Library Services

The Library provides a wide array of services including:

Research Assistance | Off-Campus Access | Request Items from Other libraries | Course Reserves | Wireless Access | Laptop Loans | Direct Borrowing | Technology Resources

Research Assistance

Have a question? We can help!
Please contact us and a Reference Librarian will respond ASAP.

Please note:

When Conant Library staff are unavailable and you need help right away, you can use

MassAnswers. When you submit a question, it will be picked up by a Massachusetts Librarian from one of the MassAnswers participating libraries. If all are busy, or if it is off-hours for Massachusetts, a librarian from one of the nationwide cooperating libraries will pick up. Once you are connected, please do not use your "forward", or "refresh" buttons, or you will be disconnected.

Off-Campus Access

Members of the Nichols community (registered students, faculty, and staff) can access the Library's databases from off-campus by using the same username and password used to access Nichols e-mail accounts.

If you have any questions or problems, please send an E-mail to reference@nichols.edu or call the Reference Desk at 508.213.2222 or toll-free 877.266.2681.

NOTE:
If you have changed the default password and need it reset you will need to fax a photo ID and contact information to Information Technology at 508.213.2413. The password should be reset to the default password by 10:00 AM the next morning (except on weekends) depending on the time of the request.

Request Items from Other Libraries (Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery)

Need an article, book, or video that is not available from our shelves or databases? Let us know and we'll make every effort to get it for you. You will be notified when your item is available for pickup at the Library's main desk. Articles may arrive within 24 hours (sometimes within an hour!); however, books and some articles may take 4-9 days (or occasionally more) to arrive.

To Place a Request please fill out the loan request form or send your request by e-mail with the necessary information (for books include author, title, date of publication, your name and contact information; for articles, author, journal title, article title, page numbers, date of publication and your contact information) to reference@nichols.edu.

Course Reserves

Faculty members often have the Library put books, articles and/or other materials 'on reserve' for use by a particular class. This Reserve collection is kept behind the Circulation Desk. Because these items are heavily used, most have a 2-hour in-house limit of use. In some cases items may be loaned overnight (check out 1 hour prior to closing and due 1 hour after opening the next day). Student ID is required and held until Reserve item is returned.

To learn how to access online Reserves please click here.

Wireless Access

Wireless access is available throughout the Library. Information about accessing the wireless network can be found at Information Technology's Wireless page.

Laptop Loans

Conant Library, in cooperation with the Nichols College Information Technology Department, is pleased to be able to make laptop computers available for use by current Nichols College students faculty, and staff. Laptops can be checked out at the Circulation desk upon presentation of a valid ID and signing of the User Agreement. For more information, please see the Laptop Loan section of the Library's Policy page and/or contact Jim Douglas (ext. 2333).

Direct Borrowing

Conant Library is a member of a number of library organizations. One of these is the Academic & Research Collaborative (ARC) of the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System (CMRLS). ARC is a coalition of academic, public, and special research libraries working together to facilitate the sharing of resources and services for the benefit of their collective users.

Many of ARC's college and university libraries in the Worcester area have agreed grant direct (or walk-in) book borrowing privileges to Nichols students, staff, and faculty. To take advantage of these borrowing privileges you will need a special ARC card. To obtain this card, please contact Jim Douglas (508-213-2333) or inquire at the Circulation Desk.

For more information please see the Library's Direct Borrowing page.

Technology Resources

 The Library currently makes available the following resources for patron use:

• 39 computer workstations throughout the Library (one with Kurzweil accessibility software for visually impaired students)
• 4 laser printers (one color)
• 2 scanners (Main Floor)
• copy machine (Main Floor)
• fax machine (Director's Office)
• wireless access throughout the Library (see above)
• laptop loans (see above)
• 5 37" monitors in Group Study Rooms