Using the Library - Library/Media Center Policies

Foothill College Library

Semans Library

Fall, Winter, & Spring Hours
Mon – Thur 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Fri 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sat & Sun Closed

Summer Hours
Mon – Thur 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fri – Sun Closed

The Library is closed during all college holidays and breaks.

Reference Desk
(650) 949-7608
Ask a Librarian

Circulation & Reserve
(650) 949-7611

Media Center
(650) 949-7445

View a map of the Learning Resource Center (library, media center, and tutorial center).

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Using Foothill College Library

Foothill Owl Your Library Card

Your current Student Photo ID (your OwlCard or DASB card) is used as your library card and is required for all library transactions. You can obtain your ID at the Smart Shop (room 2016) in the Campus Center.

Checkout and Renewal

Books may be checked out for three weeks and may be renewed twice online. ESL books may be checked out for one week and renewed twice online; further renewals must be done in person. Periodicals may be checked out for one week and renewed twice; the current issue of a periodical may not be checked out, however. Reference books and newspapers may not be checked out. You may renew materials in the library at the Circulation Desk or use your library account online to renew them.

Placing a Hold

If the library catalog shows that a book you want is checked out, you can place a hold on it. From the results list, click on Details and then look for the Place Hold link in the lefthand column.

Return of Materials

Items may be returned to the staff at the Circulation Desk, to the book return slot at the Circulation Desk, or to the outside book return. Please do not return reserve materials to the outside book return when the library is open; return them to the staff at the Reserves Desk.

Reserve Textbooks

Please check the Reserves Desk for materials placed on reserve by your instructor (such as textbooks, workbooks, etc.). Loan periods for these materials vary, usually from one or two hours to one day. Please note, you must be registered at Foothill to borrow reserve materials.

Fines for Late Materials

Items checked out from the circulating stacks area are fined 25¢ per day. Fines for reserve materials are $1 per hour, and accrue even when the library is closed.

Fines for Lost Materials

If you lose any library material (other than items on reserve), you will be charged a flat fee of $57 per item. If a reserve book is lost, you will be charged the price of the book at the bookstore. The lost book fee for ESL books is $25 per book.

Computer Use

Computer workstations are available in the library and media center to conduct research using the online catalog, subscription databases, and the Internet. You may use any available computer. You can print from any of these computers, but you will need to have money on your OwlCard to pay for print jobs. You can add money to your card on the machine in the hallway across from the reference desk, near the restrooms.

Wireless

Wifi is available in the library and media center. The wireless network name is Foothill College. To log in, launch a browser and sign in using your 8-digit student ID and the password you use for MyPortal. NOTE: This is an unsecured connection.

Copying

There are two copiers in the library, near the study room. The cost for copying is 15¢ a page when paying with cash and 12¢ a page when using your OwlCard.

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Printing

You will need to use your OwlCard to pay for printing. There is a machine for adding money to your card in the hallway near the restrooms in the library. Printing costs 10¢ a page. There is a color printer in the Media Center.

You can print from any computer in the library or media center. To print, simply follow these directions:

Send your print job to the printer as usual
Go to the printer and insert your OwlCard into the card reader, chip facing down
Select the number of the computer you printed from
Select the document you want to print and click Go Print, then click Touch Screen to Print once the reader has read your card

We do not have wireless printing, so if you want to print something from your laptop, you'll have to either e-mail it to yourself or put it on a thumb drive and print it from one of the computer workstations.

Printing PDFs

To print a PDF properly from within the browser, use the print button in the PDF toolbar instead of the Print command in the web browser menu (see screenshot).

Print a PDF