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University of Southern Maine
Libraries & Learning

Student Resources

Links to Library Services and Resources for Students.

USM ID Card / USM Library Card

USM ID card

  • Stop by the main desk at a USM Library to activate your USM ID card so you have access to ALL resources. It takes 1 minute. (If you can't stop by, call 207-780-4270 with your ID card in-hand, and ask to have it activated.)
  • The Library Barcode is the black number beginning with 218... or 25022... below the barcode.

WiFi and Printing

Register your device(s) online and use EDUROAM WiFi.

To print from USM computers or your laptop, will need to have money (Husky Bucks) on your USM ID card.

  • Printing is 3 cents/page
  • Copying is 7 cents/page
  • Color printing is 7 cents/page

If you have a laptop, click on the Laptop Printing link below to download the printing program.

Reserves

USM Professors may place items on reserve for you to access outside of class.

Electronic Reserves - Sign into MyUSM portal. Click on USM Quick Links. Click on USM Course Reserves (ARES). Find your courses and add them to your ARES main page. (Have your course number handy, e.g. ENG 102, BIO 101).

Physical Reserves - Go to the Library where the Professor has placed the item on reserve (Portland, Gorham, or LAC). You can check out the item, usually for 2 hours, for use in the Library.
Textbooks on Reserve - Check here to see if a textbook for your course (mostly 100 & 200 level) is on reserve and in which Library. Be sure to bring your USM ID to checkout a textbook on reserve. You may use the book for 2 hours in the Library.

Ask A Librarian

USM Libraries are located on all three campuses, providing access to the best sources of information available and services to match. Walk in or contact us via Ask-A-Librarian.

Tutoring

tutor and students

 

All three campuses provide in-person tutoring and online tutoring! Our tutors are top USM students who have undergone training and are nationally certified to tutor. You are allowed up to two tutoring appointments per week for each subject & three tutoring appointments per week for writing.
Whether you want to meet with a tutor regularly in a subject you find difficult, go to a tutoring session with a classmate, or meet with a tutor to go over material before a test, here's what you need to do.

  • Sign into the MyUSM Portal
  • Under USM Quick Links, select USM Tutoring: Subject-Based or Writing
  • Complete a one-time short questionnaire to create your account
  • Make an appointment (Your username & password will be the same as mainestreet.)
  • Put your appointment in your calendar
  • If you need to cancel, go to your Account to cancel
  • Show up on time with your assignment and any needed book(s)

Library Resources

Start your research with Subject & Course Guides

Checkout our helpful Subject Guides and Course Guides for selected classes when you have a research assignment.

Finding Articles

Millions of free articles are available to USM students in our databases.
Click on the Databases link below. If you aren't sure where to begin, journals
start with Academic Search Complete.
You can limit your search to scholarly articles, full-text, & more.
Contact us or stop in, if you need assistance.

Finding Books

URSUS (UMaine System Libraries & more).
Start with the URSUS catalog when you are looking for books. If the book isn't at your USM campus, just request it from another USM campus or from another UMaine campus. To request a book from another campus click on the book's title & click on Request It. Then enter your name and barcode number (25022... or 218... on your USM ID Card) & select the campus where you want the book sent for pickup. You'll be notified by email when the book(s) arrives -  typically within 3 business days. Return books to any of the three USM Libraries.

MaineCat (Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, & more) is where you go if the item you need is not available in URSUS. Once you have conducted a search and found the item you want, click on the book's title. Then click on Request this Item next to the red check mark: This is the request button. Select your home campus library and fill in your name and Library barcode information. Return books to any of the USM Libraries.

If you can't find the book you need, check with Library staff who will help you locate & request a free copy.

Citations

Citing Sources

USM Libraries have the official guides for the four major citation styles. Ask your professor which one you should use for your paper or project. The guides can only be used in the library, and can be found by asking at the main desk or at the help desk.

There are also some helpful guides online:

OWL Purdue MLA citation and style guide

OWL Purdue Chicago citation and style guide

OWL Purdue APA citation and style guide

Citing a source is just a matter of finding a formula based on the type of source your using (book, website, journal article, etc.) and plugging in the information based that formula for the citation style.  Most citations, regardless of style, ask for the same sorts of things (author, title, publication date, etc.) The order you put them in and the way you include them changes based on the style.