Ask a Librarian

Students taking Jefferson College credit classes use their Jefferson College Student ID as their library card. Student ID cards, validated for the current semester, are required when checking out any library material. For your convenience, the library staff may issue your Jefferson College Student ID at the Circulation Desk on the first floor of the library, or you can obtain one at the JCA front desk or in the Student Center building.

Jefferson County residents age 18 and older may obtain a free, non-transferable library card. A valid photo ID and proof of residence within Jefferson County is required. Please visit the Circulation Desk at the library to obtain a valid library card.

Yes, there are Windows (Acer) laptops available for checkout at the library, as well as Chromebooks running ChromeOS.  Patrons must sign an Electronics Agreement prior to checkout. Students will be held responsible for any late fines and damage fees that may be incurred.

The library offers several different types of study rooms and areas that may be reserved by utilizing the library's Libcal system. This may be done from anywhere with a personal internet-enabled device or at the library computers. Those who utilize study rooms will be required to fill out a Study Room Agreement once per semester. When you show up for your reservation, come by the circulation desk to fill out the Study Room Agreement (if you haven't already done so for the semester) and check out the study room key, as well as any markers, wireless keyboards and mice, or other materials you may need. Collaborative study rooms and areas are generally found on the first floor, while smaller rooms and areas for quiet study are located on the second floor.  For the consideration of others, no talking is allowed on the second floor.

You can use our search tool, Discovery, to search through multiple databases (plus the library catalog) at once for access to millions of resources. Check out this tutorial to learn how to get started. You can access individual databases here, though please note that searching in each of these databases may work a little differently so if you have questions, ask a librarian.

Jefferson County residents age 18 and older may obtain a free, non-transferable library card. A valid photo ID and proof of residence within Jefferson County is required. Community cardholders are limited to checking out 20 items at one time. The library reserves the right to limit the number of items that may be checked out by community card holders so that sufficient resources are available for Jefferson College students. Items through MOBIUS may be available upon request.  

Non-county residents, who are ineligible for a card, are still welcome to use the library spaces, including study rooms (though they will not be able to check-out a study room key or equipment).

You can check the status of a MOBIUS request in several ways. You may contact the circulation desk at the library at (636) 481-3166 to inquire, or you can log in to your personal account by following these steps:

• Go to My Bookshelf
• Login using your Jefferson College email and password (and follow the 2-step verification process, if off campus).
• Select 'Holds' beneath 'My bookshelf.' Your requested items will be listed there. 
• Under the title of the requested item, you will see "On hold:" in a dark grey bar, and this is where the status of your request will be indicated.
• When your item arrives, you will get an email or phone call letting you know that it is ready to pickup.
• Make sure to bring your Jeffco ID to check the item out.

During the regular semester, the library is open at the following dates & times:

• Monday- Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (2nd floor unavailable one hour prior to close)
• Friday: 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday: Closed

During intersession and summer, the library may have different hours. These hours, plus any additional closings, can be viewed on the Library Hours page.

Note: The library is closed whenever the Hillsboro campus is closed, including holidays and snow days. 

The Jefferson College History Center includes probate records, wills, county tax records, county school records, judicial and circuit court records, family histories, city and town histories, and much more. These documents are accessible to the public for genealogical and historical research by appointment. You can find more information here.

The outside book drop is located on the east side of the library building (facing Highway 21) by the entrance near the Orange parking lot. If returning library materials at JCA, please give them to a staff member at the front desk. 

There are many ways to renew an item, including coming into the library or contacting the circulation desk via phone (636-481-3166) or email. To renew your items online, follow these steps:

• Go to My Bookshelf
• Sign in using your Jefferson College email and password (and follow the 2-step verification process, if off campus)
• You are now logged in to your account. All your checked out items should be visible under the 'Checkouts' tab.
• Click 'renew' to the right of the due date, then click the 'renew' in the pop-up window.
• The new due date will appear in green in the pop-up window.
• If the item cannot be renewed, please return it to the library.

MOBIUS items may be eligible for renewal at the discretion of the lending library. 

Wireless printing is available at the library in Hillsboro. See the instructions below for the operating system that works on your laptop. Ask a librarian if you need further assistance.

Windows 10 Wifi Printing Instructions

Mac OS Wifi Printing Instructions

Color printing is available at the library for $.50 per page. If you're interested in printing in color, stop by the circulation desk to inquire about this process and a staff member will assist you. Currently, we can only accept payments with cash or check.

Yes, voice recorders are available for checkout at the circulation desk.

Check out our library's A-Z list of databases, or browse for databases by subject and reference databases.

Yes! To view popular bestsellers via the catalog, click here. Bestsellers can also be browsed in person on the first floor of the library.

Loan periods vary considerably based on the item. If you have questions, or would like to check the status of an item you have checked out, please contact a librarian.

Here are some of the checkout periods for our most popular items:

Materials	Loan Periods for Students
New Books	4 Weeks
Books & Government Documents	4 Weeks
DVDs & CDs	10 Days
Magazines & Scholarly Journals	10 Days
Acer Laptops	Semester
Study Room Keys	4 Hours (Library Use Only)
Headphones	4 Hours (Library Use Only)
Chrome Books	1 Week
Reserve Items	1 Hour or more (Varies)

New books are available on the first floor of the library. You can view a list of new books here.  Bestsellers are also available on the library's first floor, and you can see a list of those here.

The best way to pay any library fine is to come in to the library and ask for assistance at the circulation desk on the first floor.

The library welcomes suggestions for purchase from students, faculty, and staff. You can fill out an online suggestion form here.

Students are allowed to print for free, as long as it is not excessive. When printing PowerPoints, students should print multiple slides to a page.

For others, printing in black-and-white is free up to 30 pages, then there is a $.10 charge per page. Color printing is available at the Circulation Desk for $.50 per page. We ask that printing be done in moderation.