The Libraries at Palm Beach State College

• Request Library Instruction
• Request Interlibrary Loan
• Request Library Material Purchase
• PBSC Video on Demand (Kaltura)
• Copyright Guidelines
• Professional (Higher Education and Library)

Reservation Links:

Belle Glade

Lake Worth

Palm Beach Gardens

• Library study rooms are primarily intended for academic purposes.
• Only currently enrolled students may reserve study rooms, unless approved by the library director.
• The Student Code of Conduct (Board Rule 6HX 18-3.35; Student Handbook pp. 20-7) and the Library Code of Conduct are in effect.
• Groups or individuals who are disruptive may be asked to leave the room.
• Study rooms are not soundproof. Loud conversation or volume is not permitted.
• Study room capacity varies by room and may not be exceeded.
• A valid PantherCard and Palm Beach State email address are required.
• Food & Drink: No food is permitted. Drinks in spill-proof containers or capped bottles are okay.
• Reservations may be canceled by staff after fifteen (15) minutes for late arrivals.
• Personal belongings left unattended for more than fifteen (15) minutes will be removed by Campus Security.
• Additional guidelines may vary by campus.

Circulation Desk
Check out books, reserve materials, and a variety of resources through your campus Circulation Desk:

• Belle Glade: 561-993-1150
• Boca Raton (FAU) Circulation: 561-297-6911
• Lake Worth Circulation: 561-868-3710
• Loxahatchee Groves: 561-790-9013
• Palm Beach Gardens Circulation: 561- 207-5800

Library Card
Your PantherCard is your library card and allows access to photocopiers and printers.

Loan Periods
Most books may be checked out for 21 days. Some high demand items have a 7 day loan period.

Overdue Fines
Late book returns (21 day loans) are charged 10-cents per day. 7 day loan books are 25-cents per day.

Reserve Items
Textbooks or materials that have been placed at the reserve desk by an instructor may be checked out for use in the library, for a period of 2 to 4 hours, depending on the campus. Late returns are charged $1 per hour.

Renewing Books
Most books can be renewed twice, unless there is a hold or recall on them. Renewals can be done onsite, online, or by calling your campus circulation desk at the number listed above.  Interlibrary loan books must be renewed by the ILL department.

You can renew online by logging into the library. To do this, select the "Search the Library" link from the Library webpage. On the top-right side, select "Sign in". Next, select "PBSC Login". Type in your Palm Beach State login credentials. You are now logged in and can view and renew your loans by clicking on your name on the top-right side of the page. 

E-books
The library owns over 20,000 e-book titles that can be accessed via our catalog. To read the full text of e-books, make sure to sign-in at the top right-hand side of the catalog with your PBSC username and password.

Accessing Library Resources

Resources Available

Searching for Materials

 Checking Out Materials

PantherCard

Printing & Copying

Computer and Internet/WWW Acceptable Use Policy
Palm Beach State College provides access to computers and the Internet/World Wide Web for purposes directly related to education, in an environment…

• Where access to the resource is shared equitably among all Palm Beach State users.
• Which is conducive to learning.
• Which is free of illegal or malicious acts.
• Which shows respect for others through proper network etiquette.

It is not acceptable to use the College's computers, or Internet/WWW Access

• For any illegal purposes.
• To transmit information containing harassing, threatening, obscene, discriminatory, indecent, lewd, or lascivious material, whether by email or other internet resources.
• To access information containing obscene, indecent, lewd, or lascivious material.
• With a login account assigned to someone else. Forgery or attempted forgery of email messages is prohibited.
• In such a way as to interfere with or disrupt network users, services, or equipment.
• To transmit any material in violation of any U.S. or state laws or regulations, such as Copyright Law, including plagiarism.

By using this resource, you agree to comply with the statements above. Failure to comply might result in disciplinary action.

Student Code of Conduct [video]

The Library Learning Resource Center (LLRC) staff strives to provide a safe, friendly, engaging, and productive environment for all of its users. In order to be successful in this goal, the library has established the Code of Conduct. All users must respect and follow the policies listed below:

• Noise and Disruptive Behavior
  Disruptive, hostile, or harassing behavior by users is strictly prohibited. Users who exhibit disruptive or disorderly behavior will be asked to leave the library, and campus security may be notified.

• Food and Beverages
  Eating and drinking in the library are not allowed. Food attracts rodents and insects, and drink spills can lead to the damage of materials or equipment.

• Personal Belongings
  Library staff is not responsible for personal belongings or any property left in the library. Any items or belongings found and collected by library staff are returned to campus security. Library staff reserves the right to inspect all bags, purses, brief cases, and the like.

• Children
  Children under the age of 12 are prohibited from using the library, except with the permission of a faculty member/instructor, supervisor, or other College official. Campus security and administration will be notified of any minor who creates a disturbance or appears to be lost and unattended for their safety, health, and welfare.

• Internet Use
  Library computer equipment serves to facilitate access to information for the purposes of teaching, learning, or conducting research. Users are subject to the Acceptable Use Policy.

• Cell Phones, Headphones, Mobile Devices, and Other Equipment
  The use of any equipment (e.g. cell phones, headphones, mobile devices) that disrupts users is prohibited. Cell phones must be placed on vibrate or turned off. Phone conversations must take place outside of the library. The use of cameras and video recording devices requires permission from College administration.

• Facilities, Equipment, and Materials
  Cutting, tearing, or defacing materials (e.g. books, magazines, newspapers), and tampering with furniture, computers, or other equipment is prohibited. Removing or attempting to remove library materials, equipment, or property without proper checkout or official library authorization is a violation of the Code of Conduct.

Palm Beach State College’s Student Code of Conduct is in effect in the LLRC. Users who violate this Code of Conduct will lose their library usage privileges, will be referred to the Dean of Student Services, or will have an academic hold placed on their account.

Academic misconduct including, but not limited to, unauthorized use of aids, cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty in the classroom or other college environments, as defined below:

Plagiarism

• Taking the words or specific substance of another and either copying or paraphrasing the work without giving credit to the source.
• Submitting a term paper, examination, or other work written by someone else.
• Failure to give credit in a footnote for ideas, statements of facts, or conclusions derived by another.
• Failure to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another person, whether it is a paragraph, a sentence, or even a part thereof.
• Similar and extended paraphrasing of another.

Cheating

Using unauthorized notes, study aids, or information from another student or student’s paper on an in-class examination; altering a graded work after it has been returned, then submitting the work for
re-grading; and allowing another person to do one’s work and to submit the work under one’s own name, or otherwise not following the rules or instruction to gain an advantage.

Fabrication

Presenting data in a piece of work not gathered in accordance with guidelines defining the appropriate methods for collecting or generating data and failing to include a substantially accurate account of the method by which the data were generated or collected.

Aiding and Abetting Dishonesty

Providing material or information to another person with knowledge that these materials or information will be used improperly pursuant to Florida Statutes 877.17 (1).

Forgery

Altering documents affecting academic records; forging a signature of authorization or falsifying information on an official academic document, election form, grade report, letter of permission, petition, or
any document designed to meet or exempt a student from an established College academic regulation.

Warning: Students may not withdraw from a class to avoid a failing grade as a result of such a violation.

American Association of Community Colleges recognizes information literacy as a core value of general education. 

Palm Beach State College recognizes information literacy as an institutional learning outcome.

Palm Beach State College Library Information Literacy Mission Statement (2012; amended 2016)

The Library Information Literacy Program at Palm Beach State College supports the instructional mission of the College and its General Education program. Information literacy is one of the College's general institutional learning outcomes and is rooted in "the ability to find, evaluate, organize, and use information". This definition is consistent with educational outcomes for the State of Florida and text from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016).

The Library Information Literacy Program is an integrated, outcomes-based model of instruction that incorporates different forms of instruction at selective points in a student's academic career. The intent of the program is to achieve a tiered and coordinated approach to developing information literacy skills and a framework for lifelong learning. This approach incorporates information literacy and critical thinking with writing across the curriculum.

Specifically, the mission of the Library Information Literacy Program is to create an environment which:

• Provides formal and informal instruction to individuals and classes, and mentors research skill development in person and through distance learning
• Offers students diverse learning opportunities in a variety of settings
• Promotes the ethical use of library and information resources in all formats
• Collaborates with colleagues from all departments and disciplines to integrate information literacy into academic programs
• Evaluates the effectiveness of our methods and programs on an ongoing basis, while continually updating and reviewing our own knowledge and skills
• Assesses a student's ability to locate, evaluate, organize, and use information through formal and information library and college-wide initiatives and measurements

Faculty Resources for Information Literacy

• Information Literacy Resource Guide
• Plagiarism Resource Center