Welcome to the Hekman Library!

The services and policies listed below are for currently enrolled Calvin students and faculty who are studying off campus. Examples are Calvin's study abroad programs; off campus programs in the U.S., such as Chicago semester; and distance education courses, for example those in the Graduate Teacher Education Program or the Master of Education Degree Program.

Accessing WebCat

Access to WebCat, Hekman Library's online catalog, is open to all internet users. Users who want to access full text information from the ejournal or ebook collections via WebCat will be prompted for a login ID and password. See below for further instructions.

Accessing Research Databases

The Hekman Library offers remote access (i.e., access from off campus) to virtually all of our subscription-based research databases for full-time enrolled students. (Distance education students who are enrolled part-time must access these databases on campus). When you choose your database you will be prompted for your KnightVision login and password. There are alternate instructions for the Calvin Theological Seminary community; contact Al Danks in the seminary (adanksATcalvinseminary.edu) or one of the library's theological librarians. See below for contact information.

Research Assistance

Feel free to contact a reference librarian for research assistance. There are a variety of contact options, including live "virtual" reference help. Consult the library's Reference Service page for details.

Requesting Material from the Calvin Library

Contact the library liaison to your study program and request the material. Your library liaison will facilitate the delivery of the material if it is available. Alternatively, simply request the material from any reference librarian via one of our Ask a Librarian services (chat or email). Only non-returnables (journal articles, newspaper articles, etc.) will be sent out. We are not sending out books at this time. Articles will most often be sent as attachments to an email. Using the fax machine is prohibitively expensive, and the library's fax machine is often in use.

Seminary Internships/Field Education

Seminarians on interns doing their field education are encouraged to use local resources as part of their training experience. But in certain cases when it may be helpful and necessary to get materials from Hekman Library, please contact one of the Theological Librarians, Paul Fields or Lugene Schemper.

Conclusion (study abroad students)

Some things to think about before you go abroad:

• Talk to a student from the country to which you'll be traveling; that person might be familiar with information access barriers and protocol.
• Talk to a faculty member who has conducted research in your country.
• Thoroughly explore the possibilities and procedures for contacting the Hekman Library while you are abroad or out-of-state. For example, be familiar with the librarian assigned to your study program.

Some things to think about once you are settled:

• Library hours may be quite different. Libraries may close earlier and not be open on the weekends, for example. Plan ahead with your library visits.
• Books may be classified and organized differently than they are at Calvin, and access may be restricted or limited much more than it is at home. Be prepared to use materials at the site. Don't expect to check anything out.
• Internet connections may be limited, unreliable, or non-existent. Here are some hints:
  • Don't download pdf files. They tend to take longer. Choose HTML when you have a choice.
  • Make sure you have enough space in your email "box" to receive large files should you request them.

The Hekman Library staff is will assist you as much as they can while you are away. Your research needs are important to us. There may be some requests however that we simply cannot fill because of time constraints or licensing agreements with database providers. Keep your professor in the loop. He or she will also be able to assist you with your reference and research needs.