Blog | BMCC Library

We Are Here to Support You!

Written March 12, 2020
Categories: News, Services

Students working at tables in the library

Updated July 23, 2020 at 8am.
The BMCC Library is closed until further notice. Many of our services have moved online. Library faculty and staff are available to support students and faculty with online teaching and learning.

Fines and renewals

Overdue and recall fines will not be charged for books, DVDs, or equipment for the spring 2020 and summer 2020 semesters.
All items will be automatically renewed up to 9 times.
All holds on books have been canceled as we will not be able to fulfill them.
Check your library account from the My Account page in OneSearch to check due dates and renew items. These changes apply to faculty, staff, and students.
We encourage you to hold onto to any items until re-open. If you would like to return any books, DVDS, or calculators that you have borrowed from the BMCC Library before the Library reopens, you may do so on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm. See our blog post for more information

Accessing library resources from off-campus

To access resources from off-campus you can log in with the barcode on the back of your BMCC ID or your CUNY login (same login as CUNYFirst and Blackboard). If you have problems logging in please contact the circulation staff by email or using the chat on the right hand side of the page.

Access to books and textbooks

There is no access to our physical collections. There are ways for you to find resources, including your course materials:

The Library’s guide provides a comprehensive list of resources.
We may be able to get scans of some chapters of certain textbooks from another library through interlibrary loan (ILL). Please submit your request using this form.
Search in one of our ebook databases or through our search engine, OneSearch. For more information on how to use OneSearch see our guide.
We may be able to purchase the e-version of some books. Please email us or fill out the Suggest a Title for Purchase form to make a request.
If you need help, please email us or use the chat on the right hand side of the page to contact a librarian.

Getting Help

Online help is available whenever we are open.

Contact us by using the chat box on the right hand of the screen or via email.
Text us at 646-798-7510.
Call (212) 220-1445 and leave a voicemail. Please leave your name and a number and someone will call you back within the same business day.
Schedule a virtual appointment with a librarian (via Zoom or other platform)
Search the Library’s frequently asked questions.
Check out our research guides.

Library instruction

All library instruction is being held virtually using Zoom or other tools as appropriate. Please reach out to Professor Robin Brown (rbrown@bmcc.cuny.edu) for more information.

Interlibrary loan

Interlibrary loan for scanned articles and book chapters is still open. We will not be able to request any print materials until the Library reopens.

Off campus access to databases is changing

Written July 8, 2020
Categories: News, Services

CUNY Login is now available as an option to connect to library resources from off campus!

To use CUNY Login, use the link under the login button to be taken to the CUNY Login page.

You can continue to use your library barcode until approximately August 3rd. After that point, all logins will go directly to the CUNY Login page.

All BMCC students, faculty, and staff should have active CUNY Logins. This is the same login used for CUNYFirst and Blackboard. If you are trying to login and forgot your username or password, please go here to reset.

If you have any questions please use the chat box on the right hand side of this page or email us.

Off Campus Access login box, after the Log In button there is a new link for logging in with CUNY Login

Returning books, DVDs, and calculators

Written May 27, 2020
Categories: News

We encourage you to hold on to any books, DVDs, or calculators that you have checked out from the Library until we reopen. However, if you prefer you can return any library materials you have borrowed from the BMCC Library from 11am to 12pm, Monday through Thursday in the Gym at 199 Chambers.

We will accept any library materials you have checked out, including those from previous semesters.
All fines and fees will be waived regardless of how overdue the book is.
We will also accept books from other CUNY Libraries but we will not be able to waive fines for those.
We will continue to accept all library materials once the Library opens, but we will not be waiving fines on long overdue items at that time.
There will be no fines or fees charged for overdue books, DVDs, or calculators related to the spring 2020 and summer 2020 semesters.
You may also mail library materials back by sending them to BMCC Library, 199 Chambers Street, S410, New York, NY 10007.

To return books borrowed from the Library:

You must use the entrance at 100 North Moore Street and proceed to the gym. Public Safety will direct you to the section for dropping off books.
Please note, this is not an accessible entrance. If you do not feel comfortable navigating the steps, please contact us so we can arrange to have Public Safety meet you at the bottom of the steps.

If you rented books from the BMCC Bookstore, please follow this process to return them.

If you have any questions please email us or use the chat box on the right side of this page.

Summer reading, watching, and listening for free!

Written May 18, 2020
Categories: Displays, News

Our guide provides some of the best options to keep you occupied this summer! Do you know of others? Let us know via email or the chat box on the right hand side of the page.

If you are not able to access any of the BMCC databases, please contact us via chat on the right hand side of the page or email us.

Anime, Comics, and Fanfiction

Archive of Our Own (AO3)
A nonprofit open source repository for fanfiction and other fanworks contributed by users. As of May 2020, Archive of Our Own hosted 6 million works in over 36,700 fandoms.
Crunchyroll
Massive streaming library of anime. The site is free but a premium subscription lets you watch without the ads.
Shonen Jump
Many popular manga titles, with a strong back catalog and new chapters the same day as Japan.
Viki.com
Asian TV shows and movies online for free. Premium access provides access to additional content and removes ads.
Webtoons
Contains thousands of creator-owned content in many genres from around the world.

Art

Frick Museum
Short talks by curators on great masterpieces in their collection. They also have two series of talks: “Travel with a curator” and “Cocktails with a curator.”
MoMA Online Courses
Immerse yourself in ideas and see your world in new ways through art in MoMA’s free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on Coursera.
Visit some of the best museums in the world from the comfort of your home. Take virtual tours of 10 world-class museums!

Audiobooks and E-Books

Audible
Offering a free library of audiobooks that you can stream on your laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet. You do not need to start a subscription; just select your title and go. Their collection includes a range of books from young readers to classic tales, and they are available in six different languages.
E-Books at BMCC*
Search CUNY’s hundreds of thousands ebooks
HathiTrust
Partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world. To access their archives, log in as a Guest.
New York Public Library (NYPL)
Download the Simply-E app to access millions of audiobooks and e-books in all genres
Project Gutenberg
Over 60,000 out of copyright books

Learn a new language

Babbel for Students
Babbel is offering three months of free language learning to U.S. students through mid-June 2020 in any of its languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Turkish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Indonesian, and English
Mango Languages*
An interactive learning platform to build language skills; provides conversational language skills through lessons and film.

Movies

Kanopy*
Thousands of classic films and documentaries.
MUBI
A streaming service for film lovers. Students and faculty can sign up for a free account through the Film Schools Program (use your BMCC email address). MUBI offers a rotating selection of streaming films, and a newly expanded library of on-demand films. Browse their catalog here.
Swank*
Over 150 popular films such as Black Panther, Get Out, The Godfather, and more.
For more film databases through BMCC see our video databases page.
A list of free film databases can be found in the “Find Films” section of this guide from the Graduate Center.

Music

MetOpera
The Metropolitan Opera will be streaming its encore performances throughout the duration of its closure. All “Nightly Met Opera Streams” will begin at 7:30pm and will remain available via the homepage of metopera.org for 20 hours.
Naxos Music Library*
Streaming music library of mainly classical and world music. Includes some pop and rock, choral, instrumental, gospel, poetry, spoken word, and relaxation music.

Newspapers

Free access to two of the most respected newspapers in the country!
New York Times*
Wall Street Journal*
For more newspapers see our newspapers page.

Theater

BroadwayHD
Offering free seven day trials. Provides online access to Broadway plays, musicals, and more.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Offers free access to ballet, opera, and classical music. Check the calendar for a full list of events.

More!

Bronx Zoo Live Cams
The Bronx Zoo is streaming footage from their Sea Lion Pool, Aquatic Bird House and their Madagascar exhibits from 10am to 4pm daily. In addition, you can also see footage from the New York Aquarium. Tune in for regular animal feedings!
National Geographic Virtual Library*
The complete archive of the National Geographic Magazine from 1888 to the mid-1990s.

*BMCC databases

Get Reference Help by Chat

Written March 24, 2020
Categories: News, Services

The Library’s Reference Desk has moved online! You can get help from our librarians right now by one of three ways:

You can chat with us using the box on the right-hand side of all of our pages
You can send us a text message (SMS) at (646) 798-7510 (Standard message rates may apply)
You can send us an email

The best time to send your questions are during our online help hours, but you may send a message at any time. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

If you don’t want to wait, some of our most frequently asked questions are answered here.

Information about Due Dates and Fines

Written March 18, 2020
Categories: News

In light of the current situation, all due dates and fines are currently suspended. Items that were due will be renewed automatically and fines will not be charged for late items until further notice.

You can always check your account from the My Account page in OneSearch to see account information.

If you have any additional questions you can email us and we will do our best to get back to you shortly.

Comics Featuring Women Taking Charge!

Written March 5, 2020
Categories: Displays

Display of comics in the library, featuring strong female characters

Looking for comics with strong female characters? Look no further than our March Comic and Graphic Novel display! This month we’re feature works about women and girls taking charge in honor of Women’s History Month.

Sailor Moon volume 1 cover (featuring Sailor Moon)

Librarian Recommendations:

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Paper Girls by Brian Vaughan
Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi

BMCC Library celebrates Women’s Herstory Month

Written March 4, 2020
Categories: Displays

Join the BMCC Library in celebrating Women’s Herstory Month!

Check out our book display (on the right as you enter library) for exciting reading recommendations. And consider attending one of the many events being held around the College!

Library Manga Meet Up: Love is in the Air

Written February 12, 2020
Categories: Events

manga that fit this month's theme: Doukyusei, Nisekoi, Wotakoi, KimiTodo

Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Location: Library Group Study Room (S-430)

This Month’s Theme: Love is in the Air

Come talk about your favorites focusing on relationships and love

How it Works: Share and discuss your favorites
in an open, positive environment. All you need is to show up ready to
talk about a series or two that you want to share!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Comics in the Library

Written February 5, 2020
Categories: Displays

Display of comics about relationships and love

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the BMCC Library is celebrating with a display highlighting comics about love and relationships from the Comic and Graphic Novel Collection. Why not give one of these comics a try?