Distance Student

Here are some helpful links and some information to get you started on your library research if you are off-campus. Whether you need help with research, access to your course reserves, or need to find some information, the University Library is the place for you!

 

Who qualifies for Distance Education Library Services?

You can qualify for Distance Education library services if:

  • You are enrolled in classes that meet in Temecula or off-campus
  • You are enrolled in online classes that do not meet on campus

You will use Interlibrary Loan to request articles and books to be delivered to you for free. Your distance education service expires at the end of each semester so be sure to reapply for uninterrupted service.

If you have any questions contact Distance Education library services.

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Get help from a librarian

Need help interpreting your assignment requirements? Not sure where to go to find resources on your research topic? Been searching for 15 minutes and haven’t gotten anywhere yet? It’s time to get help from a librarian! Distance education students can get help from a librarian in the following ways:

  • Chat - best for relatively quick questions that you need answered quickly
  • Email - for more complex questions, or when you don’t need an answer ASAP
  • Phone - when you can’t come to campus and need to talk out your question with a librarian
  • By appointment (phone or video chat) - when your question is complex and you need more than 5 minutes with a librarian who is an expert in your subject

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Course Reserves

Sometimes your professor will put materials for your courses online through the library’s website. Check the course reserves system to see if we have what you need. If we don’t have it, you can ask your professor if they can put a copy on reserve or you can check the University Bookstore.

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Locating eBooks and using Interlibrary Loan

As a distance education student, our electronic books will likely be the most useful to you. However, you may register for distance education library services to have library books mailed to your home.

Follow these instructions to find books:

  • Go to the library’s homepage
  • Click on the tab for “Books & More”, type in your key word, and click “Search”
    • If you know the specific book you’re looking for, you can search by Author or Title (select these options in the drop down menu)
    • If you need to find a book on a certain topic, search by Keyword or Subject
  • On the next screen, select “Books” from the “Materials Type” drop down menu
  • If you need a book right away:
    • Access electronic books from anywhere with an internet connection and your CSUSM log in. Select “Full text online” in the menu under “Availability”.
  • If you can wait a little bit, request physical materials:
    • On the results page, select “Available online” in the menu under “Availability”
    • Fill out an Interlibrary Loan request form for the items you need.
    • The items will be sent to you from the CSUSM library.

Need help? Contact distance education library services or chat with a librarian.

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Locating scholarly articles

If your professor is requiring “scholarly”, “academic”, “peer-reviewed”, “scientific”, or “research” articles, you will need to use an article database.

  • Select an article database by subject or search alphabetically if your professor has recommended a particular database.
  • Each database is a little bit different, but there will generally be an option that allows you to narrow down your search so you are retrieving mostly scholarly/academic articles.
  • Search our Research or Course guides for help specific to your subject/course.

If the article you need is only available in the library, you may register for distance education library services to have the article sent to you electronically.

Not sure if the article you found is scholarly? Watch the What is a Scholarly Article? Video from the Kimbel Library.

Still not sure? Ask a CSUSM Librarian!