Welcome to the (online) Lloyd Sealy Library! This guide is intended to serve as a one stop spot to provide information on the many and varied digital resources available to John Jay students, faculty and staff 24/7. Our librarians are available to smooth our community's transition to a virtual learning environment. Click here for hours of availability. This guide will provide the information you need on where to go and how to access your library's electronic resources--ebooks, journals, magazines, newspapers, videos, statistics, tutorials and ereserves. You will also find referral information to college wide student and technology resources to help with your success in completing your coursework now that we have moved online.
The Lloyd Sealy Library librarians are committed to helping our students succeed. You may not be able to visit our library in person, but please know that our librarians are here for you providing reference assistance through email, chat and Zoom!
(click to contact a librarian)
In order to continue to provide services in a remote environment, the Library had to make some adjustments within the service areas listed below:
Circulation services
Fines and fees are being suspended for the duration of this emergency. All items coming due will be renewed automatically (patrons should check their account to make certain). As physical items, including print books, are not circulating at this time, it is not possible to request or put hold on physical items.
Electronic resources
Most of the library’s resources are available online. To find online ebooks, articles, videos and more use OneSearch and limit your results to Full Text Online . Alternatively, you can limit your search to one of our over 150+ databases here or learn more about our streaming documentary or feature film collections by using this link.
Interlibrary loan (ILL)
Interlibrary loan services will be limited to requests for items that can be delivered to you electronically, such as articles and book chapters (if electronic resource licensing permits ILL). Please note that at this time, several libraries are not scanning physical items such as print books, print journals and microform. We will process these requests for our patrons, but they likely cannot be filled. There may be a delay in filling requests due to staff shortages and library closures.
If you are a John Jay patron with an ILL book checked out, please do not return books at this time. We are requesting renewals for patrons; you may receive an email about your loan period being extended.
For libraries that currently have our materials, we will be providing automatic renewals.
Please email libill [at] jjay.cuny.edu if you have any questions.
Reserves
Physical reserve items are unavailable while the library remains closed.
Faculty: If you are currently a user of eReserves and have been requesting that material be posted by the reserves librarian, please continue to do so by completing the online form on this page. Email questions to libreserve@jjay.cuny.edu. Please note that due to a potentially large influx of requests and shortage of staff, we will initially limit the number of posted items allowed per class. If you already use Blackboard for other teaching activities, you can upload readings there without the help of a librarian. Please consider using Blackboard instead of becoming a new user of eReserves, so that you can maintain control over when, how quickly and how many readings you can post. If you are a current user of eReserves and have your own username and password, you may email libreserve@jjay.cuny.edu with any questions.
Special Collections
The Special Collections has suspended all in person researcher visits while the library is closed. We are available to respond to all inquiries at libspcoll@jjay.cuny.edu, and will promptly answer all questions. When it is safe for us to return to campus, we will offer expanded services to researchers, including students according to the emerging best practices for providing remote access to special collections and archival materials. These services will include on demand research, collection searching and digitization to support remote research as best we can. Please visit our Digital Collections and the Library's Primary Source databases and Research Guide to find archival and historic materials already digitally available. We are also constantly updating the John Jay College Archives COVID-19 Pandemic Response Timeline
John Jay College's Distance Learning Success page features an uplifting and encouraging video address from President Mason as well as providing useful information for students and faculty on academic policies, research guidance during covid-19, and coronavirus updates of importance for the John Jay community.