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Beacon College Library Information

Find basic information about the Beacon College Library, including our mission statement and policies. Please contact a member of the library staff with any questions.

Contact Us

Library Team

Email: library@beaconcollege.edu

Call: 352-638-9807

Text:  352-640-2286

Hours

Monday: 8am-10pm

Tues-Fri: 8am-7pm

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: 11am-10pm

Mission Statement

The library is dedicated to providing a welcoming environment conducive to academic productivity through student activity, instruction, and research assistance. We are committed to serving students, faculty, and staff by offering quality print and electronic resources.

Policies

Library Policies & Circulation Services

Circulation

Circulation periods vary according to the type of material and other considerations. Below are general checkout guidelines for each type and policies for overdue or damaged materials. The library staff will work with faculty, staff, and students whenever possible to accommodate individual needs.

  • Books: Most books are available for checkout by students for a four-week period, with renewals possible. At certain times of the semester, library staff may limit the number of print books from specific areas of the collection that can be checked out by each student. 

  • Audiovisual Materials: Most audio materials and DVDs are available for a seven-day period by students. Only faculty may check out DVDs that are on Course Reserve.

  • Periodicals: Periodicals do not circulate but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Please ask a library staff member for more information.

Overdue Materials

Students with overdue materials may be prevented from borrowing anything else from the library until the items have been returned.

Borrowers whose materials are “lost” and cannot be returned will be charged the item’s replacement cost. Any overdue books or unpaid fines at the end of the term will result in the withholding of grades and student transcripts.

Reserve Materials

Copies of the current semester’s textbooks, class notes, and materials placed “On Reserve” by instructors are located at the Circulation Desk and are available for use only in the library or classroom for a two-hour period.

Damaged Library Materials

As students are often distracted by markings, highlighting, or underlining in books, these forms of damage to library materials are prohibited.  Replacement costs will be charged for damaged library materials.

Photocopying & Printing Services

Photocopying is available free of charge for students in the library. Copiers are located throughout the library. All photocopying must be in accordance with COPYRIGHT laws. 

Scanning is available in the library. Students may request assistance from library staff, who can help students scan to a flash drive or email. 

Wi-Fi printing is available in the library. The library offers free black & white or color printing (for class purposes only) for students and faculty, and all desktops are attached to a printer. The library also offers 4 Dell laptop computers for check-out for 2 hours in the library.   

Cooperative Agreements

  • Leesburg Public Library Cooperative Agreement

    Located across Main Street, LPL provides access to reference materials and extensive recreational reading/viewing/listening materials. Please check with the Beacon Library staff for information on obtaining a library card. All Beacon College students, staff, and faculty are eligible for a free Leesburg Public Library card, regardless of residency. Holdings of the Leesburg Public Library can be searched on the Internet here.

     

  • Interlibrary Loan Services

    Interlibrary Loan services, allowing us to borrow materials from libraries across the country, are available to faculty, staff, and students. ILL requests are processed daily, during normal business hours. Digital items, such as articles, are typically received in PDF format within 3 business days and emailed to the requestor. Please be aware that it may take several days or even weeks to receive a physical item, such as a print book. Please ask a library staff member for further information on Interlibrary Loan.

     

Internet and Computer Acceptable Use Guidelines

It is the policy of the Beacon College Library to provide easy access to the Internet for all students. The library provides a number of desktop computers throughout the library and in the study rooms, as well as 4 laptop computers available for check-out. See a member of the library staff for information on how to check out a laptop or where to find a desktop in the library. 

Procedures

Librarians and staff offer assistance, guidance, and instruction on the best use of the Internet as a research tool and information source. However, determining the accuracy or authenticity of Internet resources is the ultimate responsibility of the user. Users must recognize that the Internet is an uncontrolled information resource with a highly diverse user group and should be used with discretion. Users shall not hold the College responsible for the Internet’s content.

Users observed violating acceptable use guidelines are instructed to cease the activity immediately. 

Examples of Unacceptable Use

Violating copyright laws and fair use provisions through inappropriate reproduction or disseminations of copyrighted text, images, or other resources.

Headphones must be used when audio is needed, and they can be checked out from the Circulation Desk.

Any display of images, sounds, or text which could create an atmosphere of discomfort or harassment for others.

The library recognizes that defining immoral or unethical uses of the Internet is highly subjective and that users may access questionable sites in pursuit of academic projects.

Borrowing from Other Libraries (ILL)