Services and Staff

The Northeast Philadelphia Library and the Newtown Learning Resource Center (LRC) provide a variety of services to the Holy Family community. In addition to our print and electronic collections, we also offer research assistance, library instruction, and interlibrary loan. The following descriptions provide more information about each service.

Circulation
Northeast Philadelphia Library (267-341-3315)
Newtown Learning Resource Center (267-341-4010)

You must have your University ID or library card to borrow materials. (See below for details.) Materials may be returned to either campus.

All borrowed materials may be renewed as long as nobody else has requested them. To renew materials, call the Library or LRC or stop by in person and ask to have your checkouts renewed. You do not need to have your borrowed materials with you to renew them.

If materials are overdue, they can still be renewed; in that case overdue fines will be calculated only up to the date of the renewal.

If an item is lost, the total fee will include the cost to replace the item plus a processing cost. If fines remain unpaid and/or materials are not returned, the matter may be referred to the University's Business Office.

Our circulation policies are as follows:

Item Circulation Period Overdue Fine
Circulating Books Three weeks 10 cents per day.
Textbooks
Juvenile Literature
Big Books
Curriculum Kits One week One dollar per day.
DVDs and Videos
Testing Kits Faculty use only; one class period N/A
Reference Books Must be used in the library.
Journals
Software

Intercampus and Interlibrary Loan
Northeast Philadelphia Library (267-341-3584)
Newtown Learning Resource Center (267-341-4010)

This service allows the Holy Family University community to borrow materials from either campus, or from another library if we do not own the item. You must be a student, faculty, or staff member of the university to use this service.

Intercampus Loan: You may borrow any circulating materials owned by either the Library or LRC. If you wish to have library materials sent from one campus to the other, please fill out the Intercampus Loan form available at the Library or LRC. We charge 10 cents per page for photocopies of journal articles. Materials take 1 to 2 days to travel between campuses.

Interlibrary Loan: Books and journal articles not available from either the Library or the LRC may be obtained via Interlibrary Loan. Forms are available at the Library or LRC, or you may submit your request online. The fee, which helps to partially offset the costs of lending library fees as well as processing and delivery, is one dollar per request. About two weeks should be allowed from the time requests are placed until materials will be available. We will call you when your materials arrive.

Videotapes and entire issues of journals are generally not available from other libraries. If desired, our staff can help identify other area libraries that own a book or journal. Before making your request, you must:

Fees:

  • Books/videos/kits from the Holy Family collection: Free
  • Articles from the Holy Family collection: 10 cents per page
  • Books or articles from other libraries: $ 1.00 per request

We will notify you when your item is available. You should pick up your items at the specified library, and any fees must be paid at that time.

Reference
Northeast Philadelphia Library (267-341-3316)
Newtown Learning Resource Center (267-341-4010)
Ask us a question by email.

The Library and LRC offer reference services to library users in need of assistance, whether searching for a particular title or planning research strategies for a complicated project. We are happy to assist with questions about our holdings and services, give advice for starting your research, and help you with our databases.

Our Research Databases, Library Catalog, Research Guides, and Handouts may also help answer your questions.

Library Instruction
Northeast Philadelphia Library (267-341-3316)
Newtown Learning Resource Center (267-341-4010)
Schedule an instruction session by email.

Faculty may request that a librarian from the Library or LRC provide research instruction for classes. We try to tailor our instruction to the assignment or the topic of the class, so providing advance notice allows us time to prepare for your class. Instruction sessions can be conducted in the LRC, the library, or computer labs. We can also arrange on-location sessions for accelerated classes held off-campus or at Woodhaven.

Individual students who need library instruction should contact reference.

Bringing Classes to Visit or Work in the Library or LRC
If you'd just like to bring your class to the library to start their research, a librarian will be available to answer questions. Please notify the library staff by using this form or by telephone at least one week before bringing a class, so we can coordinate the times for visiting classes and comfortably accommodate your students.

Bringing Classes for Library or LRC Instruction
Faculty members may request an instruction session for any class on use of the Library or LRC resources and facilities. Instruction will be tailored to the subject matter as requested. Please notify the reference librarians at least 10 days in advance of the desired instruction date. We strongly encourage faculty members to be present for Library and LRC instruction sessions.

Who may use the library?
Anyone may come in and use the print resources of the Northeast campus Library and LRC in-house subject to a librarian’s permission. However, checking out materials and using computers are privileges reserved to current members of the Holy Family University community (students, faculty, staff, and Board members). See below for a few exceptions. 

The photo ID issued by the University serves as a library card. Borrowers need their Holy Family ID to check out materials. The ID may also need to be shown when using library computers, obtaining interlibrary loan services, or obtaining current database passwords.

The Library and LRC do not act in loco parentis. Anyone who brings dependents to the Library or LRC must supervise them at all times. University employees or students who leave unattended dependents in the Library or LRC will be subject to disciplinary action; outside visitors who do so will be barred from future visits to the Library or LRC.

Alumni: Holy Family University graduates with a current Alumni Association card may borrow selected materials from our collection. Computers (except to search the catalog), databases, and Interlibrary loan services are not available to alumni. The Alumni Office (267-341-3339) has information about Association membership.  See below for information about database access through public libraries.

SEPCHE members: Current students, faculty, and staff from institutions belonging to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE) may use Holy Family University's Library and LRC. SEPCHE institutions include Arcadia University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, Rosemont College, and Neumann University. A SEPCHE member may obtain a Holy Family library card by showing their institutional ID at the Circulation Desk of the Library or LRC. Database passwords and interlibrary loan services will not be provided, and computers may be used only once Holy Family students, faculty, and staff have been served.

TCLC members: Students, faculty, and staff of other institutions whose libraries are part of the Tri-State College Library Cooperative (TCLC) may borrow selected materials from Holy Family's Library and LRC with their college ID and a letter of introduction from their home institution’s library. TCLC members may use their Holy Family library cards to borrow selected materials, but computer use is restricted to the library catalog. Passwords to databases and interlibrary loan services will not be provided. See http://www.tclclibs.org/members for a list of TCLC member institutions.

Those who fit none of the above categories but wish to borrow materials from the Library or LRC may purchase a "Friends of the Library" card for $50 per year. Friends may borrow selected materials only. Computers (except to search the catalog), databases, and Interlibrary loan service are not available.

Note: Research databases are available through most public libraries. Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents can find more information here:

Thank you for your interest in Holy Family University Library Services. If you have further questions, please call 267-341-3315 (NEP Library) or 267-341-4010 (Newtown LRC).