Q: Is there a phone here that I can use?
A: For answering pages, there is a hospital phone located in the corridor across from the Library's main entrance, and one in the Library on the lower level near the restrooms.

Q: Where are the restrooms?
A: Restrooms are located:
--Outside the main Library entrance.
--Downstairs in the MILL.
--In the Cabell Room (1st floor, McKim Hall-side).

Q: Can we use the hallway outside the Library to sell tickets for our class party?
A: Patrons or groups who wish to use the corridor space outside the Library's main entrance to sell tickets for Medical School or Nursing School events or other events related to the Health System should contact the Service Desk at 924-5444.

Q: Do you have any group study/meeting rooms?
A: The Health Sciences Library has 13 group study rooms for formal classes, small conferences, meetings, and individual study. The Library also has seven study rooms available for individual or small group study on the second floor.  A reservation system is in place to balance the need for group facilities with that of regular study spaces.  To reserve rooms call the Service Desk at 434-924-5444.

Q: When is the After-Hours Study Area available, and who has access to it?
A: The After-Hours Study Area is open from inside the Library during all hours the Library is open, and can be entered from the hallway outside the Library during hours the Library is closed. You must have a Health System ID.

Q: Do you have a public bulletin board where I can post this notice?
A: If the notice has to do with an event related to the Health System, you may leave it at the Service Desk and it will be posted in the display case in the hallway near the main entrance, as space permits.

Q: Where is the quietest place in the Library to study?
A: The quietest place in the Library is in the 24 Hour Study Area on the main level. The Cabell Room is another quiet place.

Q: May I leave my stuff behind the Service Desk while I go to the cafeteria (or anywhere else)?
A: No.

Q: Do you validate parking tickets?
A: No. Parking receipts can be validated at the Information Desks in the lobbies of Hospital West and the Main Hospital. Free parking is available on weekends in the 11th Street parking garage. There is no special parking available for using the Library.

Q: Can I drink this soda (or eat my lunch) in the Library?
A: Yes.

Q: Is there a book drop for the Health Sciences Library?
A: Yes. There is a wall-mounted book drop in the corridor outside the Library.  It is labelled Library Depository.

Q: I left my sunglasses (or car keys, laptop, computer disk, jacket, etc.) in the Library yesterday. Did anyone find them?
A: The Service Desk has a designated space for holding lost/found items for a limited time. Service Desk staff will be happy to check the area for you anytime an item is reported missing. Personal possessions found in the Library, the corridor outside the Library, or the patio on the lower level, may be turned in at the Service Desk. 

Q: I'm a doctor, living in Charlottesville. I came to the Library to do some research and couldn't get in the door from the street. Why not?
A: Due to security concerns, the Health System locks the door at the foot of the stairs just outside the Library. Only patrons with Health System IDs can enter through that door. During business hours, the two unlocked entrances closest to the Health Sciences Library are the front entrance to the West Complex and the University Hospital Lobby. Both of these entrances are handicapped accessible. During non-business hours, patrons without a Health System or UVA ID must go around the building and come in through the Emergency Department entrance. At all times, patrons with a non-Health System UVA ID can gain access via Pinn Hall's Jefferson Park Avenue entrance.

Q: Do I need a special card to be able to borrow from the Health Sciences Library (HSL)?
A: Residents of Virginia 16 years of age and older may borrow books from the HSL by presenting a valid Virginia driver's license or other state of Virginia issued photo ID at checkout. Students at Virginia colleges and universities may also check out books. Only UVA affiliates may check out journals, and only Health System affiliates may check out equipment. Please see our User Eligibility Policy for details, or call the Service Desk at 434-924-5444 if you have questions.

Q: Can I authorize someone to check out material for me?
A: Yes. Health System and UVa faculty and staff may authorize other affiliated patrons to check out materials in their name by filling out the Authorized Borrower's form. The Health Sciences Library will not check out items to anyone other than the patron present unless the completed, signed form has been received and the authorizing patron's record updated accordingly. Patrons authorized to borrow for other patrons must present their own ID when checking out items, even though the charge will be made to the authorizing patron's record.

Q: Can this book/journal be checked out? How long can I keep it?
A: Monographs (books from the General Collection) may be checked out for 30 days at a time. They may be renewed up to three times, unless holds have been placed on them. After three renewals, books must be returned to the Service Desk and checked in. If holds have not been placed on the books, patrons may check them out again and begin another 30 day/three renewals cycle.
Reserve materials may be checked out for two hours and may be renewed once. A few "personal copies" of books are placed on Reserve each year by Health System faculty and are usually non-circulating. Circulating Reserve materials may be checked out within two hours of closing on any day and must be returned within 2 hours of opening the next day. Only Health System affiliates may check out Reserve materials.
Journals All journals not designated "Two Weeks" circulate for one week with no renewals. Journals designated as "Two Weeks" circulate for two weeks with one renewal. 

Q: Will I be notified when my books are overdue? Do you charge fines?
A: Two overdue notices are sent for items that are overdue. The first notice is sent one day after the due date. The second notice is sent one week later. We prefer to send notices electronically, so make sure we have your correct e-mail address on file. The Library does not charge fines on overdue items. Once an item becomes more than two weeks overdue, the Service Desk Department will bill for the replacement cost of the item by sending a bill notice. 

If you're not sure when your books are due, you can check your own record via Virgo Classic. Select the "Services" heading on the red toolbar, then either "Review My Account or Renew My Materials". You must click on "Services". Do not use the drop down menu. Call the Service Desk at 434-924-5444 if you have problems with the online renewal. If you do not have online access to Virgo Classic, please call the Service Desk to renew your items.

Q: What are my options when I'm billed for the replacement of a book?
A: To clear a bill from your record, just return the book to the Service Desk, or pay the bill. Bills for lost items may be paid in cash or by check (checks made out to UVA) at the Service Desk.

Q: What happens if I fail to respond to an overdue notice from the Library?
A: Once an item becomes more than two weeks overdue, the Service Desk Department will bill for the replacement cost of the item. Student accounts delinquent for more than three weeks are referred to Student Financial Services (SFS) for collection. Once an account is referred, the account can be cleared by returning the overdue item to the Service Desk, or by paying SFS for the lost item. This referral will block your record at all UVA libraries, and will also block all registration efforts and the release of transcripts from all state institutions.

Q: The book I need is checked out. It might be checked out to someone in my department...can you tell me who has it?
A: No. The Library maintains a strict policy of confidentiality of patron records, and therefore cannot give names of patrons or any other information from a patron record to anyone but the patron him/herself. If the requested item is overdue, Service Desk staff may offer to contact the patron who has the book, to try and get the item back as soon as possible. If the item is not overdue, a hold may be placed, but the Service Desk is not obligated to call the patron who has the book. If the item is urgently needed for patient care, the Service Desk will try to arrange to have the item returned for brief use.

Q: How can I print or photocopy in the Library?
A: Printing and copying at the Health Sciences Library is managed by Printing and Copying Services (PCS)  http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint. In the Health Sciences Library there are print Release Stations located on the first floor near the computer lab and in the After-Hours Study Area. In these areas there are printing and copying capabilities. There is also a photocopier located in the Cabell Room. 

Black and white printing and copying on 8.5 x 11-inch paper costs $.08 per copy. Color copies on 8.5 x 11-inch paper costs $.60 per copy. To print you must purchase a Cavalier Advantage copy card or activate a print account on your student or Health System badge. There is no coin-operated printing in the Library. A $5 bill is required to make a first time purchase of a Cavalier Advantage card with a $2.00 processing fee deducted. To activate a print account on your student or Health System badge, you must call Cavalier Advantage at 434-982-5735. A one dollar bill is all that is required for your first use of this account.

Q: I need an article from a journal (or a book) that we don't have here. How do I go about getting it?
A: If you are affiliated with the Health System (faculty, staff, student), you are eligible to request via the Illiad online ordering system materials not owned by UVA. ILLiad is available from the Library's homepage, so you may place orders while in the Library, from your office, or off-grounds.

Q: Your catalog says the journal I need is at Ivy Stacks. Where would I find it?
A: The journal you need is located in our remote storage facility on Ivy Road. You may obtain it by submitting a request via ILLiad. Circulating items may be checked out or used for photocopying. Items designated "RARE" do not circulate, and must be used by prior arrangement with the Library's Historical Collections Department (434-982-0576).

Q: May I return books from other UVa libraries here?
A: Yes. The items will be checked in and placed in transit to their destination library.

Q: How can I put books on Reserve in the Library for my class?
A: Reserve requests for books may be made electronically by using our Reserve Request form. 

Q: How do I get Reference help during evening or weekend hours?
A: Evening and weekend Service Desk staff are trained to assist with basic Reference questions. For more in-depth assistance, patrons may fill out the Consultation Request form, and a library specialist will contact the patron as soon as possible the next business day.

Q: In cleaning out my office, I've found lots of journal issues and some books that I'd like to give to the Library. Shall I just bring them in and drop them off at the Library Service Desk?
A: While the Library appreciates the opportunity to be offered gifts of books and journals, limited space does not allow us to accept donations that we cannot use. Before bringing items to the Library as donations, please contact our Collection Development Librarian Abbey Heflin so that a determination can be made as to whether we need the items in our collection or not. In general, the Library cannot accept textbooks that are more than five years old, and journals that are duplicates of items we already own. Once we have verified that the Library can use the materials, you may bring them to the Service Desk. You'll be asked to fill out a Gift Form, so we have a record of your gift, and our Collection Development staff can acknowledge your gift with a letter from the Library. The Library does not assess the value of items donated. If you would like a value placed on the items you donate for tax purposes, please have your materials assessed before you bring them to us.

Gift items that cannot be accepted by the Library might be useful to a number of international organizations that redistribute used medical texts worldwide.

Q: How can I ask the Library to purchase a particular book or to subscribe to a certain journal?
Our Purchase Request form is available via Everything A-Z on the Library's homepage. Once you submit the form, our Collection Development Department will review it and make a decision. You'll be notified as to the outcome. If the item you recommend is a book, your name will be listed on the order as the first person to notify once the item is available.

Q: The Online Catalog (Virgo) says this journal issue is here in your stacks, but I can't find it. Now what?
A: The Service Desk has someone available to help you find any Library item. Circulating print collections are located in the Cabell Room. Just ask at the Service Desk, where staff will verify the status of the item by checking Virgo, then either direct you to the Cabell Room or send someone with you to look for the item. Any item not found will be searched for the next day by Service Desk staff. You'll be notified whether or not we find the item in the subsequent search. If the item is not found, and you are Health System faculty, staff, or student, you may request the item via ILLiad.