The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Libraries Ask Us

Resources for Remote Learning and Instruction

Library staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. via Ask Us, Chat, and email. Here are essential services and resources to support remote learning and instruction. 

Borrowing Library Materials

Getting books and other library materials from the Five Colleges Libraries 

Online requesting for UMass-Amherst books and media are available.

Library materials through US Postal Service

If you would like us to mail library materials to you, submit a request for each item you would like via the Library Express service. Be sure to set the delivery preference on your Interlibrary Loan account to "Mail to Address" and to keep the mailing address on your account updated. Contact ill@umass.library.umass.edu with any questions.

Borrowing from other libraries 

Interlibrary Loan can request materials not available through the UMass Amherst library collections from other libraries. This service is free and available to UMass Amherst faculty, staff, and students. Here’s what we can provide: 

  • PDF articles, e-book options, and chapter scans whenever possible. 
  • Assistance in finding or purchasing e-books if available.    

Physical items, such as DVDs and print books, may be delayed or difficult to supply due to the closure of other libraries.  Physical items will be available through contactless pickup or mailed to your address depending on your account settings.

Copyright

Refer to our up-to-date copyright guide as you shift your course from in-person to online. Scholarly Communication  and  Digital Scholarship Services  experts are available to assist remotely with questions about copyright, open access, electronic theses and dissertations, digital scholarship and research data management. 

Course Research and Materials 

Check here  or  Ask Us! or email: dbhelp@umass.libanswers.com  for assistance in accessing online resources.

Digital Media Lab consultations

DML staff are available to consult with faculty, students, and staff via Zoom to answer questions about equipment, VR/AR/, Unity, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Creative Suite, Audacity, and more. Please fill out our consultation form to schedule a session.  

Librarian consultations

  • Librarians and archivists are available to meet with faculty, students, and staff for one-on-one research support via email or online (e.g., Zoom).  If you are not sure who to contact, please fill out our consultation form and we'll find the expert for you!  


Library course instruction 

  • Librarians and archivists are available to meet with classes via Zoom to help students create a plan for their course projects, find materials, and evaluate information for relevance.   

Library equipment

Please visit the DML equipment page for details regarding the reservation of equipment.

Online Help

Last minute citation help? Need help with research? Ask Us! You can send email or chat with us Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  

Renew Materials

You can renew your books online via the  online renewal form.  Recalls of most UMass/Five College library material loans remain suspended for the Spring 2021 semester. 

Reserves 

Information for Faculty

  • Libraries' Statement on Textbooks
  • Please submit requests for digital course materials by adding the UMass Libraries Course Materials tool to your Moodle or Blackboard page. Instructions for adding the tool can be found here.
  • We will do our best to purchase unlimited user versions of eBooks through our vendors; however, we cannot license eBooks though Amazon, Kobo, Redshelf, or VitalSource, so our options may be limited.
  • If no digital version exists, we can scan and digitize one chapter or 10 percent of a work for integration via Blackboard or Moodle. Please contact your subject specialist librarian to discuss alternative options, including open access course materials, which are free to students and can be modified to fit your needs.
  •  We will process requests in the order request was received.
  • Contact reserves@library.umass.edu if you have questions.

Information for Students

Students: you can find online course materials requested by your instructor for your class through your course’s Blackboard and/or Moodle page. 

Return Materials 

You can return your materials the following ways: 

  • Mail items back to us at no cost by requesting a return mailing label. (Log in to your campus G Suite account first in order to access request form)  We recommend using a trackable method.
  • Mail items back at your own expense.
  • Drop off at any of the following locations:
    • Book drop box at the front entrance of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.
    • Drive up book drop at the Robsham Visitor's Center.
    • Book drop box at north entrance to Lederle Graduate Research Center Lowrise (by parking lot).
    • Book drop box at the entrance to the Wadsworth Library at  the UMass Amherst Mt. Ida campus:in Newton, MA.
  • Equipment:  Please return equipment to the service desk in the Du Bois Library vestibule Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.  Please do not return equipment in any book drop or you will be liable for any damage..
Special Collections and University Archives 
  • For research support and questions, contact SCUA directly or email scua@library.umass.edu 
  • SCUA has a variety of resources for integrating primary source research and our collections into remote teaching. View SCUA’s teaching and learning page for more information. 
  • Information about the rest of SCUA’s online services can be found on their  website.
Other Campus Resources 
Contact us 

Have other remote needs? New ideas for how the Libraries can help you off-campus?   Send your comments to us!