Location:

Library Hours
Library Floorplans

Periodical/Reserve Staff Directory:

• Jan Vance, Periodical/Reserve/Microforms Supervisor
• Jennifer Criss, Periodical/Reserve/Microforms Coordinator
• Lajmar Anderson, Access Services Evening Coordinator
• Dan Taylor, Periodical/Reserve Clerk

General Information:

Periodical/Reserve houses:

• Reserve books and photocopies which have been placed on reserve at the request of faculty. These items can be requested at the Periodical/Reserve service counter.
• Current issues of "permanent reserve" periodicals. A list of titles is available at the Periodical/Reserve service counter.
• Recent unbound issues of periodicals are arranged in alphabetical order by title on the open shelves in the reading room beyond the Periodical/Reserve service counter.
• A collection of current newspapers are on open shelves in the reading room, beyond the Periodical/Reserve service counter.
• The Permanent Reserve collection.
• Forty Internet stations.

Group Study Rooms:

Bracken Library offers students, faculty/staff, and resident affiliates a variety of comfortable Group Study Rooms for collaborative study, learning, and small conferences. The rooms seat between 6 and 18 persons. These large and small rooms are also available for staff and campus organizations for meetings, project discussions, and planning.

The following rules apply to reserving these group study rooms:

• Room reservations are made in 30 minute increments up to a maximum of 4 hours.
• Rooms cannot be reserved on a daily basis for an entire semester.
• Semester reservations are accepted for BSU undergraduates and/or graduates to use for 1 session per week up to 4 hours.
• To extend a room reservation beyond 4 hours, please contact the Periodical/Reserve/Microforms desk, 1st Floor East, (765) 285-5141.
• Semester reservation requests are accepted for faculty for teaching purposes. To make such reservation requests, please contact the Periodical/Reserve/Microforms staff at (765) 285-5141.
• Chalk and erasers are available upon request at the Periodical/Reserve/Microforms desk, Bracken Library 1st Floor East.
• Audio/Visual equipment needs are the requestor’s responsibility and can be made through Equipment Projectionist Services, Bracken Library Lower Level West, at (765) 285-5337.
• If you finish with the room before your reservation time is up, please clear your reservation to the next time interval so that others may use the room.
• Food and beverages are limited to snack items.

The process for reserving the rooms:

• Log on using your BSU Outlook account information.
• Select the day and time you wish to schedule.
• Select the room to view information regarding the room amenities and size.
• Large rooms (seating capacity: 18) have a minimum of 6 students before the reservation can be made.
• By submitting this room reservation, you are agreeing to the terms of use.

For immediate assistance or for answers to any questions, please contact the Periodical/Reserve/Microforms desk at (765) 285-5141.

Periodicals in CardCat:

All periodicals (journals and magazines) held by Ball State University Libraries can be located in CardCat.

Circulation Policies:

Many of the materials described below circulate with a valid BSU ID card. However, there are some RESTRICTIONS. Be sure to check each category for circulation periods. See overnight circulation schedule below for definitive circulation periods. For additional information on borrowing privileges, see also Borrowing Privileges.

Bound Periodicals:

Most bound periodicals are shelved alphabetically by title in Bracken Library, Second Floor West. Bound volumes 5 years and older circulate for 7 days. Bound volumes newer than five years circulate for 24 hours. Bound volumes in storage can be requested at the Periodical/Reserve service counter. Check with supervisory staff for circulation policies.

Course Reserve Materials and Electronic Reserve:

Materials that instructors put on reserve are available in Bracken Library at the Periodical/Reserve service counter, First Floor East; in Educational Resources Center, Lower Level; the Music Listening Center, Lower Level; the Architecture Library, AB 116; and the Science-Health Science Library, CN 16. Some course reserve materials are also available in electronic format. For information on how to locate and access materials professors have placed on reserve, see Course Reserves.

Only one faculty reserve item may be checked out at one time. However, two items may be checked out if for two different courses. Course reserve materials may be renewed.

Course Reserve materials circulate for varying periods of time as designated by the professor. Most items circulate for 2 hours; some for 3 or 7 days.

Permanent Reserve Periodicals:

Up to five issues of the same "permanent reserve" periodical or periodical waiting to go to the bindery may be checked out at one time. These periodicals must be used in the reading room.

Current Periodicals:

Anyone may use the current issues of periodicals and newspapers. Current Periodicals circulate for 24 hours.

Three-Day Reserve:

Music scores, housed in the Music Collection in the Lower Level, circulate for only 3 days. They are identified by a stamp on the book pocket and may be checked out at any circulation service counter.

7-Day Permanent Reserve:

This collection may circulate to anyone with a valid BSU ID or Resident Affiliate Card. This collection is kept at the Reserve Counter on a permanent basis and only circulates for 7 days.

Return of Materials:

All materials checked out at the Periodical/Reserve service counter should be returned to that counter whenever the Library is open. When the Library is closed, material may be returned through the outside book chutes located west of the north and south entrances.

FINES:

Overdue, lost, or damaged materials are subject to the Library Fine and Cost Policy. Copies of the Library Fine and Cost Policy are available at all circulation counters, the Library Information rack in the main lobby of Bracken Library, and on the University Libraries' home page here.

All materials kept behind the Periodical/Reserve service counter, all 3-day open reserve music, and all materials taken to departments for copying are subject to the fine schedule for reserve items and are billed at the hourly rate if overdue. There is no grace period.