The Kurt R. Schmeller Library

Library Building, 2nd and 3rd Floors
Office of the Chief Librarian: 718 631-6220
Reference: 718 631-6241
Circulation: 718 631-6227
Fax: 718 281-5012
Email: cwilliams@qcc.cuny.edu
Library Website

Regular Hours:
Monday, Thursday and Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hours may vary. Please check the Library Website for exact hours. Schedules are also posted at the main entrance on the second floor.

Faculty and Staff

Professor Constance Williams, Interim Chief Librarian
Associate Professor: Constance Williams, Mi-Seon Kim, Neera Mohess, Leslie Ward
Assistant Professors: William Blick, Peijun Jia, Madeline Ruggiero, John Schriner, Vikki Terrile
Senior College Laboratory Technician: Luk Ka (Lawrence) Chan
College Laboratory Technician: Compton Boodhoo
Administrative Specialist: Carmita Semanate
Non-Teaching Adjunct Faculty: Quintis Pinder, Zinnat Sultana
NTA Technical Services : Elizabeth Devlin
Office Personnel:
CUNY Office Assistants: Mary Bowie, Elizabeth Devlin, Kathleen Hynes, Gloria Munsch-Clark, Natasha A. Thomas, Nancy Tillman

Nature and Purpose

The Kurt R. Schmeller Library seeks to provide a central focus for the scholarly and intellectual life of the Queensborough community by offering a wide range of services, resources, educational activities and learning spaces. The Library maintains collections in a variety of formats, including print, online and multimedia resources. Library resources and services support the curriculum, help students develop information competencies and provide assistance for faculty research.

Resources

Library users have access to a carefully selected collection of reference and circulating books. The growing e-book collection is accessible on and off campus. Library users have access on site to a small collection of print periodicals. Most of the library’s periodical collection is available online. In addition to scholarly and popular periodicals, access is provided to many newspapers, including New York Times Digital Edition, Wall Street Journal and Chronicle of Higher Education. Media databases provide online access to sound recordings, film, music scores and artwork. At the Reserve Desk students can borrow textbooks and equipment such as calculators for limited periods of time. Desktop computers in the library provide access to library resources, the internet and Office 365. The library has two silent study rooms, group study space and two computer classrooms for library instruction. In addition, the Library maintains a collection of audiovisual material for instructional support, consisting of CDs and DVDs.

Services

The Library Website provides information regarding all aspects of Library service.
Reference librarians assist students, faculty, and staff in the location and use of circulating and reference books, as well as electronic databases, and appropriate Internet sources.
Library instruction, also known as library information literacy (IL) instruction, is customized to course writing assignments to assist students with their research. QCC library offers a "One-shot" library session or an "Embedded Librarian Program" (multiple IL sessions throughout the semester). Faculty members can schedule an IL session or embedded librarian program by contacting a subject librarian or submitting an Information Literacy Class Request.
Students and staff may borrow books with a valid CUNYfirst ID Card or a virtual ID card. Reference books, reserve materials, and periodicals may be utilized freely throughout the Library, although they do not circulate.
CLICS (CUNY Libraries Intra-Campus Service) allows students, faculty and staff to request circulating books and CDs from the collections of other CUNY libraries. Patrons must also have a valid CUNYfirst ID Card and a Queensbrough email address.
All students, faculty and staff holding a valid CUNYfirst ID Card may use any of the undergraduate libraries and the Graduate Center of the University. Patrons also may use other metropolitan area libraries on a limited basis. The Reference Desk supplies information about participating libraries and METRO courtesy cards.
Faculty, staff, and students may request interlibrary loan for journal articles not available at Queensborough and for books not available in CUNY. The ILLiad system enables the user to request books and articles anytime by using an online system. To register to use the service go to the Iliad Website.
Electronic databases that have been licensed for use by the college community are available both on and off campus. To access the licensed databases from off-campus students faculty and staff use their CUNYFirst login.
Mobile printing is located on the second and third floors of the Library. Users must have a Tiger Card or purchase a guest card. Photocopiers are available. Users must have a CUNYfirst ID Card with funds on it or purchase a guest card.
Books and articles that faculty have put on reserve for use by their students are available at the Reserve Desk on the second floor, but are limited to two-hour loans with a valid CUNYfirst ID Card.
Computers with Internet access, online databases, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and the online catalog for books are available.
Book scanners that allow the user to scan to a flash drive are also available.
Cordless chargers are available for 2-hour loan.
Space is available for individual, quiet, and group study.

College Archives

The College Archives is a depository for documents concerning Queensborough Community College. Materials are preserved that reflect the history and organization of the college. QCC faculty, staff, students and alumni are granted access with a CUNY ID card. Non QCC patrons must present a photo ID and provide the topic of their research to the Archivist.

Legislative Archives of Senator Padavan

The Library has a collection of legislative documents and correspondence covering 1972 to 2010 when Senator Frank Padavan served the 11th district of Queens. This collection is available by appointment with the Archivist.

Department: Library