Information for Faculty

Welcome to our library's informational page for faculty. The CSUSM Library is here to help you make your course and/or research a success.

Instructional Support

Subject Librarian

Reach out to your subject librarian to schedule librarian-led instruction, discuss online library instructional resources for your course, or for any other library research-related questions.

Library-Led Instruction

The Teaching and Learning (TAL) Department at the CSUSM University Library are ready to partner with college faculty to create transformative learning opportunities in first year experience curriculum, general education courses, and CSUSM majors.To arrange instruction with a librarian for your course, contact one of the following:

• for first year instruction, contact the Academic Transition Librarian, Allison Carr.
• for any other class, contact your subject librarian.

Course Guides

Your subject librarian can develop a guide specifically for your course filled with recommended resources and materials, search strategy tips and tricks, and more.

Go to the Research and Course Guides page to take a look at the Course Guides already available and reach out to your subject specialist librarian to have one created for you.

Research Assistance

Ask a Librarian

You can get help from a librarian in the following ways:

• Subject Librarian - Reach out to schedule librarian-led instruction, discuss online library instructional resources for your course, or for any other library research-related questions.
• Virtually via:
  • Chat Now - Available anytime day or night, best for relatively quick questions that you need answered quickly.
    • This chat feature is available 24/7 but if you prefer to work with a CSUSM librarian rather than a co-op librarian (who answers questions when we are not available) then be sure to check our Research Help Hours.
  • Zoom Consultation, Email or Phone - Use this Email form to set up a Zoom consultation, phone interaction or email exchange with a librarian.
    • You can also call the reference phone line directly at (760) 750-4391.  Check the Research Help Hours to see the specific hours the phone is monitored.
• In-person - when you need to meet with a librarian face-to-face or to find something inside the library building go to the Circulation Desk and a librarian will be notified.
  • Check our Research Help Hours for times the in-person librarian is available.

Research and Course Guides

Research and Course Guides are developed and maintained by CSUSM librarians to help students navigate through the research process. In these guides, you will find recommended resources and materials, search strategy tips and tricks, and more.

Library Collections

OneSearch

OneSearch is CSUSM University Library's library’s searching tool to locate book, ebooks, articles, videos and more provided by the Library. OneSearch has been adopted by all 23 CSU libraries giving the CSU system a shared platform to collaborate and share resources.

However, please be aware that when students are trying to find articles they can feel overwhelmed by the amount of unrelated results that OneSearch returns.  Therefore, we often recommend that students, especially those new to research, use a specific database rather than OneSearch when searching for articles.

Databases

CSUSM students have access to over 200 databases containing full-text articles, e-books, videos, and more! There are a few ways to find the best databases for your research. You can browse the databases by Most Popular, By Subject, or Title. 

Library Reserves

Library Reserves provide instructors an easy way of creating, accessing, and managing course resources. Instructors can build, maintain, and share reading lists that include all material types, physical and electronic, such as books, articles, and media. 

• To learn more, go to Managing Your Library Reserves.
• Contact reserve@csusm.edu for questions.

Purchase Requests

• For course purchase requests, contact the Library Reserve department at reserve@csusm.edu
• For general collection purchase requests, contact your subject librarian. 

Interlibrary Loan

If you come across items that our library doesn’t own while doing research, we can easily get these for you from our partner libraries for free -- whether it’s a book, DVD, electronic journal article, or something else. This service is called Interlibrary Loan or ILL.

• To be able to get an item, you MUST make sure that you are signed into OneSearch with your campus login.  

• If the item you want is not available, look for the “Get it for me from other libraries” option. When you click on this, the full record opens.
  • For books, if you are signed in when you open the full record you will see an option to “Get it."  Click on that.
  • For articles, you will see a link that says, “Get a digital copy” when you open the full record.  Click on that.
• If you know exactly what you’re looking for, you may also submit requests by going straight to the Interlibrary Loan form.
• For questions and/or additional assistance, you can reach out to Interlibrary Loan staff at ill@csusm.edu.