribe to are not participating in One Search at this time.
- How can I reserve a locker in the library?
Keys to library lockers are checked out on a first-come, first-served basis and therefore cannot be “reserved”. The best way to ensure that you are able to acquire a library locker is by coming as soon as possible to the library’s circulation desk (on the 3rd [main] floor) to check one out. The loan period for lockers is one term, with three online renewals permitted.
Please see the link below for more borrowing policy information for Trinity students.
- How can I access the library study rooms?
NOTE: Currently Study Rooms are unavailable due to COVID-19.
Study rooms are available on the 2nd and 4th floors for groups of 2 or more students for a period of 2 hours (2nd floor rooms may be checked out to individual students).
The keys to the study rooms may be checked out at the circulation desk. Study rooms reservations can be made online for either immediate use or in advance via the online booking system at https://trinity.libcal.com/spaces.
NOTE: During periods of heavy use such as final exams week, study rooms may not be renewed.
- What's the difference between a keyword and a subject in the library catalog?
The basic difference between keywords and subjects is that subjects (or “subject headings”) have been predetermined, while keywords have not. A keyword is an easy place to start because you can use any word that seems to fit your search; this is called “natural language” searching. You may notice that you’ll always get at least several results this way, but they may not all be relevant. This is because the catalog will bring up any result that has the word you used anywhere in it’s record (the record is the information you see in the catalog, including the title, description, location in the library, etc).
Searching by subject, on the other hand, will usually bring back less results but they will often be more accurate. However, in order to search by subject you have to know the word or phrase the catalog uses to describe your topic in the “subject heading” field of the record. Since the possible terms for subject headings have been predetermined, if you don’t know the exact term it may seem like there are no results on your topic. But that’s probably not true! If you are having trouble finding the correct subject heading and/or keywords for your topic, don’t hesitate to ask for help at the reference desk or contact a librarian.