The Tunxis Library welcomes all users. However, our collections, services, and facilities are primarily intended for the College community. Our students require an environment that is conducive to quiet study, research, student group work, learning, collaboration, and instruction.
Library hours are posted at the Library’s Main Entrance and on our website.
Library patrons should check out materials 15 minutes prior to closing.
Library public computers will shut down automatically 5 minutes prior to closing. Files must be saved to the student’s account or external storage by that point or work will be lost.
Library patrons should complete photocopying 15 minutes prior to closing.
Library patrons are expected to leave the Library at closing in an orderly manner.
Library patrons are expected to comply with directions of the Library staff to leave the Library in the case of a drill or emergency.
Please see our guide to Access Services for a detailed explanation of our Circulation policies.
There are 7 study rooms available on a first-come, first-served basis. Stop at the circulation desk to check out the key with your Tunxis ID.
Small study rooms on the second floor (7-218, 7-220, 7-221) are designated for both individuals and groups.
Groups of 2 or more students have priority in larger study rooms (7-101, 7-104, 7-107, & 7-202). When necessary, individual students will be asked to relocate in favor of group use.
There are four study rooms equipped with a computer and monitor. Online reservation is required. To make a reservation, click here.
Three computers, located directly behind the Help Desk on the first floor, are available to the general public for 2 hours per day, per person. There is a 10 cent per page fee for printing. All other Library computers are available to Connecticut Community College students, faculty, and staff only.
The Library staff is not responsible for the safety, care, or supervision of children of any age in the Library. Parents or guardians are responsible for the safety, care, and supervision of children of any age in the Library.
Children under 12 may not be left unattended.
Parents should be aware of the content of Connecticut General Statute 53-21 and 21a regarding child neglect and risk of injury to minors. A copy can be found here.
The Library does not censor Library materials. Therefore, supervision or restriction of a minor’s access to the Internet or other Library material is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian.
Children must be at least 12 years old and accompanied by a parent or guardian (or enrolled in a Tunxis Community College program or class) to obtain a Library card.
Parents or guardians of children who are disruptive will be asked to remove their children from the Library.
Parents or guardians will be held responsible for damage caused to Library property by their children.
Snacks and covered drinks are allowed in the Library. The Library staff reserves the right to ask you to relocate to a space outside the library if your food choice is disruptive to your fellow studiers.
Cell phone conversations are not allowed in the Library. Please turn off all ringers, pagers, etc. upon entering the Library and conduct conversations outside the Library.
All digital or handheld electronics with sound must be used with a headset.
Volume settings on PCs and TVs in study rooms must not be disruptive to other patrons.
Laptop computers must be used with a headset, or sound must be muted.
It is the official policy of the College that personal devices may not be cabled or physically connected to our network or printers.
Students may use their laptops and other devices via the ConnSCU Wi-Fi by signing onto ConnSCU with their 8-digit Banner ID as the username and their campus password.
For Guests, the Library will issue a Guest wireless (Wi-Fi) username and password at the circulation desk which will be sent to your email; photo ID is required. Guests may then sign onto Wi-Fi using the “ConnSCU Guests” network.
For helpful hints on connecting your device to Wi-Fi, please refer to this page: https://tunxis.edu/campus-resources/wifi/
We do not currently have wireless printing available.
“Libraries are where people, one frequently finds, lower their voices and raise their minds.”
— Richard Armour
Anyone who behaves inappropriately in the Library will be given a verbal warning. If the inappropriate behavior continues, the patron will be asked to leave the Library.
If an individual refuses to comply with a request to cease inappropriate behavior or to leave the Library, Campus Security will be notified.
Inappropriate behavior may include, but is not limited to the following:
Loud or excessive noise;
Theft or mutilation of Library materials;
Consumption of tobacco products or electronic cigarettes, [also known as: e-cig or e-cigarette, personal vaporizer (PV) or electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS)];
Harassment of any kind, including but not limited to acts of physical, verbal or sexual harassment, directed at other Library patrons or at Library staff.
Acts of property damage, including vandalism and graffiti, are considered criminal mischief. In Connecticut, such acts carry penalties ranging from 3 months in jail and $500 fine, to 1-5 years in prison, with fines up to $5000. Ref: Conn. Stat. Sec. 53a-115 to 53a-117a.
The Tunxis Library’s primary goal for collection development is to provide our current and future community with the greatest wealth of resources. We achieve this goal by purchasing through the most efficient and cost-effective means of acquisition available. As an active and vibrant center of the Campus, we believe that learning and teaching occurs most effectively when a varied selection of materials is available for use by our entire community. Thus, we have a dedicated collection development librarian and acquisitions associate who carefully and thoughtfully select our materials and lead the direction of our collection.
In addition to our collection development librarian’s selection processes, the Tunxis Library can utilize our membership in the Connecticut State and Connecticut University Library Consortium (a consortium of 12 community colleges, four state universities, and the CT State Library), to design “collective collecting” strategies to share resources, avoid duplication of purchases, and build collections of both shared and unique resources.
The collection development librarian maintains close ties with the Tunxis faculty and is aware of the goals of the academic departments. She, along with the rest of the library staff, keeps informed about research activities, new initiatives, new and departing faculty, grants received, and curriculum changes. Being part of department committees, as well as the Academic Affairs Committee, helps us to select relevant and current resources and to fulfill the current and future needs of Tunxis faculty and students.
When considering the purchase of a new title, the collection development librarian must also consider the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection in which the new title will be located. While we do generally build upon strengths, we also take heed of current assignments and contemporary issues.
The quality of a title must be evaluated weighing several subjective factors: its scholarship, creativity, lasting value, reputation of the author, publisher, contributors, and editorial board, the quality and importance of the illustrations, the references included, etc. None of these are the deciding factors alone but all are considered as they contribute to or detract from the overall quality of the item under consideration.
Research in some disciplines is reliant on access to the most up-to-date information. In those areas, preference is given to materials which report new and revised information in a timely fashion. The social sciences, arts and humanities also require timely access to new publications but are equally committed to the significance of historical materials to support ongoing scholarship. In those areas, consideration is also given to older materials. Equally important in our selection are the assignments and research projects students need to complete, as well as the curricular and research goals of the faculty.
The value of a resource to the community cannot be measured only by considering its cost. Our evaluation of new resources is based first on the criteria described above, followed by cost assessment.
Acquisition priorities are as follows:
Maintain a subject balanced collection by identifying and acquiring materials that are relevant, contemporary, and supportive of the College’s academic programming. Materials needed for new courses and programs will be given particular attention.
Identify and maintain a minimum “core” collection of print and electronic resources.
Acquire materials that help our students to complete assignments as well as those that support classroom learning.
Although the collection development librarian is primarily responsible for the curation of the collection, all library users are encouraged to suggest additions to the collection. Faculty members are also encouraged to review library collections in their subject area and to make recommendations for purchase and deselection. In addition, faculty proposing new courses and programs to the Academic Affairs Committee are required to discuss the adequacy of the library collection with a librarian before submitting a proposal. Because librarians are in the best position to observe the overall use and development of the collection, they are ultimately responsible for the quality and balance of the total collection.
The Tunxis Library welcomes monetary gifts for the purchase of library materials. Monetary gifts are used to purchase items that supplement existing collections in support of the college’s programs and teaching, or to provide the library with unique materials of interest to the college community.
We prefer not to accept a large number of physical donations, as we are selective in our acquisitions and do not have the staff to review many individual items at once for inclusion in our collection. Additionally, unsolicited donations add to our cost of acquisitions processing, cataloging, and shelving.
Donations are not accepted until they undergo the official review process by members of the Library Staff. No parties outside of the Library may accept donations to the Library.
When donations are offered, the Library adheres to the following guidelines:
Donations are only accepted if the library is given complete authority to utilize them as the library deems appropriate. Items which are not needed will be sold or donated to an appropriate destination.
Any items donated must be in “like new” condition or better. For donations of more than 5 items, we ask that the potential donor provide a list of titles before donation to help us assess how they may fit into the library collection.
An official letter of acknowledgement [which includes the number of items donated] is prepared and sent to the donor. No value is placed on the gift.
Because of the library’s philosophy of intellectual freedom, there may be materials in the library’s collection which may be of concern to individuals or groups. The acquisition of such materials does not imply approval or endorsement of their content or opinions, but enables the library to support the curricula and provide diverse perspectives. The following process will be employed when concerns are voiced.
A written statement of concern must be submitted to the Director of Library Services. The statement must include: name, address, telephone number or email address, author/producer, title, comments on the material as a whole as well as comments on the specific matters of concern, and a statement as to a satisfactory resolution of concern.
The Director will lead a review committee composed of the Dean, collection development librarian, and a faculty member.
The committee will review the material and statement of concern. Each committee member will vote yes or no for continued inclusion in the collection. The Director will prepare a written response summary and notify the concerned party.