AU Library FAQs

Introducing AU Library FAQs! This is the first in a series of blog posts with information about AU Library's searchable FAQs knowledge base. If you have already used our FAQs page, let us know what you think.  If you are new to our FAQs page, here's a few "FAQs" to get you started.

Have you used AU Library's FAQs site?  
AU Library FAQs is a searchable help site that includes quick and easy answers to a variety of frequently asked questions about AU Library, Circulation & Reserves (including OhioLINK), Library Reference and Instruction, and the Instructional Resource Center.

How does AU Library FAQs work?
Type your question into the search box, already answered questions will auto-populate the drop down menu.  Select the question from the list and you will be directed to answer page; many times the page will include links for more information.

What if my question is not answered on the AU Library FAQs page?

If your question is not posted, each page has a submission form. Click on the link and submit your question to AU Library. We will respond to your question via the email address you provide.   

Where do I find AU Library FAQs?

Select Research Guides from the AU Library home page and then choose LibAnswers & Chat. You will be directed to the AU Library FAQs page.

AU Library: Instant Answers

Have you used our Instant Answers service?  It's a quick and convenient way to get AU library hours and phone information from AU Library and the Instructional Resource Center. Instant Answers provides opportunity for you to text* us and have automatic answers sent directly to your phone, tablet, or other mobile device.

Choose from the following sets of key words:

• library hours - receive AU library hours schedule
• library phone - receive AU library main and reference phone numbers
• IRC hours - receive IRC summer hours schedule
• IRC phone - receive the IRC phone number

pssst ... you may want to try texting welcome to receive a quick welcome message and provide opportunity for you to save the text number to use at a later date.

*Key words are not case sensitive. Standard messaging rates may apply for each text.

IRC and Pinterest

Are you following the IRC @ AU Library on Pinterest?

We have a great collection of boards featuring Book Trailers, Ellison Dies, Alphabet Books, Cumulative Tales, Bullying & Cyberbullying, and IRC Activity Books.


Our site continues to grow with new pins and boards, updates are often tweeted via @IRCaulibrary (you should follow us there, too!). Coming soon ... a board featuring math books in the juvenile collection.

Library Spotlight: New Books

New books are added to the library collection throughout the academic year. When shelf ready, titles are featured in the new books area on library main floor, near the computers and recreational reading area. Titles are selected by AU librarians and subject to the library's collection development policy which includes professional reviews and faculty recommendations. The following titles have been added to the library's main collection.

• On Grief & Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss
  BF575. G7.K82 2014
• The Travon Martin in US: An American Tragedy
  E185.86 T739 2015
• Go Set A Watchman
  PS3562.E22 G6 2015
• Ideal: The Novel and the Play
  PS3535.A547 A6 2015
• The Age of Acquiescence: The Life and Death of American Resistance to Organized Wealth
  E169.Z8 F73 2015
• Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Reshaping America
  E184.A1 F739 2015

If you have a recommendation, be sure to contact your library liaison for more information.

OhioLINK: Review

Let's Review ... Ashland University Library is an OhioLINK member institution. In addition to the digital and physical resources available to you at the main campus library, AU students, faculty, and staff have access to OhioLINK.  This is one way AU Library is working for you.

Below is a narrative from What Does OhioLINK Provide?

"Research Databases OhioLINK offers more than 100 electronic research databases, including a variety of full-text resources. These databases cover many academic areas at varying levels of detail." 

"Electronic Journal Center (EJC) OhioLINK launched the Electronic Journal Center, a collection of full-text research journals, in 1998. The EJC contains almost 10,000 scholarly journal titles from approximately 50 publishers across a wide range of disciplines." 

"Electronic Book Center (EBC) OhioLINK’s growing collection of 81,000 e-books covers a wide variety of subjects and includes scholarly monographs; encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference works (for tracking down a quick fact or illustration); and computer and technology titles (for in-depth, how-to books and technology tips)."  

"Digital Resource Commons (DRC) The Digital Resource Commons preserves and hosts a variety of multimedia material owned and licensed by OhioLINK. DRC collections include: 3,000 digital educational films and documentaries; thousands of electronic images, and more." 

"Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center (ETD) The ETD Center is an open access showcase of research and scholarship from students at Ohio universities, offering access to over 39,000 undergraduate honors theses, masters’ theses, and doctoral dissertations from students at participating Ohio colleges and universities."

"Ohio Music Center The OhioLINK Music Center is an online streaming music database of international works in a variety of genres, from Classical to Spoken Word. The Music Center offers more than 81,000 tracks from more than 22,000 albums."  

"Electronic Finding Aid Repository (EAD) The OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository contains descriptions of archival collections from contributing institutions in Ohio."

OhioLINK: Circulation Policies

OhioLINK resources are available to you from member libraries; however it's important to note that circulation, lending, and fines for OhioLINK resources are set and enforced by OhioLINK. They differ from Ashland University Library policy.

• OhioLINK Frequently Asked Questions 
• OhioLINK "How To" Information
• Loan Period for OhioLINK Items
• Fines for Overdue OhioLINK Items

If you have questions about OhioLINK circulation issues, be sure to contact AU Library's main desk at ext 5400.  Also available for quick answers is the AU Library FAQs page for Circulation & Reserves.

OhioLINK: Request Materials

Have you found something in the AU Library catalog only to learn it is checked out to someone else? Do you need a particular edition of a book we do not yet have?  Is there a DVD you would like to view that is on reserve and cannot leave the library?  Check OhioLINK availability via the library catalog! The item you want may be available at another library and it can be delivered here, or to any other participating OhioLINK library location, for free.

AU Librarian's will be able to help you locate and request OhioLINK items. Our friendly circulation staff will guide you through the check-out process when your item arrives, provide information about due dates, and can help with renewals. Ask for help at the main desk, we'll take it from there.

OhioLINK: Ohio's Academic Library Consortium

Q:  What is OhioLINK, the Ohio Library and Information Network?

A:  OhioLINK is a consortium of Ohio college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio.

Ashland University Library is an OhioLINK member, as such "students, faculty, staff and researchers at nearly every Ohio college or university have unparalleled access to the print and electronic resources essential to their academic pursuits" (What is OhioLINK).


OhioLINK - Ohio's Academic Library Consortium from OH-TECH on Vimeo.
What does this mean for you? OhioLINK and its member libraries provide access to:

• 50 million books and other library materials 
• Millions of electronic articles 
• 17,000 electronic journals 
• more than 100 electronic research databases 
• over 81,000 e-books 
• Thousands of images, videos and sounds 
• 39,000 theses and dissertations from Ohio students

Stay tuned for more OhioLINK information!

AU Library: Labor Day Hours

AU Library is open today, Monday, September 7th, from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Regular hours resume on Tuesday, September 8th at 7:45 am. A complete listing of AU Library Hours and Updates is available on the Library web site.

Safari E-Books

If you are experiencing problems using ProQuest's Safari E-Books, please note the following message from OhioLINK.

"There is a 100 concurrent users limit on this database, across the consortium. Increasing this limit is not possible at this time. Users will see an error that says Session Unavailable if they are the 101st user or beyond. Users should be able to try again later and get into the resource they need once a session is available." - OhioLINK

Below is a screen grab of the error message:

If you are unable to view the resource, try again a few minutes later. If you need help with this issue, please contact a reference librarian at ext 5402 or via library@ashland.edu.

EJC Issues: Resolved

OhioLINK reports that Electronic Journal Center (EJC) functionality issues have been resolved. If you experience problems with the database or need help using EJC, please contact a reference librarian via phone, ext 5402, or email (library@ashland.edu). Thank you for your patience.

AU Library Hours: Labor Day

EJC Issues Reported

We will post updates as they become available.

Update: "Articles and PDFs are functioning as normal, the journal pages in the EJC are still down. You can see the error when you click on any journal title; you will see a yellow box indicating that the journal is not available. Browse by journal title functionality is also not working" - OhioLINK

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Issues with the Electronic Journal Center (EJC) – "searching works, but clicking does not appear to be bringing up any content" - have been reported. OhioLINK is working on the problem with with OH-TECH. Information will be posted as it becomes available.  Thank you for your patience.