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Online Learning and Extended Campus Library Services

Get Off-campus Access to the Gallucci-Cirio Library's Resources?

As a Fitchburg State faculty or student member you are issued a unique Falcon Key username and password from the Technology Department when you teach or enroll in a course/program. Whenever you are prompted to login to the library's databases and subscription resources from off campus, use your Falcon Key to login just as you do for Blackboard.

Don't know your Falcon Key?

Students and faculty can obtain their Falcon Key account information from the Technology Help Desk; you will need to provide them with your Banner ID number.

In an extended campus course/program and haven't received a Banner Student ID number because your paperwork is in progress? Contact Linda LeBlanc (978) 665-3062 or dllibrary@fitchburgstate.edu for a temporary guest login to use.

Faculty/Staff Falcon Key:

  • Your username & password are the same as your blackboard/email username.

Student Falcon Key:

  • Your username & password are the same as your blackboard/email username.  

When you are off-campus and you click on the link for a database, e-journal, etc., from the library's website you will be prompted to enter your Falcon Key login information. Once you enter it you should be taken directly into that resource and can begin using it. You will only be prompted to login once for each online session. Need help selecting a database? Subject guides provide you a list of top resources for that subject and other information to help you get started or contact the librarians for research and reference assistance. You can use the drop down lists below to select a specific database or subject guide.

From the Library's website at library.fitchburgstate.edu, use the discovery Resources Search box to search all of the library's collections or go to the Research section to go to a specific resource.

This service is useful when you have a citation for an article that you want to track down, know a specific journal that you want to use or just want to browse by subject for journals (both print and electronic) that the Gallucci-Cirio Library subscribes to. 

  • If we have one or more online subscriptions with full-text access available for that journal, click on the "Available Online" link to see a list of options with the date range of the full-text coverage each resource provides. Click on the resource link you want to access. If you are off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your Falcon Key in order to access the full-text online.
  • If we only have the journal in print, use ILLiad to request the specific articles you would like and we will scan them into PDF files which will be posted into your ILLiad account so you can access them.
  • If we don't subscribe to the journal and you have a specific article you need, use ILLiad to request it from another library.

You can access the Journal Finder search tool using the link above or via the Library's homepage.

Course Reserves Desk

Course reserves are materials (including books, AV materials, journal articles, electronic resources, instructional equipment, and non-book items) chosen by the faculty to support class instruction. The materials are maintained in a separate location within the Library, and access to the material is more restricted than is the access to items in general circulation. The Course Reserves Service is available for all Fitchburg State faculty and accessible to all students in on-campus, online learning and extended campus courses. At the end of the semester usage statistics for each course's reserve items are available to the professor.

Digital Reserves:

Digital reserves can be accessed via the Course Reserves guide. Digital reserves are available in two different formats:

  1. Some materials you can access immediately by clicking on the link.
  2. Other titles are not linked due to copyright restrictions. These reserve items can only be used by one person at a time and can not be printed or downloaded. To see if these items are available please use the chat box on the left side of the Course Reserves guide. Simply provide your instructor's name and the book title. You can borrow a digital copy for 2 hours. Access to the content will self-destruct after 2 hours.

Hard Copy Reserves:

These are print materials or physical objects that are located at the Public Services Desk, (the desk near the Library entrance). Depending on the item, they may be borrowed for either 2 hours (for in-library use only), 1 day, 3 days, or up to 1 week. They are available on a first come, first served basis. To see if we have an item please stop by the Library and speak to one of our Public Services Desk staff.

Faculty at extended campus locations may request Gallucci-Cirio Library-owned materials to be sent to their course location to be placed in a secure area for their students to use; please contact us at eresmanager@fitchburgstate.edu to make arrangements.

Student Access to the Course Reserves Desk at the Library:

  1. Students should present their Fitchburg State One Card ID.
  2. Tell the Public Services assistant the name of the professor and the title of the book/article/item desired. 
  3. Most hard copy/physical Reserve items are to be used in the Library only. These can not be checked out overnight, unless the professor has specified otherwise. The items that do circulate have a short loan period of 1 day or 1 week; due dates are strictly enforced with a late fine of $2 per day per item assessed on items returned late.
  4. Reserve Items that are "in-library use only" must be returned to the Public Services Desk prior to closing.
  5. Students may be limited as to the number of Reserve Items they can sign out at one time from the same professor to ensure that all students have a chance to access the material.
  6. If a student has overdue items or unpaid fines/lost fees on his/her account, borrowing privileges (including the use of Reserve items) will be blocked until the account balance has been cleared.

Borrow Materials from the Gallucci-Cirio Library's Print Collections?

As a student or faculty member in a online learning or extended campus course/program you have full access to the circulating collections in the Gallucci-Cirio Library and to most of our non-circulating collections from home via the Library's website. Use our FalconSearch box on our homepage to search for items across all of our print and online resources simultaneously. You can than use a variety of limiters to help narrow down your results. This is great when you are looking for a variety of resource types such as books, articles and media on your topic.

You can still go directly to a specific research database by clicking on the DATABASES tab. From here you can type in the Database name if you know it, select it from our A to Z list of all our databases or browse by subject.

The Journal Finder link takes you to our journal search tool where you can search by journal name.

The Research & Citations Guides link  takes you to General Subject guides, Course Guides and Topic Guides which provide links to our library resources, links to web resources, librarian subject specialists, research tips, citation help and more geared towards that specific subject, course or topic.

Note: You must be logged in as an Off-Campus user to access the online subscription databases, journals, music, etc.

When you find an item you want to use and it is accessible online you have direct access to save, print, download, listen, etc. to the item (options vary depending on the type of material and the database).

When you find an item you want to use that is physically in our library and not available online, logon to the ILLiad system to place your requests. The Library will mail the items to the address specified on your ILLiad account; there is no charge for mailing items to you. You will only be responsible for the cost of shipping books, CDs, and other circulating items back to the Gallucci-Cirio Library. Electronic copies will be delivered to your ILLiad account. You are also welcome to come to the library and check out and/or return materials through the Circulation Desk; you will need your One Card if you come to the library. 

Within the library you have access to several online accounts via the Library website (Top gray bar: My Library Accounts link): the Catalog, ILLiad (Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery) and RefWorks (Citation Management software).

Your Library Account is usually created/updated automatically from the campus' Banner system. When you are in FalconSearch, click on the Menu icon then My Account. If you are already logged into your FSU Google account it will automatically log you in otherwise sign in with your Falcon Key (FSU email address and email password). Here you can view your personal information, see what Fitchburg State library items you have checked out as well as when they are due and renew them online, and more. If you have trouble accessing your account, please let us know.

Your ILLiad Account is optional and needs to be activated and updated manually by clicking on any of the ILLiad Interlibrary Loans link under the My Library Accounts on our website or the ILLiad links located throughout our resources. If this is your first time using our ILLiad system, click on the "First time User? Create your account" link and complete the New User Registration form. If you are in an Extended Campus program and have not received your Banner ID number yet, you can still activate your ILLiad account by using the last 4 digits of your social security number where the form asks for your Banner number and entering your instructor/course information in the Notes box. You can later update your account information once you receive your Banner number.

Your RefWorks account is optional and needs to be activated and updated manually by clicking on any of the the RefWorks links located throughout our web site. If this is your first time using our RefWorks system, click on the "Create Account" link and complete the New User Registration form.

  • Note: You must have popups enabled for RefWorks to work properly.
  • Need help setting up your account? Visit the tutorial - How to Set up an Account

Your OneCard is your official university ID and also serves as your library card. It is optional for the online learning and extended campus communities.

If you come on campus, you need your OneCard to check out library materials, use the photocopiers, and print from computers and microfiche machines. You also need your OneCard if you intend to go to any of the ARC or WILL libraries to borrow materials from them. The student number printed on the front of your OneCard serves is your Banner number.

If you only plan to access the Gallucci-Cirio Library's services online, you just need to know your Fitchburg State Banner ID number. Your Banner number with the "@" symbol changed to a zero is your library barcode.

Use our ILLiad document delivery service to have items from our print collections as well as those you we get for you from other libraries through the Interlibrary Loan service sent to you. Physical items such as books will be sent to your home via postal mail while items such as articles will be sent electronically directly into your ILLiad account as PDFs you can download. In mailing items we will incur the cost of shipping the item(s) to you; you will be responsible for the cost of shipping library items back to us and for any damaged/lost items.

Gallucci-Cirio Library-owned items and Interlibrary Loan items can be returned in person or mailed to the Gallucci-Cirio Library using the enclosed return mailing label. Any library items mailed back must be shipped in appropriate packing such as a jiffy bag to prevent the item from being damaged (ask at your local post office if you are not sure).

This service is only available to faculty teaching through extended campus or online learning courses and students currently enrolled through a Fitchburg State extended campus or online learning course/program.

The length of the delivery time will vary depending on the material requested and the mode of delivery available. Our goal is to ensure that you receive materials as quickly as possible.

Length of the borrowing time for physical items:

  • Circulating items for Fitchburg State-owned items:
    • Student borrowing period for most items is 28 days, plus a 7-day grace period to allow for shipping time. 
    • Faculty borrowing period for most circulating items is 6 months
  • Circulating items from other libraries vary depending on the individual library and are the same for students and faculty; we have no control over this date. The due date will be specified on each individual item. We ask that you please return Interlibrary Loan items by the due date specified or if you need it longer, place a renewal request via your ILLiad account before it is due. Failure to return other libraries' items on time may result in their refusal to lend us items in the future.

Renew Items Checked Out on Your Library Catalog Account

There are four ways that you can renew items that you have borrowed from the Gallucci-Cirio Library:

  • Online renewal - connect to FalconSearch and access your account directly by clicking on Sign In. The "Menu" link will change to your name, click on it and then "My Loans". The system will tell you if the item can be renewed or not. Click on renew to get your new due date. Note: If it is not renewable online, use one of the following three options to contact the Public Services staff for help.
  • At the Public Services Desk - stop by the desk and renew your items whether you have them with you or not.
  • Via phone - call the Public Services Desk during our hours of operation at 978-665-3063 and renew them over the phone.
  • Via email - email your renewal request to circulation@fitchburgstate.edu. Please be sure to include your name and library barcode/institution ID number.

Please note:

  • Overdue items can not be renewed online if your account is expired or you owe lost fees.
  • The Public Services staff reserves the right to require the early return of a renewed item or deny a renewal if it is needed by another Fitchburg State student or faculty member.

Borrow Materials from Other Libraries?

Books, journals and other materials not available at the Gallucci-Cirio Library can be requested from other libraries through our ILLiad Interlibrary Loan service. This service is available free to Fitchburg State students and faculty including those in an extended campus or online learning course/program.

Please keep in mind that an Interlibrary Loan request for a physical item such as a book takes an average of 1 to 2 weeks and the average time for an electronic article/document takes 1 business day from the time you submit the request until you receive the item, but it may take longer. To request an item through ILLiad Interlibrary Loan, click on the ILLiad link below or from anywhere within the Library's website (Under the "My Library Accounts" link in the top bar) or by clicking on the "Find Copy" link from within the databases (note: name of link varies depending on the database).

Once you've clicked on the ILLiad link...

  1. If you already have an account, enter your Username and Password. Otherwise, click on the "First Time User? Create Your Account" link and fill out the New User Registration form.
    • We recommend that you use your Falcon Key as your username and password and your Fitchburg State email.
    • Under "Preferred Loan Delivery Method (physical items)" select the "Mail to Address" to have items delivered to your home instead of picking it up at the Public Services Desk. Note: Delivery to your home is restricted to students enrolled in and faculty teaching in Online Learning or at Extended Campus courses.
    • Under the section for "Location of your current courses (Staff choose Main Campus)" choose the Online Learning course or at an Extended Campus location.
  2. Your ILLiad account's Main Menu page will display. From here you can use the left-hand menu to go to:
    • New Request - Select the Article, Book or A/V, or Book Chapter request form; fill it out to request an item. When you hit the Submit Request button the system will automatically fill in all of your information which you entered through the New User Registration form.
    • View - Track your outstanding requests, access electronically received articles, et cetera.
    • Tools - Here you can update your account information at any time and change your password.

ILLiad Request forms will pull citation information directly from the Library's databases and automatically populate the form for you!

When you are in one of the Library's databases with items in your results list which aren't full text, simply click on the "Get Article" link, "Find a Copy" link, et cetera that you see. This will take you into our Journal Locator service which will quickly tell you whether that item is available through one of the other databases or in our library. If it states we don't have the item, scroll down and click on the "Request Books and Articles from Another Library" link. This connects you directly to the ILLiad logon page. Logon to ILLiad and the system automatically opens the request form and pulls all of the item's citation information into the form for you. All you need to do is make sure everything filled in, you can add in a note if you want, then click on the Submit Request button to send your request to the Interlibrary Loan staff who will borrow that item from another library for you.

We will search to find a library that has the item you want and we will borrow it from them. When we receive the item from the lending library we will send it to you through our Document Delivery service and notify you that it is on the way. In mailing items, we will incur the cost of shipping ILL item(s) to you.

ILL items can be returned in person or mailed to the Gallucci-Cirio Library using the enclosed return mailing label. Any ILL items mailed back must be shipped in appropriate packing such as a jiffy bag to prevent the item from being damaged (ask at your local post office if you are not sure). You will be responsible for the cost of shipping ILL items back to us and for any damaged/lost items. Length of loans for ILL materials are subject to the lending library. Patrons are asked to return materials by the specified date on the slip. Renewals may be requested once and they are dependent upon the lending library's policy and not Fitchburg State. If you have questions about ILLiad, please contact us at interlibrary@fitchburgstate.edu or 978 665-3063.

Academic & Research Collaborative (ARC)

ARC is one of two cross-borrowing programs the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library participates in. Through ARC Fitchburg State students, faculty and staff may borrow circulating materials directly at most of these libraries. Within this group we participate in both a student and a faculty/staff cross-borrowing program. In order to borrow circulating materials directly from any of these libraries, you must present a Student, Faculty or Staff ARC Card issued by our Public Services Department and your Fitchburg State OneCard at that library's circulation desk. To get your ARC Card, please inquire at the Public Services Desk of the Gallucci-Cirio Library. As part of this cross-borrowing agreement, you as the borrower, agree to abide by that library's policies which may differ from Fitchburg State as to length of the check out period, late fine rate, etc.

MA Higher Education Libraries (WILL) 

WILL is one of two cross-borrowing programs the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library participates in.Fitchburg State students, faculty and staff may borrow circulating materials directly at most Massachusetts state university through the WILL program at no charge. (UMass Worcester - Medical does not participate in this agreement). Simply present your Fitchburg State Student OneCard at that library's Circulation Desk to register for borrowing privileges. If you have a picture-less OneCard, you may be asked to also provide a picture I.D. such as a driver's license. As part of this cross-borrowing agreement, you as the borrower, agree to abide by that library's policies which may differ from Fitchburg State as to length of the check out period, late fine rate, etc.

Renew Items Checked Out from Other Libraries via ILLiad Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan is a library-to-library service; all requests for borrowing and renewing items from other libraries through the Interlibrary Loan Service must go through the Gallucci-Cirio Library's Interlibrary Loan staff via ILLiad. Our policies and procedures are based on the National Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States. Login to your ILLiad account, click on "Checked Out Items" from the left-hand menu and then click on on the request renewal link for the item. While the renewal request is being processed you may hold on to the item, even past the due date. We will send you an email notification via ILLiad as follows:

  • The lending library's approval to renew the item along with a new due date. Note: most libraries will only allow one renewal per item.
  • The lending library's denial, in which case the item is still due back on the original due date (or as soon as possible if that date has passed).

Renew Items You Checked Out Directly from an ARC or WILL Library

Contact that library's Circulation staff to find out their policies.