About us

Guests to Begley Library (i.e., those who are not currently enrolled students, faculty or staff) are expected to follow library policies including policies specific to guests to the library. Failure to comply with library policy may result in loss of library privileges.

Library Policies
Access to Computers
Help Available
Borrowing

Access to Computers
Begley Library’s primary mission is to support the academic programs of Schenectady County Community College.Therefore, SCCC students, faculty and staff have first priority in computer use.
Limited computer access is available to members of the public who are doing academic work.
Examples of academic work include:
• using the library’s online catalog
• using the library’s online databases
• participating in an online distance education program at another college or university
Members of the public who wish to use a computer for other than academic work will be referred to the public library.
Guests wishing to use a computer for academic work need to provide a photo ID and sign in at the reference desk.
If the librarian determines there is adequate computer availability to accommodate guest computer use, the librarian will sign the guest on to a computer.
Guests to the library may use computers for up to 2 hours a day; however, a guest must surrender his/her spot at a computer upon request from a member of the library staff, or if a student, faculty or staff member needs to use it.
Guests who fail to comply with library policies will lose computer privileges.
Sexual harassment
Displaying sexually explicit images or objects on computers is prohibited by College policy. Library users who violate the College’s sexual harassment policy will be asked to leave.

Help Available
Providing research assistance to the students, faculty and staff of Schenectady County Community College is the first priority of Begley Library’s reference librarians.
Librarians will offer research assistance to guests, as time and resources permit.
This includes:
• Finding books in the library
• Finding books in other libraries
• Finding articles in the library
• Using online databases
Begley Library’s collection supports the academic programs of Schenectady County Community College. Guests requiring resources held by the public library, for example those pertaining to genealogical research, antiques, coin collecting, etc. will be referred to the public library.
Guests requiring services not offered by Begley Library; for example assistance with resumé writing or job searching; childrens’ services; or computer-use training, such as navigating the desktop, using e-mail, using the mouse or typing will be referred to the public library.
Librarians cannot offer financial, legal, tax, or medical advice.

Borrowing

Borrowing Privileges
Begley Library honors current Direct Access Program (DAP) cards issued by the home libraries of program participants.
Visit or call the circulation desk at 381-1235 for more information.
Removal of books and other materials from the College library through other than use of the normal checkout procedure is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be reported to campus security. (SCCC Student Code, sec. B.12)

Overdue Materials
The library will send an overdue notice as a courtesy, but patrons are responsible for returning materials by the due date whether or not they receive a written notice.
When materials are overdue, further borrowing privileges will be suspended.
When materials are lost or damaged, a replacement cost plus a processing fee will be charged.