Library Collections Information: Projects

Since June 2023, the library has joined the Boston Library Consortium (BLC), a group that includes some of the most significant academic, research, public and scientific libraries in New England. Our membership gives us access to the BLC’s resource sharing program, which is powered by Rapid ILL (see link below); an array of cooperative collection development opportunities; physical access to member libraries; a suite of professional development programs; and a strong network of library colleagues.

In summer 2024, the library joined with three other BLC institutions (Middlebury College, the University of Vermont and Wesleyan University) to merge library catalogs using a product from our systems vendor called a Network Zone. This merger enables our users to discover materials from the other libraries, and also allows us to centralize many back-end library functions, such as cataloging, systems configurations, catalog discovery settings, and collection management — reducing duplication of library resources.

The library is piloting the use of this service, a product of the company Research Solutions. Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) offers instant access to journal articles from select unsubscribed titles for a per-article fee, and integrates with our catalog’s link resolver so that users access these articles through the library. Also, AGS routes the user to an open access link if the article is openly available.

In summer 2024, the library installed its first self-checkout machine. Connecticut College students, faculty and staff can retrieve a book from the shelves, scan the book's barcode and their ID at the machine, and the book will be checked out to them. Users can also download the Meescan app (wherever they get their apps), open the app, log in with their College credentials, and then follow the simple instructions to check out the book wherever they are in the library.

In 2020, the library joined the HathiTrust Digital Library, a preservation initiative that has digitized more than 18 million documents. Through Connecticut College’s membership in HathiTrust, users can access millions of public domain documents, and request accessible in-copyright texts for those who have print reading disabilities. HathiTrust also provides emergency access to in-copyright items should the library need to close. To access HathiTrust, click the above link, then click “Log In” on the upper menu, find Connecticut College in the institution, and log in with your College credentials.

EAST is a consortium of libraries that is dedicated to using cooperative services to manage print collections. Encompassing 60 academic and research libraries from Maine to Florida, it asks members to commit to retaining materials to ensure that older or little-used print resources are retained. What's more, through Rapid ILL (see above link) we also have an interlibrary loan agreement with EAST libraries, so that materials that are collectively retained can be quickly sent to participating libraries.

We've enrolled in Rapid ILL, a service that dramatically decreases the time it takes to receive a book or article. Articles now are typically received in a few hours, while books take only a day or two. For loaning and borrowing print books, our cooperative agreements include the Oberlin Group; EAST, a large print retention consortium (see below link); and a group of New England institutions.

In 2024 the library completed an integration of all music materials formerly held in Greer Music Library into Shain. Music scores are now held on the third floor of Shain; sound recordings, in compact shelving on the lower level; and folio scores, now interfiled with all library folios also in compact shelving on the lower level. These collections join other music collections that had previously been moved to Shain, including circulating books (interfiled with the main collection and located on the third floor), reference materials (interfiled with other reference materials, on the first floor) and bound journals (on the first floor). Users can check out a record player or CD player at the circulation desk, or listen to sound recordings in the third-floor viewing/listening room.