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  • Research & Instruction

  • Borrowing

    • Borrowing from Howard-Tilton

      Anyone is welcome to use Howard-Tilton. To check out materials form the library, you will need one of the following:

      • Splash: A Splash Card is a Tulane ID for active faculty, staff, and students.
         
      • Alumni: Any former Tulane student may get borrowing privileges with an active card from the Tulane Alumni Office.
         
      • TU/LU: A TU/LU Card is a card for Loyola undergraduates to borrow from Howard-Tilton.
         
      • CALL: A CALL Card is for faculty and graduate students from New Orleans universities to borrow from Howard-Tilton.
         
      • LALINC: A LALINC Card is for faculty and graduate students from Louisiana universities to borrow from Howard-Tilton.
      • Subscriber card: A Subscriber Card is for members of the public to borrow from Howard-Tilton.
        If you are not currently a subscriber, you can become one. Anyone may purchase a Subscriber Card, which entitles patrons not affiliated with Tulane to borrow books from the library. All books are checked out for 28 days, and are subject to recall after two weeks. There is a $250.00 annual fee for a Subscriber card. Cards cannot be renewed until all outstanding fines are paid. Please call the Circulation Desk at 865-5689 for more information. This card may not be used at the Law School and Medical School Libraries. It also cannot be used to access online databases off-campus.
      Choose your affiliation:

      Tulane Undergraduate:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership N/A
      Number of Items Allowed 50
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 1 Week; Allowed 3 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 1 Week; Allowed 5 at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      Tulane Graduate Student:
      Book Loan Period 1 semester
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals Yes - 2 Days
      Cost of Membership N/A
      Number of Items Allowed 50
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 1 Week; Allowed 5 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 2 Weeks; Allowed 7 at a time
      Assigned Carrels Yes - Via Carrel Application Form
      Tulane Faculty:
      Book Loan Period 1 year
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals Yes
      Cost of Membership N/A
      Number of Items Allowed 100
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 2 Weeks; Allowed 5 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 4 Weeks; Allowed 7 at a time
      Assigned Carrels Yes - Via Library Administration Office
      Tulane Staff:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership N/A
      Number of Items Allowed 50
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 3 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 5 at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      Tulane Alumni:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership No fee; Must have alumni card from Tulane Alumni Office.
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 3 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 5 at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      Tulane Library Staff:
      Book Loan Period 1 year
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals Yes
      Cost of Membership N/A
      Number of Items Allowed 50
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 2 weeks; Allowed 5 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 4 weeks; Allowed 7 at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      Tulane Faculty/Staff Dependents:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership N/A. Need a valid card, issued at Check-Out Desk
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs No
      Borrow Circulating CDs No
      Assigned Carrels No
      Tulane Subscribers:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership $250 annual fee
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 3 at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs Yes - 1 week; Allowed 5 at a time
      Assigned Carrels Yes - Via Library Administration Office
      Lusher & International School Students:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership Agreement with School
      Number of Items Allowed 10
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed None - Can return books and recheck out for another 4 weeks
      Borrow Reserve Materials Yes
      Borrow Tech Equipment Yes
      Borrow Circulating DVDs No - In-house use only
      Borrow Circulating CDs No - In-house use only
      Assigned Carrels No
      CALL Cards:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership N/A. Must have card issued by home library and barcode issued by Check-Out Desk
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs 1 week; Allowed 3 items at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs 1 week; Allowed 5 items at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      LALINC Cards:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership Must have card issued by home library and barcode issued by Check-Out Desk
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs 1 week; Allowed 3 items at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs 1 week; Allowed 5 items at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      TU/LU Cards:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership N/A. Must have card issued by home library and barcode issued by Check-Out Desk
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs 1 week; Allowed 3 items at a time
      Borrow Circulating CDs 1 week; Allowed 5 items at a time
      Assigned Carrels No
      Other Borrowers:
      Book Loan Period 4 weeks
      Borrow Non-circulating Journals No
      Cost of Membership Card issued by the library
      Number of Items Allowed 25
      Number of Book Renewals Allowed 3
      Borrow Reserve Materials No
      Borrow Tech Equipment No
      Borrow Circulating DVDs No
      Borrow Circulating CDs No
      Assigned Carrels No

    • Self Check-Out

      Library patrons may now check out their own materials using our contactless Self Check-Out kiosk, or from their phones using an app called meeScan.  The Self Check-Out kiosk is located on the first floor, beside the Check-Out Desk.  Directions on how to use the app and kiosk are below.


      Checking Out Books using the meeScan app

      1. Download and install the meeScan app from the Apple or Android/Google app store. You can either search meeScan or click one of the icons above while using your phone or tablet.  During setup you will have to give the app the following permissions:

                • Allow the app to send you notifications.
                • Allow the app to access your camera in order to scan barcodes on books.
                • Allow the app to access your location so that it can automatically connect to the library.

      2. On launching the app identify you as being at Tulane University and Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.
      3. You can then login by clicking on the green "Start" button and type in your Tulane ID number.
      4. Once logged in, click on the bottom of the screen (where indicated) to start scanning items.
      6. Scan the barcode of the item you wish to borrow.
      7. If you are borrowing more than one item, select the 'scan multiple items' option before you begin.
      8. Once you've finished scanning, click 'Finish' to complete the process. You will then receive an email receipt for all books.

      Please note: Due to the library security system, meeScan will ask you to deactivate the books at the self service station before leaving the library. Please follow the Self Check-Out Instructions (below) to deactivate each book. The app will confirm once the security has been deactivated. Please speak to a member of library staff if you need any assistance the first time and we will be glad to help.


      Self Check-Out Instructions

      1. Swipe your Tulane Splash ID card, with the magnetic strip facing to the right, or press the green START button on the kiosk screen.  Go to step 3.
      2. Swipe your Tulane Spalsh ID card, with magnetic strip facing to the right, or manually type in your Tulane University ID number.
      3. Find the barcode, located inside the back cover of the book.
      4. Place book on top of the demagnetizer next to the kiosk. Make sure that the spine is against the back of the demagnetizer.
      5. Hold the barcode under the red scanner light. When the scanner reads the barcode, the light will turn green and you will hear a beep.
      6. Keep the book’s spine against the demagnetizer until you hear a click.  This is the magnet turning the book’s security tag off.  You may need to run the book back and forth along the back of the demagnetizer.
      7. Each checked out book will appear in a list on the kiosk screen. Please do not remove the book until it appears on the kiosk screen and a green banner appears on the bottom saying you're ready to go.
      8. Repeat for each book you have, then select “Log Out” (upper left hand corner of the screen.
      9. You will receive an email receipt for all books checked out.

    • Alternate Faculty Borrowing Cards

      Alternate Faculty Borrowing Cards allow Tulane faculty members to designate teaching assistants, graduate assistants, or others to check out materials to their library account.  Faculty members may authorize who they choose to check out materials in their name simply by sending them to the library with this card.  To obtain an Alternate Faculty Borrowing Card, the faculty member must come to the Check-Out Desk in person to verify their identity to anyone at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library Check-Out Desk, fill out and sign a request form that the library keeps on file.  After filling out the form, library staff will issue them the card.  Every item checked out with the Alternate Faculty Borrowing Card is charged to the faculty member's library account just as if it was checked out with the faculty member's Tulane ID.  Alternate Faculty Borrowing Cards do not expire so they may be passed to other student or graduate assistants as the faculty member sees fit.  The faculty member remains fully responsible for all books checked out with the alternate card and responsible for recalling the card when the surrogate terminates from Tulane.

    • Renewing

      Renewing

      Books may be renewed online or in person at the Circulation Desk if the item is not overdue or has not been requested by another patron.

      Books may not be renewed over the phone or via email.

      To renew online:

      1. Go to the Login link in the top right of all library.tulane.edu pages.
      2. Choose account type
        • Library Account for current Tulane students, faculty, and staff. 
        • Guest Account for guests with borrowing cards.
        • login location on library home page
      3. Sign in.
        • Library Account uses your Tulane username and password.
        • Tulane affiliate login page
        • Guest Account uses your barcode, last name, and PIN. If you have not set up a PIN, the default PIN is Tulane 123. For more information, contact the library circulation department at circ@tulane.edu or come to the library Check-Out Desk with a picture ID.
        • Tulane affiliate and non-affiliate login page
      4. Go to My Account, select the items to renew, and click Renew Selected (in Library Account) or Request Renewal (in Guest Account).

      Patrons are limited to 3 consecutive renewals per book.  High school students with borrowing privileges are not allowed to renew.

      Please don't borrow a book on your library card for another person. You will be held responsible for any overdue or lost book charges.

      Returning

      When the library is open, a book may be returned to the book drops located just inside the entrance to the building.  If you require a receipt, return the item at the Check-Out Desk personally. Reserve books must be returned to the Check-Out Desk.

      When the library is closed, a book depository is available to the right of the main entrance for your convenience. However, Reserve books are still subject to fines if not returned to the Check-Out Desk.

      Do not return a checked-out book to the shelf or place it on a book truck. Books are subject to fines for any delay involved in their return to the Check-Out Desk.

    • Borrowing from Other Libraries

      Interlibrary Loan

      Login to Interlibrary Loan

      https://illiad.tulane.edu

      Users now log into the Interlibrary Loan system with their Tulane username and password. Contact the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library Interlibrary Loan Department here.

      About Interlibrary Loan

      Interlibrary Loan, or ILL, is a free service to obtain material not available in the collections of the Tulane libraries for use by current Tulane students, faculty, and staff whose departments are supported by the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library and Turchin Library. To use ILL, just login to the ILL service from the top right of any page of the library website.

      Login location on library home page

      Users log on with their Tulane username and password.

      Patrons affiliated with Tulane's professional schools of law and medicine (including public health) should request interlibrary loan service from Law ILL or Matas ILL.

      We provide interlibrary loan services only to individuals affiliated with Tulane University. If you are not affiliated with the University, please seek assistance from your local public library.

      Materials obtained through Interlibrary Loan are for your exclusive use. You will be responsible for any late fees, replacement costs for lost materials, and costs for damages.

      Items available through interlibrary loan

      Typical items include:
      • books
      • journal articles (photocopies)
      • microfilm
      • dissertations and theses
      • government documents

      If an item is missing from the library and the Circulation Department staff cannot locate it, the Interlibrary Loan staff will try to obtain it from another library.

      Items usually not available through Interlibrary Loan:

      • whole issues of journals and periodicals (except for items held by the Medical School)
      • rare materials including manuscripts
      • reference materials
      • genealogical and heraldic materials
      • many dissertations, especially those printed prior to 1970
      • books published within the last year, including current fiction
      • current textbooks

      If you have a question regarding the availability of an item, please feel free to contact the Interlibrary Loan Office here or at (504) 865-5610 for assistance.

      Delivery Time

      During most of the year, it takes several business days to obtain an article and 1-2 weeks to obtain a book through interlibrary loan. Many libraries do not lend at all during the winter holidays extending from mid-December through early January.

      Time in transit depends on the method chosen for shipping by the lending library. Louisiana and the KUDZU consortium libraries ship loans using an express courier service such as FedEx or UPS, which supplies faster service. Many other libraries ship books by U. S. Postal Service library book rate, a slow alternative.

      We cannot predict delivery time for any particular request.

      If you have an emergency need for a document or book, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at (504) 865-5610 for assistance.

      Electronic Delivery

      Most libraries now send articles via electronic formats, which can be delivered to you the same way. Files may be viewed on ILLiad using the "View | Electronically Delivered Articles" link. Files are in PDF format and may be saved, printed or read on the monitor. Articles are posted electronically only when the library receives them in that format.

      Loan Durations and Restrictions

      The duration of the loan and any restrictions on using the item are determined by the lending library. The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library Interlibrary Loan Department honors all rules established by lenders. Lending libraries sometimes place special restrictions on the use of loaned items,such as:

      • Library Use Only - The lending library will NOT allow the item to be taken from the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. This means you may still check the item out from interlibrary loan, but you may NOT remove the item from the Library. We will hold your picture ID while you use the material within the library building.
      • No Renewals - The lending library will NOT allow renewals. Such items MUST be returned by the original due date.
      • No Photocopying - The lending library will NOT allow the item to be photocopied. There may be copyright restrictions on the item, or the item may be subject to damage during photocopying. Please honor this restriction so we may retain our borrowing privileges.

      Renewal of interlibrary loan materials

      You may request one renewal for each item you borrow, unless the lending library stipulates that no renewals will be accepted. Please use ILLiad to request a loan renewal by viewing your active requests and clicking the Renew Item button. Please make your request at least two days before the item is due so we may contact the lending library for permission to renew.

      Loan request cancellations

      The most common reason for canceling a request is that the item requested is already available in the University Libraries. If we cancel one of your requests, ILLiad will send you e-mail explaining the reason for cancellation.

      We realize that some kinds of materials may be difficult to find in the library catalog. You may find it helpful to consult a research librarian about an item before requesting it through interlibrary loan.

      Loss of or damage to interlibrary loan items

      Abuse of the interlibrary loan service may result in the loss of your interlibrary loan borrowing privileges, and may result in a suspension of your general circulation privileges. Failure to return materials on time will jeopardize the relationship of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library with the libraries from which we acquire materials and may prevent us from borrowing items from those libraries for our other patrons.

      In the event that an interlibrary loan item is lost or damaged while in your possession, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department immediately here or at (504) 865-5610. As with regular library books, the patron is financially responsible for any damage to or loss of interlibrary loan materials, from the time they are picked them up until they are returned. A patron is also responsible for any damage caused by photocopying, even if no specific photocopy restrictions are noted on the material. Should damage occur, please report it to the Interlibrary Loan Office and DO NOT attempt to repair it yourself.

      Reciprocal Borrowing

      Through reciprocal borrowing programs, the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library offers borrowing privileges for students and faculty. For specific library policy information, please refer to these pages:

      • LALINC (Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium) enables regional libraries to share resources and services such as interlibrary loan. To participate, graduate students and faculty from LALINC universities need to obtain a LALINC card from their home library. Tulane faculty and graduate students can obtain a LALINC card from the Check-Out Desk on the first floor of Howard-Tilton.

      • OCLC Reciprocal Faculty Borrowing Program - A program offered to faculty at participating institutions which provides borrowing privileges and on-site access to the collections of other participating academic research libraries. It is not a part of the OCLC Interlibrary Loan service. Faculty must first acquire an OCLC Reciprocal Faculty Borrowing Program card from their home library to make use of the privileges at another participating institution. For a list of participating institutions see: https://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/membership/Reciprocal-Faculty-Borrowing-Program.pdf

      • TU/LU - The TU/LU Undergraduate Cooperative Borrowing Project provides undergraduate students at Tulane University and Loyola University of New Orleans with expanded access to a wide array of library materials at Tulane's Howard-Tilton Memorial Library and at Loyola's J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library.
        • To participate, undergraduate students at the two universities need to obtain a TU/LU card from their home library. Tulane undergraduate students can obtain a TU/LU card from the Check-Out Desk on the first floor of Howard-Tilton. The business, medical, and law libraries at Tulane and the law library at Loyola are not participating in this project; therefore your TU/LU card will not be honored at these libraries.
        • TU/LU participants are responsible for the loan periods from the home library and will be responsible for any fees and fines associated with overdue or lost books.


      Center for Research Libraries (CRL) 

      The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is an international consortium of university, college, and independent research libraries.  Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is a member of this consortium and as a result Tulane students and faculty can utilize interlibrary loan to borrow from the CRL's approximately five million newspapers, journals, dissertations, archives, government publications, and other specialized resources for research and teaching.

      To find materials held by the Center for Research Libraries search the CRL catalog. To borrow CRL materials, Tulane students and faculty may request CRL materials through Howard-Tilton Memorial Library's interlibrary loan service.


    • Borrowing Equipment

      Equipment is available for loan from the Technology Desk in the Learning Commons. Items are available to all Tulane-affiliated patrons. Loan periods and fines are the same for all patrons, regardless of their status. The following equipment is available:

      • Canon Vixia Video Cameras
      • Tripods for Canon Cameras
      • Headphones
      • Headphone Amps
      Item Loan Period Fines
      Canon Camera, Camera Bag, Camera Tripod 24 hours $1.00 per hour ($20 maximum)
      Headphones, Headphone Amps 14 hours $1.00 per hour ($20 maximum)

      For more information, please contact the Technology Desk in the Learning Commons at (504) 862-8646.

    • Request an Item

      Request an item from Offsite Depository
      The Offsite Depository is a storage area for about 700,000 older books and journals. Please use the Request feature in Library Search to request an item from the Offsite Depository. A courier runs between Howard-Tilton, Matas downtown, and the offsite facility, Monday-Friday, in the afternoon. You will be notified when an item is ready for pickup.

      Howard-Tilton pickup: Requests selected for pickup at Howard-Tilton will be available at the Howard-Tilton Check-Out Desk during operatiring hours.

      Matas pickup: Requests selected for pickup at Matas will available at Matas Circulation during operating hours.
       

      If there is a problem with the off-site request, you will receive an email notification.

      For instructions requesting online  through  Library Search, see the steps below.
       
      From Library Search

      1.  Click on "Availability" on the left or scroll down to the "Availability" section. Click on "Sign In."
      2.  Sign in with your Tulane user name and password. 
      Sign in with your Tulane user name and password.
      3.  Click on "Request Delivery."
      4.  If there is more than one copy of the book, chose a copy.
      5.  Choose a pickup location.  
      Choose Howard-Tilton Circ. Desk as a pickup location.

      6.  Click "Send Request".
      7.  You will receive an email if the item cannot be found.
       
      Request an item from Rudolph Matas Health Sciences Library
      The health science print collections of the Matas Library are housed in the second floor of the Medical School Building (1430 Tulane Avenue - Hutchinson Memorial) on Tulane's downtown campus.

      You may place a request online to have those books delivered to the Howard-Tilton Library.

      From the classic catalog

      1.  Click on "Make a Request" in the blue box on the right-hand side of the screen. 
      Click on Make a Request in the blue box on the right-hand side of the screen.
      2.  Sign in with username and password if you are a Tulane affiliate or with your barcode, last name, and PIN if you are a guest borrower.  
      Sign in with username and password if you are a Tulane affiliate or with your barcode, last name, and PIN if you are a guest borrower.
      3.  Click on "Get a book from another Tulane Library". 
      Click on Get a book from another Tulane Library.
      4.  If there is more than one copy of the book, chose a copy.
      5.  Choose "Howard-Tilton Circ. Desk" or "Architecture Library" as a pickup location. 
      Choose Howard-Tilton Circ. Desk as a pickup location.
      6.  Click submit.
      7.  You will receive an email when the item is ready for pickup.
       
      From Library Search

      1.  Click on "Request", next to "Availability" below the title information.
      Click on Request, next to Availability below the title information.
      2.  Sign in with your Tulane user name and password. 
      Sign in with your Tulane user name and password.
      3.  If there is more than one copy of the book, chose a copy.
      4.  Choose "Howard-Tilton Circ. Desk" or "Architecture Library" as a pickup location.  
      Choose Howard-Tilton Circ. Desk as a pickup location.
      5.  Click submit.
      6.  You will receive an email when the item is ready for pickup.
       
      Request an item for Tulane National Primate Research Center
      The library does not maintain a shuttle system between the Uptown campus and Covington. The books can be held at the Check Out Desk of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library for you to come and check out on your schedule. Email circ@tulane.edu with inquiries
      Request an In-Process item
      Materials listed in Library Search as In-Process may be requested by using the Request feature in  Library Search. Due to limited staffing, In-Process items may take 5-7 working days to become available for check out.

      Materials housed in the following locations may be requested but are available for in-house use only and require an appointment to use. Contact Tulane Library Special Collections for an appointment, specialcollections@tulane.edu.

      Location In building use only
      Hogan Jazz Jones Hall, 2nd floor
      Louisiana Research Collection Jones Hall, 2nd floor
      Rare Books Jones Hall, 2nd floor
      SEAA Jones Hall, 2nd floor

    • Reserve Fines

      Fines and Fees Summary Chart

      Item Fine
      Reserve books $1.00 per hour (2-hour reserve)
      $0.60 per day (1- or 3-day reserve)
      Reserve media $1.00 per hour (hourly reserve)
      $5.00 per day (1- or 3-day reserve)


      All charges not collected at the Library's Check-Out Desk are reported to the University Accounting Office for collection by Accounts Receivable.
       
      Overdue Notices

      When a book is overdue, the Library emails an overdue notice. If we do not have your email address, we will send a notice by mail. Failure to receive such a notice does not absolve the borrower's responsibility for fines. The Library fines and other charges collected are not retained in the Library, but are deposited in a general fund of the University. Patrons are responsible to notify the Library directly regarding email or mailing address changes.
       

      Appeals

      At times a library patron may wish to dispute a library charge such as overdue fines, recall fines, lost, damaged or missing items. The patron should first speak with the supervisor on duty. If the problem is not resolved the patron may fill out an appeal form online or at the Check-Out Desk. All appeals forms must be filled out completely and accurately. Please submit any documentation that will help the Appeals Board make its decision.

      Appeals Board

      The Appeals Board is comprised of three librarians and/or staff members from the various divisions of the library and the Head of Access Services. The Appeals Board meets once a month (only if there are enough appeals to be heard).

      Notification

      The Appeals Board will convene and discuss each appeal. The board will make a decision and a decision form will be sent to the patron with the verdict.

      Appeal Fines Form

    • Lost Items and Appeals

      Lost Item Policy
      The purpose of this policy is to ensure that books and media items kept past the library’s stated borrowing periods are returned.   In order to avoid loss within and diminution to the library collections, an overdue book or media item is considered lost 28 days after the due date and the borrower will be charged for its replacement.

      Specifically, when a book is 28 days overdue, the book is declared lost and the patron’s borrowing privilege is suspended.  The patron is charged $100.00 for the replacement cost and a $15.00 processing fee (a total of $115.00) for each book more than 28 days overdue. Replacement cost and processing fees must be paid at the Bursar’s Office.
       
      Returning Lost Books
      If a book declared lost is returned to the library prior to the 35th day after the due date, the $100.00 replacement cost is forgiven and borrowing privileges are restored.  Thirty-six days after the due date, the patron must pay the $100.00 replacement cost and $15.00 processing fee at the Bursar’s Office or submit an appeal.

      Media Items
      When a media item reaches 14 days overdue, the item is declared lost. The patron’s borrowing privileges are suspended and the patron is charged a $100.00 replacement cost and $15 processing fee (total of $115.00) per lost item. Replacement costs and processing fees must be paid at the Bursar’s Office.
       
      If a declared lost item is returned to the library within 21 days of the due date, the $100.00 replacement cost is waived and borrowing privileges are restored; the patron is still responsible for the $15.00 processing fee. If an item has not been returned within 22 days of the due date, the patron’s account will remain blocked until the Bursar’s Office receives full payment or the patron has successfully completed an appeal with the Library.

      Overdue Notices
      For each item borrowed, a courtesy reminder is sent via the patron’s Tulane email address one week before books are due.  Once a due date has passed, a past due notice is sent via email.  An additional overdue notice is sent after an additional 7 days if the book is not returned.  If the library does not have your email address, the notice is sent to the mailing address on file.  Therefore it is the responsibility of the patron that contact information is kept up-to-date in the library system. Failure to receive such a notice does not absolve the borrower's responsibility for fees.  
       
      Appeals
      To dispute a library replacement costs for lost items, the patron should first speak with the Circulation supervisor on duty. If the problem is not resolved the patron may fill out an appeal form online or at the Check-Out Desk. All appeals forms must be filled out completely and accurately. Please submit any supporting documentation that will help the Appeals Board make its decision.

      Appeals Board
      The Appeals Board is comprised of the Head of Access Services and four librarians and/or staff members from the various divisions of the library. It meets once a month when an appeal(s) has been submitted.  The board will convene and discuss each appeal. It will make a decision and a decision form will be sent to the patron with the verdict.

      Appeal Fines Form

    • Make a Payment

      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is cashless. Cash and checks are no longer accepted at the Circulation Desk in H-TML or in any other departments that accept payment for user services. All lost book fees, late reserve fees, card fees and other service fees are paid electronically from our website. Users will receive an electronic receipt confirming payment and updates to patron accounts will be made once payment is verified. The electronic payment process is secure through our partnership with Formstack and Authorize.net.  

      The payment form can be found on the “About” page with the other online forms. Or you can click the link below:

      https://library.tulane.edu/about/forms/payment-form

    • Suggest a Purchase

    • Scan and Deliver

      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library’s Interlibrary Loan (ILL) department offers Scan and Deliver service for Tulane Uptown campus faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students (not including the Law school). The service includes scanning journal articles or a book chapter or less from the library’s circulating print collections and delivering electronically to the faculty’s or student's interlibrary loan account within two business days. Special Collections materials are not included in the service.

      Faculty and students will submit a request using the Article or Book Chapter form on the Interlibrary Loan web page. To comply with U.S. copyright law, only one book chapter or less or one article from a periodical issue is allowed per request. 

      Faculty and students who have not previously used Interlibrary Loan will need to fill out their Interlibrary Loan account information prior to submitting a Scan and Deliver request.  For more information or assistance, contact the Interlibrary Loan office at ill@tulane.edu or (504) 865-5610.

    • Putting Items on Reserve


      Due to COVID-19 restrictions, course reserves will operate under new policies and procedures beginning the Fall 2020 semester.

      Please note that only faculty and teaching staff can place materials on reserve.
      Howard-Tilton Reserve (including Architecture)

      With the closure of the Architecture Library at Richardson Memorial Hall, Architecture Reserves are now treated the same as Howard-Tilton Reserves.

      Articles & Book Chapters

      We highly recommend that, whenever possible, instructors place journal articles or book chapters on reserve instead of entire works.  Instructors may scan this material themselves, or can request that the library scan them through our Scan & Deliver service.  Once scanned, these articles and chapters may be placed on electronic reserve using the Canvas course management system. This system allows professors to place copies of articles and chapters in PDF format on individual class web pages.For more information about Canvas, contact the Faculty Technology Lab at (504) 862-8594.

      Books

      If an entire work must be used for course reserve, instructors should fill out a Course Reserve form here.  Library staff will then check on each title's availability in electronic format.  If a title is unavailable in electronic format, the library will attempt to purchase two additional print copies of the title, and place all three on 3-day reserves.  If additional print copies are not available, the books may be placed on restricted viewing in our Latin American Library rare books area.  Contact Hayden Battle at (504) 865-5689 for more information.

      Media

      To place video or sound recordings on physical reserve, please complete the online Media Reserves Form . Items will be placed on reserve for courses in the order they are received. Please contact Media Services by phone (504 865-5642) or email if you experience any problems or have questions with the form.

      To place sound recordings on e-Audio Reserves, please complete the online e-Audio Reserves Form . Please note, Media Services will digitize tracks from recordings already in the Library’s collection. If the Library does not yet own the recording, we will make every effort to purchase it. Streaming, non-downloadable e-Audio Reserves will be made accessible through the Sharestream plugin in Canvas only to students enrolled in your course. Please contact Media Services by phone (504 865-5642) or email if you experience any problems or have questions with the form.

      Reserves Policy
      Based on results of a recent study, we will be quarantining physical materials for 72 hours after each use.  This will impact access to print material placed on reserve.

      Instructors planning to place books on course reserve should send that information as soon as possible.  It may take several days for a form to be completely processed.  Please submit book titles via this form.

      Here is what will happen with requests:

      Whenever possible, the library will purchase an e-book version of the title if one is not already available.

      If no e-version is available, the library can scan a limited number of book pages or a book chapter and make them available to you for upload to your Canvas course page.

      If no e-book version is available and the entire book, or a substantial portion of a book, is needed, the library will purchase up to additional 2 print copies (total: 3 copies) to rotate use within a 72 hour period.

      If none of these options is available or feasible, please contact your subject liaison librarian, who will be glad to work with you on your course resource needs.

      Please contact Hayden Battle, head of Access Services, or with further questions.
       
      For Print Reserves:

      The list of reserve items must be submitted on the Reserve Request form. Material borrowed through Interlibrary Loan from another library may not be placed on Reserve.  Materials may be kept on Reserve only for the duration of the specific course for which they are required, and they will not be allowed to remain semester after semester.

      For Electronic Reserves:

      It is the responsibility of the faculty member to oversee the placement of electronic reserve items on the Canvas course management system. The staff of the Faculty Technology Lab, located on the third floor of the library, can assist faculty in scanning and formatting documents to place on Canvas. They can be reached at (504) 862-8594.

      Reserve Processing Time Standards

      Faculty members should scan their own materials for placement on the Canvas system, or request library scans through the Scan & Deliver Service. If any faculty members require assistance, please see the Faculty Technology Lab on the third floor of the library. Please remember that the beginning of the semester is a busy time, so allow enough time to scan and post your articles.

      Copyright Restrictions

      Materials protected under federal copyright law may remain on the system for one semester. If materials are needed for more than one consecutive semester, copyright permission must be obtained from the publisher. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to obtain copyright permission. A copyright notice will be displayed on each course web page.

      General Reserve Rules

      Books can be placed on 3-day or strict reserve as determined by availability.

      All reserve books must be returned directly to the Check-Out Desk. If books are left on study tables or dropped in the outside or inside book bin, the student will be responsible for all fines incurred before the books are returned to the Check-Out Desk.

      3-Day Reserves

      Books in this category cannot be checked out of the library, but must be returned directly to the Check-Out Desk.

      Strict Reserves

      Books in this category cannot be checked out to be taken out of the building, and will be viewed in our Latin American Library rare books area.

      3 Day & 1 Day Media

      Media may be taken out of the library for the number of days indicated and are due any time on the date due. Fines are $1.00 per day until the media is returned or until a maximum of $20.00 is reached.

    • Holds and Recalls

      If you need a book, CD or DVD that is already checked out, you can place a hold on it or request it via ILL.  You can also place a recall by visiting the circulation desk.

      Holds

      Holds are appropriate for items that are due soon or overdue, or when you can wait longer than two weeks. Placing a hold prevents other patrons from checking the item out or renewing their loan. 

      How to Place a Hold Online

      To place a hold on an item through Library Search:

      1.    To place the item on hold, first click on the Request tab.
      2.     Click on the Sign-in link to log in to your library account.
      3.     The Hold option is selected by default.   Next, you need to select a Pickup Location. Uptown patrons should select Howard-Tilton Circ Desk. Patrons may also choose to pick up recalled items at the Matas Library of the Health Sciences downtown.

      To place a hold on an item through the classic catalog:

      1.     Click on the Make a Request link. You will be prompted to log in to your library account.
      2.     Click on "Place a Hold for a checked out item".
      3.     Enter your Splash Card ID or barcode, then click Submit.

      Recalls

      Recalls are used when you need a book within a short time frame.  When a book is recalled, the patron that has the book has 10 days to return it.
       
      How to Place a Recall

      If you wish to place a recall, you must visit the Circulation Desk, located on the first floor of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.  Circulation staff can manually place a recall on any checked-out book from there.

      Interlibrary Loan

      If you need an item and do not wish to wait for a hold or recall, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan.  Information on using ILL can be found here.

  • Off-Campus Access

    • Off-Campus Access

      Remote Access to Library Resources

      Current Tulane students, faculty, and staff may access Tulane Libraries' licensed online resources remotely from off campus through a system called authentication. This past December 2019, the library began using a new system for authentication called OpenAthens. 

      When a user is outside the campus network and connects through the library web site to library resources such as articles, eBooks, online journals, research databases, and licensed digital collections they are automatically directly to a login screen. (Initially a Microsoft window may pop up that requests a Tulane email address for routing.)



      The login and password for remote access is the same as the user’s Tulane email ID and password. To avoid remote access problems it is important to connect to these licensed resources through the coded links on the library’s web pages rather than directly. 


      Logging In

      Connection to the campus network is done at point of need: when you get to a resource that the library subscribes to, you will be prompted to login. Once you’ve logged in, a cookie will be saved by your browser, so you shouldn’t have to log in again during your session.

          

      Troubleshooting

      Once you have logged on to the campus network via OpenAthens, you should not need to login again to use other resources. However, if you do encounter problems accessing additional resources, try backing out to the library web site and re-logging in.  There are several reasons you may have to log in again. A few of them are:

      1. Your connection to the resource may have timed out on its server
      2. You may have unintentionally logged out of the campus network by closing the resource/window you were originally logged into.  If this happens frequently, please report the problem (see below)
      3. If you are connecting to a journal article, the library may not have subscription access to the volume or year of the journal in which the article appears.  Check both the Library Search feature and the e-journals list on the library web site to see if the library should have access to the full text of the item
      4. The login page for OpenAthen is a Tulane-branded box for a username and password, with instructions on what to use for each.  If you are getting a login page that is publisher specific -- for example, "Please enter your ProQuest password." -- this indicates that you are not going through the campus network.  Make sure you are connecting to the resource through a link from the library web site and its remote authentication system
      5. Some resources have limits on the number of simultaneous users.  When all of the available "seats" are being used, users may get an error message or otherwise get turned away.  If this appears to be the problem, try the resource again in a few minutes for one of the available seats to open

      Report problems

      Sometimes online resources experience technical problems such as server issues or even scheduled upgrades when a database might be unavailable for a short time. To verify a resource is not available or report problems,  contact the Research Help Desk at (504) 865-5606, libref@tulane.edu, or by chat .  The library relies heavily on its users to identify issues that need to be fixed.

      VPN Access
      A number of Tulane staff and faculty use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect to the Tulane network remotely. For more information about VPN including how to set up a VPN connection see https://it.tulane.edu/vpn-software.

      Tulane Information Technology has advised that students returning to countries overseas consider using a VPN to access Tulane web sites and resources that may be blocked. A VPN software client and Anti-Virus protection client must be installed on your device for VPN remote access. Tulane has a limited number of concurrent VPN connections and users should log off when their work is completed. Note that a VPN cannot be used without first installing Trend Micro, Tulane's Anti-Virus Solution. If you have not installed Trend Micro Anti-Virus Solution, a step-by-step how-to guide is available. For VPN  software, see the request form here. Currently some VPN users in China are experiencing problems connecting to some specialized business resources (such as Capital Q and ValueLine). These users can contact the Turchin Business Library for more information at turchin@tulane.edu. 

  • Study Spaces

    • Learning Commons

      The Learning Commons on the first floor is a dynamic, collaborative space combining research, technology and media.

      It features individual and group work areas, comfortable and functional seating, and Macs and PCs equipped with an array of software, including productivity apps and media production tools. Laptop visitors to the Learning Commons will find a high-speed wireless network and convenient electrical locations.

      An Assistive Technology Work Station is in the Learning Commons near the Check-Out Desk. The workstation has an HD/OCR Video Magnifier, screen reading software, and a keyboard with large keys.

      Just as important as the technology and amenities, the Learning Commons is also the place to interact one-on-one with research specialists and technology experts. These professionals are on hand throughout the day and evening to assist students with their research and learning activities.

      Learning Commons on First Floor

    • Second Floor Study Commons

      The 2nd Floor Study Commons includes seating types that have proven to be popular among students using the Selley Study Commons on the 3rd floor.  Additionally, it incorporates some design elements from the 1st floor Learning Commons.  In other words, it’s a bridge space between the two, with options for both group and individual seating.  Most of the tables in the 2nd Floor Study Commons have low divider panels to also accommodate private study.

      One long counter top table provides the option for standing work, although tall chairs are also available.
       
      All the tables in the area provide power outlets for students’ laptops or other devices.   Network access in the area is provided via Wi-Fi.
       
      Around the corner from the 2nd Floor Study Commons are two Graduate Study Rooms.


      Secod floor study commons

    • Selley Study Commons

      The Selley Study Commons is a quiet study area on the 3rd floor that offers furniture designed for quiet, individual study. The area has been officially named in honor of Paul P. and Elizabeth Selley, and the Selley Foundation, which provided the original funds to develop the space into a reading and study area.

      The Study Commons provides nearly all private seating. Students wishing to study quietly together can effectively do so, since most of these private seats are grouped in clusters. These furniture clusters are of four basic types:  Carrel seating (seat clusters with 4 units each, two units on each side), pod work stations (work station seating in circular sets for single users), and individual lounge seating with privacy screens (individual soft chairs with built-in tablet arms.

      Third Floor Selley Study Commons

    • Group Study

      Fall 2020, the library has the following spaces available for individual or small group use:

      • Room 116
      • Room 119
      • Room 501
      • Group studies on 2nd  and 3rd floors along the Dixon and Freret sides of the building.


      All spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Users should use headphones if attending class via Zoom.
       

      Group work is welcome in the Learning Commons on the 1st floor, in the elevator lobbies, and in the snack lounge in the basement.

      A group study room is available on the fifth floor on the Dixon side of the building. It is not reservable.

      Small group study rooms can be found along the Dixon and Freret sides of the building on the 2nd and 3rd floors. These rooms are not soundproof. Please keep your voices down when using these spaces.

      Due to the need for social distancing, Room 602 is unavailable for meeting space during the 2020 fall semester.

      Group work is not allowed in the Selley Study Commons on the 3rd floor.

      Fifth Floor Group Study Room

      Fifth Floor Group Study Room
      Fifth Floor Group Study Room inside

      Room 602

      Room 602 exterior
      Room 602 inside

    • Graduate Study Carrels

      Carrels available for assignment to graduate students and post-doctorates are located on the 1st and 3rd floors of the library. Preference for carrel assignment is given to graduate and post-doctoral students whose subject collections are located in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. Latin American Studies graduate students must contact the Latin American Library for carrel assignments on the 4th floor. Law students have access to research carrels in the Law Library in Weinmann Hall.

      All materials in the carrels must be properly checked out at the Check-Out desk. The carrels will be inspected periodically and any items that are not checked-out and any non-circulating materials will be removed and returned to the shelves.

      Personal belongings of value should not be left in the carrels. Carrel assignments are made at the Check-Out Desk.

      To apply for a graduate carrel, please read the graduate carrels regulations and submit the Carrel Application Form . 

      Assignments are from September 15 to September 15 of the following year. All carrels must be renewed yearly. Failure to renew may result in removal from the carrel.

      PLEASE NOTE: When a carrel has not been renewed all personal items will be stored and held for 30 days after which time they will be disposed of. Please be sure to clear your carrel before you give up your carrel.

      graduate student study carrel

    • Graduate Study Rooms

      The Graduate Study Rooms are intended to provide quiet study space for graduate students.  Access to the spaces are controlled via Splash card, and seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis rather than assigned for an entire semester.

      Here are some general facts about the Graduate Study Rooms:
      • Access is available to Tulane graduate students who swipe (or tap) their Splash Card ID via the card reader next to the entrance door, located on the southwest and the northwest sides of the 2nd floor not far from the 2nd Floor Study Commons.  

      • All Tulane graduate students regardless of program may use the rooms.

      • Seats in the rooms are not reserved but are available to the user as long as they remain in them during available hours.

      • The rooms are available during all library hours when the upper floors (2-6) are open.
      Graduate Study Room on Northwest Side (opened Fall 2019)







      Graduate Study Room on Southwest Side

      Graduate Study Room

    • Faculty Studies

      Faculty Study Information
      • Applications for new faculty studies can be made by submitting the Faculty Study Application Form online. Available studies are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
      • All faculty studies must be renewed on an annual basis. The deadline to renew will be sent via email. If you are currently assigned a study you must fill out the Faculty Study Application Form for renewal before the deadline. You will be able to retain your current study if you renew by the deadline.
      • All full-time tenure track and emeritus faculty on the Uptown campus, except those faculty members associated with the Law, Business and Medical Schools, are eligible for faculty studies in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. See below (in the online form) for Post-Doctoral Faculty availability.
      • Faculty studies are meant primarily for research and scholarship. The studies are not to be used to hold office hours or for storage. Using the study simply for storing books or other materials is not considered an appropriate use. Faculty studies should not be considered personal offices or "belonging" to the faculty member.
      • There is regularly a waiting list for faculty studies. In order to meet this demand, we may ask faculty members to share studies. If you are asked to share your study, please be respectful of other faculty research needs. Faculty should work independently to set up schedules to share the study. If you know someone you would like to share a study with, please make a note on the application. Both faculty must submit an application.
      • If you would like to request a study in the Latin American Library (LAL), please indicate so on the application form.
      • If you are relinquishing your study please remove all personal items from the study and return the key to the Administrative Office (Suite 211). Personal items left in the study will be removed and held by the Administrative Office and held for thirty (30) days. Any keys not returned, unreported damage to the carrels or excessive trash will be charged to the faculty member.

      Faculty Study Application Form

      faculty study

    • Lockers

      Lockers are available to any registered student on a first-come, first served basis. Lockers are located on the 3rd floor. You may apply for a locker at the Check-Out Desk or online using the Locker Application form.

      No food, drinks in non-approved library containers or items not checked-out to the locker holder may be put into lockers. Library materials may be checked to the locker for an extended period. Lockers will be opened regularly for inspection by authorized library personnel.

      Locker holders leaving New Orleans for a semester or longer must release their locker for assignment during their absence, with the understanding that a locker may be reassigned upon their return. Unauthorized students are not allowed to use the lockers, nor are they allowed to store materials in lockers.


      lockers

  • Data Management

    The H-TML Research Data Management group assists Tulane faculty, students and staff with the organization and management of research data.

    Have a question about your data? We are available for individual consultations, classroom instruction and on-demand workshops.

    Email us at data@tulane.edu

    • Analyze

      Multiple tools are available to assist in data analysis. Below are best practices and tools that can be used for statistical analysis and visualization of data.

      Best Practices

      DataONE provides multiple best practice guidelines to help in the analysis of data, including considerations on the compatibility of any data that is being integrated, the description of methods to create derived data products, the documentation of steps used in data processing, and identifying outliers, among other analysis topics.

      Data Output, Statistical Analysis, and Visualization

      The Tulane Business Intelligence and Analytics (BIA) Team supports the University's business intelligence, business analytics, advanced analytics, data warehousing, data integration, self-service analytics, and enterprise planning practice areas, in addition to maintaining the University's data warehouses and various reporting sources and processes.

      Numerous open source and proprietary software packages exist to help with data analysis and visualization. See Technology Services for a complete list of software licensed by Tulane University.

      • R is a free language and environment (R can also be described as open source statistical software) that is available for statistical computing and graphics. Downloads are available for Windows, MacOS, and a variety of UNIX platforms.
      • STATA is a complete, integrated statistical software package that provides everything you need for data analysis, data management, and graphics, produced by StataCorp.
      • SAS is a software suite developed by SAS Institute for advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management, and predictive analytics.
      • SPSS is a software package used for statistical analysis popular in fields including the health sciences and marketing.
      • ArcGIS is a comprehensive set of tools for compiling, visualizing, analyzing, editing, managing, and sharing geographic data. For more information about ArcGIS see the GIS research guide.
      • PolicyMap is a data and mapping tool that enables government, commercial, non-profit and academic institutions to access data about communities and markets across the US. Learn more about PolicyMap with the GIS research guide.
      • NCBI Data Analysis Tools allow researchers to manipulate, align, visualize, and evaluate biological data. Analysis tools are broken down into categories: Literature, Health, Genomes, Genes, Proteins, and Chemicals.
      • SankeyBuilder allows you to automatically build a Sankey diagram. Both free and paid accounts are available online.

      Additional tools are available to assist with digital scholarship. See the digital scholarship webpage and research guide for more information.

      Questions? Email data@tulane.edu

    • Clean and Organize

      Digitize

      Most data analysis and storage requires data that is digital. Some tools exist that make it easy to create born-digital data sets. For more information, see Prepare and Create Data. However, you will on occasion be required to migrate data from an analog to a digital format. For more information about digitization, see the following guidelines:

      Translate/Transcribe

      Some digital data will require translation or transcription. Transcription is the process of creating a text document about the contents of a file (such as closed captioning for an audio or video file), while translation is the process of duplicating the data in an alternate language. Transcription can describe using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to create a raw text file or creating a text file for an audiofile. Translation, in comparison, may be creating a text file in English for a letter originally written in Spanish. More accurate translations and transcriptions will require human intervention, but many machine translation tools are available for free.

      Examples of tools that do one or both:

      • Otter is an AI transcription tool that includes 600 free minutes per month.
      • Google Docs--Voice Typing is a free transcription tool that works well with a variety of languages.
      • Google Translate is a free tool that will transcribe and translate foreign languages. It has a mobile app that will translate texts in real-time. It will also transliterate from non-roman scripts into roman scripts and vice-versa.
      • TraveLang Translating Dictionaries is a free tool that allows cross-searching of multiple translation dictionaries. (http://dictionaries.travlang.com/)

      Quality Control/Edit

      Quality control is the process of assessing the consistency and accuracy of your data and revising as necessary. The specifics of the quality control required of your data will be very dependent on the type of data you are creating. For more information on quality control, see "file organization", "version control", and "documentation and metadata" on the Data Storage page of our libguide.

      Anonymise

      Anonymising your data to protect the privacy of study participants is an important step to take before sharing your data publicly. The following are open-source tools that support anonymisation at various levels, depending on your use case:

      • ARX will not only anonymise your data, it will also analyse the output's utility and privacy risks.
      • NLM-Scrubber is a HIPAA compliant, clinical text de-identification tool.

      Describe

      The description of data is often called creating "metadata" or "data about data."

      Many of the tools listed above in Quality Control can also be used to store this data in a separate file, such as within the same folder as your primary data. You can also imbed metadata directly into your files with tools like Adobe Bridge. Adobe Bridge and ExifTool can harvest data contained in many files by default, such as the size, type of file, date it was created, and GIS information. The DMPTool is also helpful in assessing what metadata should be included. 

      For more information about metadata for research data, see Documentation and metadata.

      Questions? Email data@tulane.edu

    • Prepare

      Preparation for data collection and analysis improves the efficiency of the research process. Funders often require a data management plan (DMP) when submitting a proposal. The requirements for these plans vary depending on the funder and nature of the research; however, they often address the following questions:

      • What types of data will be collected? E.g. Spatial, temporal, instrument-generated, models, simulations, images, video etc.
      • For each type of data file, what are the variables that are expected to be included?
      • What software programs will be used to generate the data?
      • How will the files be organized in a directory structure on a file system or in some other system?
      • Will metadata information be stored separately from the data during the project?
      • What is the relationship between the different types of data?
      • Which of the data products are of primary importance and should be preserved for the long-term, and which are intermediate working versions not of long-term interest?

      DMPTool is software that uses funder specific templates to help researchers write a DMP. It is available to all Tulane affiliates. The research data management team is available to review and answer any questions related to DMPs.

      This image links to the dmptool website.

      Questions? Email data@tulane.edu

    • Store and Preserve

      Storage and preservation of data are essential for the success of a project and the reuse of data produced.

      Storage

      Tulane University Information Technology provides data storage and retention best practices. Storage options include Box and Cypress.

      Backup

      Use the 3-2-1 rule when backing up your data.

      • Keep a minimum of three copies of your data and files
      • Place at least two copies of different storage media (e.g. external harddrive, local drive)
      • Place at least one copy in a different geographical location (e.g. cloud)

      ​For more detailed best practices, consult DataOne.

      Why should you preserve your data?

      Data preservation allows for the access of data and files over time. At a minimum, this includes the storage of data in a secure location, across multiple locations, and saved in file stable formats that are readable in the future. Ultimately, well preserved data increases the impact of the data and researcher.

      What should be preserved?

      Many elements should be considered when determining whether or not to preserve a file or particular data set. In particular, available space, cost, and reproducability should be disscussed. DataOne offers detailed guidelines to help you determine what should be preserved.

      How to prepare data for preservation?

      The preservation of data is dependent on whether the file format used:

      • Is openly documented (more preservable) or proprietary (less preservable);
      • Is supported by a range of software platforms (more preservable) or by only one (less preservable);
      • Is widely adopted (more preservable) or has low use (less preservable);
      • Is lossless data compression (more preservable) or lossy data compression (less preservable); and
      • Contains embedded files or embedded programs/scripts, like macros (less preservable).

      Courtesy of The University of Illinois Urban-Champaign
       

      Questions? Email data@tulane.edu

    • Share and Discover

      Why should you share your data?

      Making your data available is now a requirement from most funders (federal and public) and publishers. Benefits of sharing your data include:

      • Furthering scientific inquiry
      • Transparency and reproducibility
      • Improving your scholarly impact
      • Safeguarding your data

      Share working data:

      Version control software can help you keep track of changes made to the data. These tools also facilitate transparent research, reproducibility, and documentation (see Data Management Research Guide).

      Some example of version control systems that allow for data sharing include:

      Public access policies:

      In 2013 the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a memorandum stating that Federal agencies with more than $100M in R&D expenditures develop plans to make the published results of federally funded research freely available to the public within one year of publication and requiring researchers to better account for and manage the digital data resulting from federally funded scientific research.

      Select overviews of federal public access policies:

      Repositories for sharing and finding:

      Repositories are libraries/warehouses of research datasets often centered around a specific discipline. They allow for the preservation, storage, and discoverability of published data.

      Things to consider when selecting a data repository:

      • What is the required/desired level of access?
      • Where will your data live?
      • Does your discipline have a data repository?
      • Does your funder require the use of a particular repository?
      • Is there HIPPA or privacy restrictions?

      Find a repository to meet your needs:

      Improving access and impact of your data:

      Assigning a doi(digital object identifier) and making your data available under a creative commons license will improve the visibility and impact of your data as it will increase discoverability and access to a wider audience.

      Questions? Email data@tulane.edu

    • About Us

      Raquel Horlick
      Coordinator for Scholarly Resources,
      Sciences and Engineering
      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
      rhorlick@tulane.edu      		 Rachel Tillay
      Cataloging & Metadata Librarian
      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
      rtillay@tulane.edu
      Courtney Kearney
      Scholarly Engagement Librarian,
      Physical Sciences and Data Management
      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
      ckearney@tulane.edu      		 Jeff Rubin
      Digital Initiatives and Publications Coordinator
      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
      jrubin6@tulane.edu
      Eric Wedig
      Coordinator for Scholarly Resources,
      Social Sciences
      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
      wedig@tulane.edu      		 Laura Wright
      Research Support Librarian
      Matas Library
      lwright7@tulane.edu

  • Digital Scholarship

    • Digital Scholarship

      Howard-Tilton Memorial Library is developing digital scholarship services, spaces, and programming to collaborate, create, explore, and engage with the Tulane community.

      What is Digital Scholarship?

      Digital scholarship is scholarly activity that makes use of digital tools and methods to advance an argument, provide a pedagogical thrust, or offer interpretation. It tends to be collaborative, interdisciplinary, and openly accessible. Data may be reusable, downloadable, or transformable. Of course, not all digital scholarship bears all these hallmarks at the same time.

      Digital scholarship includes born-digital works, multimedia, analysis of other born-digital material, data sets, or digital assets such as art, images, music, and text. Some of it is public-facing but, often, it may never be intended for formal publishing. It may represent a shift away from traditional publishing and the kind of scholarship that we have historically collected and preserved in libraries but is, in fact, a natural evolution and adaptation of digital technology to scholarship. In short, if it can be easily done in print, it probably is not digital scholarship.

      Where does digital scholarship happen?

      Digital scholarship happens in myriad ways such as individual and group consultations with archivists, librarians, and library staff, in workshops, seminars, and individually via interactions with digital objects discoverable via our research guides.

      One particular location for collaboration and conversation is The Knowledge Lab. Located on the 2nd floor of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, adjacent to the Second Floor Study Commons, The Knowledge Lab is a collaborative consultation and office space designed to foster interdisciplinary collaborations among Tulane students, faculty, staff, and librarians. Scholarly Engagement librarians and staff are available to provide scholarly support to explore, engage, collaborate, and create in all phases of the research process, promote skills and tools to create innovative digital projects, experiment with new pedagogies, and help communicate the results of original research.

      How does Howard-Tilton Memorial Library support digital scholarship at Tulane?

      Principal Contact

  • Computing & Printing

    • Computers

      The Learning Commons on the 1st floor, designed for individual and collaborative group work, is equipped with limited PCs and Macs. The computers are equipped with the following software:

      • Microsoft Office 2016 (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
      • Adobe Acrobat
      • IBM SPSS Statistics
      • Google Chrome
      • Mozilla Firefox

      Additional tools & software for PC include:

      • R for Windows
      • SAS 9.4
      • Wolfram Mathematica
      • Zotero
      • Audacity with LAME plugin
      • VLC Media Player
      • More

      When users login if they have an Adobe account already they are presented with the option to select either their “Personal” or “Work/School” account, much like what happens with e-mail and other services. They must choose “Work/School” in order to use the university license.

      Additional tools & software for Mac include:

      • Mathematica
      • Python 2.7
      • Text Wrangler
      • Eclipse
      • iTunes
      • More

      Active Tulane affiliates (i.e., currently enrolled or employed students, staff, and faculty) may access these computers with their Tulane username and password. For more information on using computers at the library, please review the Computer Use Policy.
       

    • Printing

      There are two black-and-white printers and a color printer located on the 1st floor in the Learning Commons. There is also one black-and-white printer in the 1st floor stacks area past the PJ's coffee stand, one located in the study commons/stacks on the 2nd floor, one located in the elevator lobby on the 3rd floor, and one located on the 6th floor. (updated 8/10/20)

      If you are on your laptop or phone, you can upload documents to the print queue at https://pharos.tulane.edu or add them to the print queue via e-mail by attaching the file to an e-mail sent to print@tulane.edu.

      first floor printers

      Print Instructions

      • When you are ready to print, select a printer in the print window on your workstation. You have several print destinations in the Howard-Tilton Library to choose from.
      • At the Print Station, run your card through the card reader. Use the mouse to retrieve your print job(s) and select "Print" to print. That's it. The system tells you how much each print job will cost and how much value is left on your card.

      Cost of Printing

      Black & White prints cost 10 cents per page. Color prints cost 70 cents per page.

      Who Can Print

      Tulane Students, Faculty, and Staff can use the printing system with their Splash cards, adding cash value to their cards at vend stations in the library (in the 1st Floor lobby near the elevators), at the Lavin-Bernick Center, or at Richardson Memorial Hall. Visitors to the library are also encouraged to use the system, purchasing a card at vend stations in the library (in the 1st Floor lobby near the the elevators) or at the Lavin-Bernick Center.

      Adding Value to your Card

      The card dispensers at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library (in the 1st Floor lobby near the elevators), the Lavin-Bernick Center, and on the 1st floor of Richardson Memorial Hall allow card holders to add cash value to their purchased cards or to their Splash cards. Just follow the directions at the machine.

      Tulane Students, Faculty, and Staff may also use Gibson Online to add value to their Splash cards with a credit card.

    • Copying

      Self-service black-and-white copy machines are located on the 1st and 5th floors of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. Copies cost 10 cents per page. The copy machines accept only Splash cards or printing/copying cards purchased from the card dispenser in the 1st floor lobby near the elevators. Copiers do not accept cash or coins.

      The sixth floor near the Media Services help desk has a self-service overhead digital scanner with the option of a cradle (for books) or flat surface (for documents). Scans may either be saved to a USB drive or e-mailed directly from the computer attached to the scanner. Researchers can bring their own USB drive.

      The Schiro Reading Room, which serves the Louisiana Research Collection and University Archives, is located on the 2nd floor of Jones Hall and has a self-service overhead digital scanner with the option of a cradle (for books) or flat surface (for documents). Scans may either be saved to a USB drive or e-mailed directly from the scanner. Emailing works only with a limited number of small files, so researchers should bring their own USB drive.

      Adding Value to your Card

      The card dispensers at the Howard-Tilton library (in the 1st floor lobby near the elevators), the Lavin-Bernick Center, and on the 1st floor of Richardson Memorial Hall allow card holders to add cash value to their purchased cards or to their Splash cards. Just follow the directions at the machine. 

      Tulane Students, Faculty, and Staff may also use Gibson Online to add value to their Splash cards with a credit card.

    • Computer Policy

      Responsible Use

      All individuals should use the library computers responsibly in pursuit of academic functions. In doing so, they must not infringe on the rights or privacy of others or the integrity of the computer system, and they must abide by Technology Services' university-wide policy on use of computers and networks. The following list characterizes some, but not all, unacceptable uses of computers in the Library:

      • Repeated use for non-academic or non-research purposes by non-Tulane affiliates.

      • Downloading or installing software to hard drives.

      • Deliberately altering any files or modifying the configuration of any Library workstation or peripheral.

      • Violations of the Library computer security or network integrity, including attempts to bypass network security, obtain passwords, share passwords with others, or the unauthorized use of passwords.

      • Destruction or damage of computer equipment, or the removal of any part of the Library computer workstations.

      • Use of two or more library computers simultaneously

      • Connecting personal computers, laptops, or other devices to the Library network.

      • Game playing, including interactive games

      • Copying any copyright-protected digital content

      • Any illegal activity

      Any individual found to be using the computers to the distraction of another user or limiting access to the computer for the research purposes of another user, will be required to cease the activity, unless they can demonstrate that they are completing an academic assignment for a Tulane University class. Repeated violations by students, staff or faculty will be referred to the appropriate campus disciplinary body. Violations by non-affiliated users will be referred to the Department of Public Safety and violators may be removed from the campus.

      Guests (Non-Tulane Library Users)

      Guests may access the non-login computers for academic research only. Use of library computers by guests for non-academic purposes (i.e. recreation) is expressly prohibited, and guests may be asked to verify that they are using a computer for academic research purposes only. Tulane students, faculty, staff, and users of federal depository collections have priority over guests in cases where an insufficient number of computers are available in the library. We reserve the right to limit the amount of time that a guest may occupy a computer; normally this should not exceed two hours per day.

      Food and Drink

      Although drinks may be consumed in the library in a covered container, users should exercise caution near computer equipment to avoid leaks or spills. Damage resulting from spills will be the responsibility of the user. Food is not permitted in the library, except in the lounge area near the PJ's coffee stand and in the snack lounge in the basement. See the food and drink policy.

    • Wireless

      Tulane Students, Faculty and Staff Wireless Access

      Connect to the wireless network by selecting ‘eduroam’ and entering your Tulane email address and password when prompted. Eduroam authentication allows Tulane students access to wireless networks on other participating college campuses as well. If you are unable to connect your device to eduroam, contact the TSNOC (Technical Support and Network Operations Center) at: 

      Uptown: (504) 862-8888 or ext. 28888
      Downtown: (504) 988-8888 or ext. 88888
      help@tulane.edu

      The Technology Services Knowledge Base has information on the settings for Tulanians visiting participating Eduroam institutions.

      Guest Wireless Access

      Guest access to the wireless network is only available to students, faculty, and staff from participating Eduroam institutions in the United States or Eduroam institutions from around the world.

    • Technology Help

      Visit the Learning Commons to compose a paper, edit a video, produce a presentation, print a document in black & white or in color on high-resolution laser printers, or search the Web on a choice of PCs and Macs.

      Technology Services student workers are available in the Learning Commons to assist with printing, using the Eduroam wireless network, basic software help, and borrowing equipment such as camcorders, tripods, and headphones. To reach the Technology Desk, call 862-8646.

      For assistance when the Technology Services desk in the Learning Commons is unstaffed, check the Technology Services site for information about receiving help via phone, chat, or the knowledge base.

    • Scanning & Faxing

      Scanners are available in Howard-Tilton Memorial Library:

      • First Floor Stacks: five flatbed scanners (with document feeders)
      • Sixth Floor: By Media Services Desk there is a large-format overhead scanner.

      Jones Hall

      There is a large-format scanner in the Victor H. and Margaret G. Schiro Reading Room in Jones Hall, Room 202. Email specialcollections@tulane.edu to set up an appointment.

      Phone apps such as Microsoft Office Lens and Adobe Scan turn your phone into a scanner in your pocket. 

      No fax machines are available for public use in the library. However, you may use a free online site Faxzero.com to fax word documents or PDFs. If you have a printed document, use a scanner to scan your document and then create a PDF. See the Technology Services desk for assistance with scanners.

      More options for free online fax services.

      scanner and computer

    • Assistive Technology Work Station


      Accessibility Workstation

      Accessibility Workstation

      Tulane University is committed to ensuring a fully accessible experience for all library patrons. To that end, the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library has partnered with the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility to create an Assistive Technology Work Station in the first floor Learning Commons. At this Assistive Technology Work Station you will find the following resources:

      • DaVinci HD/OCR Video Magnifier
      • Kurzweil 1000 Screen Reading Software
      • Kurzweil 3000 Screen Reading Software

      Although these resources are available for use by all library patrons, priority consideration should be given to individuals who require assistive technology to fully access our materials. For training or assistance with any of the technology, please contact the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility Monday through Friday, between 8:30am and 5:00pm, at (504) 862-8433.

  • Publishing