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I have my own laptop. How can I connect to the Internet while in the Sawyer Library?

The library provides a wireless network (supports the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g standards). You may connect to the Internet in two ways:

  • use your own wireless card or wifi-ready laptop in the library
    • the library’s wireless network is restricted to registered Suffolk University students, faculty and staff. You must have a valid (activated) Suffolk University e-mail address and know your Suffolk e-mail password to access the network. For more information on your Suffolk e-mail, please see the Suffolk University Email page.
  • borrow a wireless PCMCIA card from the library
    • you must first install the necessary drivers; borrow the installation CD at the Reserve Desk and follow the directions. Once the software is installed, you may borrow a wireless card anytime you are in the library.
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Who needs the library when it’s all free on the Internet?

Please see this page in the library guide for more information.

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How can I get my tuition money’s worth from the library?

In academic year 2006 - 2007 (September 2006 to May 2007), a full time student paid about $335 of their tuition to support the Mildred F. Sawyer Library. A part time student paid about $24 per credit hour. Details of these calculations can be found in the Library’s FAQ section.

Paying $335 to support the Sawyer Library may sound high .... so, we have assigned values (the calculations used formatted as a .pdf document) for ten of our most-used services to help you "take advantage" of the Sawyer Library this academic year:

 

Service What You Can Do
During the Academic Year		 Value of the Service
for the Academic Year
Study in the library study in the library for 1 hour every week $ 16.44
Borrow Reserve books borrow three Reserve books $ 115.59
Ask a question of the Reference staff
OR
Use a subject guide created by the the Reference staff to answer a question 		ask one reference question
OR
use one Reference-developed subject guide 		$ 33.34
Use the reference collection consult two reference books $ 57.32
Borrow a laptop computer borrow a laptop once $ 10.00
Use a desktop computer to search for information use a desktop computer once $ 10.00
View a VHS or DVD for a course view a video in the library once $ 4.00
Access and download full text scholarly articles AND print them out download and print 12 articles averaging five pages per article $126.00
Use the library’s proxy server to access and download full text articles while at home OR while at work use library resources from off-campus and save two subway trips to the library $ 6.80
Borrow a book from the circulating collection borrow just one book $ 31.08

TOTAL VALUE DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR $410.90
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Why can’t I do my e-mail and write a paper on the research workstations on the main floor of the library?

The Sawyer Library does not have enough workstations on the main floor that every workstation can meet every student need. For example, e-mail, other than the e-mail account provided by Suffolk University, is discouraged on the main floor. If e-mail was allowed, it is likely that students needing to conduct research would find all 16 workstations in use for e-mail, chat or instant messaging. We do, however, have 50 laptops that anyone with a valid Suffolk student or faculty ID may use for either e-mail or Microsoft Office applications. These laptops can also send print jobs to several networked printers near the stairs on Floor 2 (the main floor) of the library. And, if you have your own laptop, that may also be used within the library if you wish.

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What Does the Sawyer Library Do With All of My Tuition Money?

In Fiscal Year 2007 (July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007), the Sawyer Library expended a total of $2,052,069. What does the expenditure of $2,052,069 mean to you as a student? One way to think about it is to put it into a context.

The official Fall 2006 enrollment for the non-Law School part of the Suffolk University campus the Sawyer Library is responsible for was:

  • 6,124.5 FTE students (an FTE = 12 credit hours) OR 85,782 total credit hours

    • Two calculations (based upon the Library’s expenditure of $2,052,069):

  • $335.06 was expended for each FTE student OR $23.92 was expended per credit hour
    • Therefore, if you were a full time student, $335 of your tuition went to support the Sawyer Library. Or, as a part time student, $24 a credit hour (or about $72 for a three-credit course; $96 for a four-credit course) was expended for Library support.
    TR>
    FY 2007 Expenditures Sub Categories Subtotals Total Subtotals
    per FTE Student    		 Totals
    per FTE Student
    Staffing, includes student assistants and fringe benefits $980,117   $160.03
    Information Resources $885,100   $144.52
      Books, AV and Document delivery $158,639   $ 25.90  
      Subscriptions (print/microform journals and serials) $325,681   $ 53.18  
      Electronic Databases, etc. $400,780   $ 65.44  
    Other Operating $186,852   $ 30.51
      Travel $2,506   $ 0.41  
      Furniture $8,286   $ 1.35  
      Computers and Software for Student Use $53,267   $ 8.70   
      Computers and Software for Staff Use $25,955   $ 4.24   
      Supplies for Student Use (paper, toner, etc.) $11,732   $ 1.92  
      Library Supplies (processing supplies, binding, etc.) $25,809   $ 4.21  
      Mail $1,905   $ 0.31  
      Equipment Maintenance $41,449   $ 6.77  
      Printing $559   $ 0.09  
      Bibliographic utilities, consortia, and memberships $15,384   $ 2.51  
    TOTAL $2,052,069   $335.06

    A chart to help visualize the Sawyer Library’s Expenditures:

    This chart shows the percentage of total expenditures by grouping the three categories:
    Staffing, Information Resources, and Other Operating.

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    Why doesn’t the Library have a collection of Harvard Business School cases on file?

    Due to copyright restrictions, libraries are not authorized to purchase copies of actual cases. Harvard restricts the cases, because they don’t want individuals to be able to make unidentified photocopies of entire cases. Instead, cases are available for sale, either individually or in bulk, with a discounted price for multiple copies. Faculty members may also purchase multiple copies of cases, for distribution to students.

    Search the HBS Publishing online catalog for more information. URL is http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/cases/cases_home.jhtml

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    I need to use the resources at the Law Library. What is their policy concerning use?

    The Law School has a written policy dated June 10, 1999 concerning library use by non-Law School users. From the Law Library’s web pages (January 25, 2000), this statement:

    Library Access

    All Suffolk University faculty have access to the Law Library. Suffolk University students needing legal research have access to the Law Library. With a current Suffolk picture ID, circulating books may bechecked out. Statutes, reporters, looseleafs and journals do NOT circulate.

    CAS and SSOM faculty and students cannot expect to use the Law Library for services (such as study space) and resources (either print or electronic) which can be met by other Suffolk University libraries, or by the public library.

    Please be aware that physical entry into the Law School facility on Tremont Street will require, at certain times, the use of a Law School-issued identification card which is compatible with the Law School’s security system. Those times the Law School-issued identification card is needed have been identified as: after 9:00 p.m. on weekdays, after 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays. CAS and SSOM faculty and students must apply for this identification card at the Law School -- the Sawyer Library cannot issue these identification cards.

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    I want to use The Boston Athenaeum. How does Suffolk University’s membership work?

    The Sawyer Library has a "proprietor’s" (also know as a "shareholder") membership to The Boston Athenaeum, left to us in the estate of Phillip Putnam Chase in 1979. Our membership status is not transferrable to others.

    The Boston Athenaeum allows proprietors to sponsor annual "guest" tickets which cost $80.00 each. A guest ticket entitles the holder to most privileges of membership.

    The Sawyer Library will not purchase guest tickets. However, the Library will sponsor current members of the Suffolk University community wishing to purchase guest tickets to The Boston Athenaeum. Please contact Professor Bob Allison at x8510 for details.

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