Skip to Main Content

Frequently Asked Questions

Information about the J. W. Martin Library.

Welcome to our FAQ Page. Check here for answers to common questions about library services. If you can't find what you need on this page, please contact us.

If you are off campus, some resources may require you to log in through a system called EZProxy.

You should see a log-in page such as the one illustrated here (Figure 1). Simply log in with the username and password that you use for Self Service.

If you have any difficulties accessing library resources, please contact us at 580-327-8574 or nwlibraries@nwosu.edu.

Figure 1
EZProxy Log-In Page
EZProxy screen.

Note. The EZProxy Log-In page takes the same log-in information as Self Service.

Troubleshooting

  1. Go to Self Service to make sure you are logging in with the correct username and password. You will use the same credentials for off-campus access.

  2. Clear your browser history and cache. Sometimes your system may have cached webpages containing errors. Once you clear your history, go back to the library homepage and select the resource to which you are trying to gain access.

  3. Still can’t get in? Contact us. We need to know!

As a student, you can check out:

  • Books for .

  • DVDs for .

  • Laptops & tablets for .

Digital books (eBooks) have a default loan period of , after which they expire automatically. You are not required to return eBooks.

You can check out twenty-five items, including 5 DVDs. See the page on Borrowing for more details.

In the Catalog

If you are looking for a book, check the NWOSU Library Services’​ online catalog to determine whether the book is available at the J. W. Martin Library.

If you find a book in the catalog that is housed in another library, you can order it by clicking the button labeled Request Item in the book’s catalog entry. This will take you to a form; please fill it out using your NWOSU email address.

If you are a distance learner or are on a satellite campus, please specify where we should send the item. Contact the library staff if you need assistance.

In a Database

If you are searching in a research database and find an article that is not available in full text, the article’s reference information should include a link labeled Ask Northwestern to get this item from another library (Figure 2).

Figure 2
The Interlibrary Loan Link
The interlibrary loan link as it appears in most databases.

Note. This is how an interlibrary loan link will typically look in a database. Appearance may vary based on your device or the particular database.

This link will take you to an interlibrary-loan form; please fill out the form using your NWOSU email address.

By Form

To request an item that you can’t find in either a research database or the online catalog, use the interlibrary loan form located in this About section under Services ⇒ Interlibrary Loan. Provide as much information as possible, such as:

  • Complete title.

  • Author.

  • Publication information.

Library staff members can assist you in your search or with your interlibrary loan request.

Intra-Campus Loans

If you find a book in the online catalog and want us to send it to another campus, you will find a link in the item record, Request NWOSU-owned item, through which you can request it. Expect loans between campuses to take one to two business days.

If you have questions, please contact the access services librarian:

You can renew your items from your library account.

  1. From the navigation bar at the top of the screen, enter the catalog by selecting Catalog ⇒ Basic Search.

  2. In the catalog, select Sign In. You will need your student I.D. number.

  3. Once you have signed in, select My Account ⇒ Checkouts (Figure 3).

    Figure 3
    The Catalog’s Dropdown Menu
    Account dropdown menu in the catalog.

  4. You will see a list of your checked out items.

    1. Select the checkbox () next to the items you wish to renew.

    2. Select Renew Items to renew your items (Figure 4).

    Figure 4
    Detail of Your WorldCat Account
    Renew items button in your account.

Printing is free for students, faculty, and staff.

To print a document, simply use a computer in our computer lab and print as you normally would. You don’t need to worry about selecting the right printer because the computers are already set up to print correctly. Your printed documents will be available at the front desk.

There is no charge for printing. The cost of printing is already covered by your student fees.

You can also print from your own device. Ask at the front desk for instructions.

Be mindful of our toner. So that we can continue offering free printing, please refrain from printing documents with large areas of black or dark color. Here are some tips to ensure printing remains available to all:

  • Print PowerPoint slideshows with two to three slides per page.

  • If slides have dark backgrounds, print using the Pure Black and White print setting.

Need to print in color or on oversized sheets? Contact the Print Shop. You can find it in the Jesse Dunn building, Room 119. Visit in person or contact Printing Services at (580) 327-8476 or printshop@nwosu.edu.

We do.

Photocopies cost 10 cents per page. However, since printing is free, you may prefer to scan a document using your portable device rather than photocopy.

Twelve study rooms are available in the J. W. Martin Library on the Alva campus.

You do not need to reserve a study room; simply enter one that is unoccupied.

Study Room 7 contains a laptop and Smart Board perfect for practicing presentations. This room is kept locked, so ask at the front desk if you wish to use it.

You can connect to our wireless network with your laptop or mobile device.

Your laptop or phone should locate the network when you open your Wi-Fi settings (). The network for Northwestern Oklahoma State University is listed as Rangers.

Access to the WorldCat Catalog is available from the navigation bar at the top of the screen.

Select Catalog ⇒ Basic Search.

You can search by:

Keyword

Type any term, such as psychology, modeling, or mental health. Be aware that keyword searching only looks for your term. There is no guarantee that the results will be about your term.

Title

Type any known words from the title. Avoid articles like a or the.

Author

Use either Last name, First name or First name Last name order.

Limit results:

  • To Northwestern Oklahoma State University Library Services to discover items held at our library.

  • By Content to find peer-reviewed articles or items available in full-text.

  • By Format to find specific types of items such as articles or printed books (Figure 5).

Figure 5
Limiters from the Catalog
Detail of left sidebar in catalog, showing limiter options.

Note. You can limit your search results using the options in the sidebar.

You can click on the title link of any record to get more detailed information about the item. Make sure to note the location (Call Number) and the Status (Available, Lost, or Checked Out) of the item you want.

The fastest way to look for magazine, journal, or newspaper articles is to use the Northwestern Library Services’ online research databases.

To learn more about how to use the research databases, see the guide, About the Research Databases. You can come to the Alva campus library for personal assistance or contact the research librarian at:

Newspapers & other News Sources

For national and international news items, see our list of current events databases:

If you are looking for a local newspaper, see our list of newspaper holdings:

Try the eBook Help page for tips on downloading eBooks from our various collections:

The company EBSCO curates most of our eBooks. You can read eBooks online, but to check out and download them, you will need to create or log into an EBSCO account, which is separate from your library account.

On Desktop

You can download most eBooks in EPUB or PDF format. On a desktop computer, the preferred software to read eBooks is Adobe Digital Editions, which is available for free:

Follow these instructions:

  1. To read downloaded eBooks on your desktop computer, you must have an Adobe I.D. If you don’t have one already, go to the Adobe Accounts page to create one.

  2. Next, download the free Adobe Digital Editions app for either Windows or Mac.

  3. Open the app and input your Adobe I.D. and password.

On Mobile

On mobile, you can search for eBooks and read them using EBSCO Mobile, which is available for free in the App Store and on Google Play:

Follow these instructions:

  1. In the app, either search for your institution or turn on the Use my location feature to find it automatically.

  2. Find Northwestern Oklahoma State University and select Connect your institution.

  3. Select the account icon () and then select Sign in to EBSCO.

  4. Sign into or create your account.

  5. Select the search icon () and begin searching.

  6. Find a book you wish to read and select its title. Then select Download e-book.

  7. Choose how long you wish to check out the book (up to fourteen days) and download.

  8. Your book will download and open in the EBSCO app.

You can search our library collection from Google Scholar by following these steps:

  1. On the Google Scholar site, open the options menu by selecting the hamburger icon ().

  2. Select Settings ⇒ Library links.

  3. Type Northwestern Oklahoma State University into the search bar.

  4. Make sure the checkboxes next to both Open WorldCat - Library Search and Northwestern Oklahoma State University - Full Text @ NWOSU are checked.

  5. Select Save.

Subsequent searches will include links to our catalog and to full text in our databases when available. If you are logged into a Google account, Google will save your preferences.

Information on the use of copyrighted materials in the classroom is available in our Faculty Services guide:

To summarize, the government circular Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians indicates that use of copyrighted works should meet tests of brevity, spontaneity, cumulative effect, and notice of copyright:

Brevity

A complete poem or less, not exceeding 250 words.

A complete prose work of 2,500 words or less.

An excerpt from a longer prose work of no more than 1,000 words or 10%, whichever is less.

A maximum of two pages from a special work such as a short, illustrated children’s book.

A maximum of one reproduced image per published work.

Spontaneity

Copying is instigated by the particular instructor using the work.

The need for the work is realized close enough to the instruction period that seeking permission is not feasible.

Cumulative Effect

The copying of a particular work is for only one course.

No more than one complete work or two excerpts is copied from a single author.

Copying of this nature is done no more than nine times in a term.

Notice of Copyright

A notice of copyright should be printed with the copy.

A subscription to Office 365 comes with your NWOSU email account.

To get to the Office 365 suite, log into your email account. Follow these steps:

  1. From the dropdown menu on the NWOSU website, select Resources ⇒ Email Access (Figure 6).

    Figure 6
    Email Access on the Dropdown Menu
    Dropdown menu with email access highlighted.

  2. On the Email Access page, select Student Email Access (Figure 7).

    Figure 7
    Student Login on the Email Page
    Student email access on the email page.

  3. Once you have logged into your email account, select the waffle icon () to see a list of Office 365 apps, including Microsoft Word (Figure 8).

    Figure 8
    The Office 365 Software Accessible from Your Email Account
    Software accessible from the waffle icon menu.