For Students

The library is a designated “Quiet Zone” so that you can get your work done & concentrate on studying. Popular spaces include individual, open study carrels, conveniently located near electric outlets, larger study tables behind the bookstacks for when you need to spread materials out, and our popular reading area for when you’re just taking a break between classes and feel like reading a magazine.
If collaborative space is needed, we recommend using one of our Group Study Rooms! Keeping your cell phone on Silent mode & taking conversations outside will also help us maintain this quiet space for all students.

The Library has public computer stations & laptops you can borrow to use in the Library & two black and white printers that require either your Surge card or your Cincinnati State log-in. See our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about our printers, photocopiers, & other equipment.

The Library has 4 (four) group study rooms that you can “rent” for up to two hours by Online Reservation & then bringing your Surge card to the “Checkout Desk”. Borrow our projector to make practicing presentations & watching films even better!

Some instructors place required course materials (textbooks, videos) on “reserve” at the Library, but we do not otherwise have copies of textbooks for each class. The instructor sets the amount of time that items may be borrowed, but it is usually for a 2-hour period & the item(s) are not able to leave the Library. Search our Course Reserves in the catalog to see if we have a copy of what you need.

Join our librarians for a short, 15 minute demo of our top tips for that week’s topic, followed by optional “open lab time” where you can work on finding your resources while the librarian is right there to help when you need it. For session descriptions & to register, click the workshop titles below or visit the Workshops Calendar.

Have a librarian work one-n-one with you via Zoom or over the phone! Appointments may be made up to two weeks in advance & must be requested at least 24 hours in advance of the desired time. Click the button below or go straight to the Online Appointment Request Form.

Our Playlists

Watch quick tutorials on our most popular databases, eBooks, web sources (Google BETTER!), & citing/formatting papers. Click the menu icon in the playlist to go straight to the video you need. Problems viewing? Go straight to our YouTube Channel.

Research Databases

Books & E-Books

Web Sources

Citing & Formatting Papers

Take your research skills to the next level with our interactive Skill Builders! Each module starts with a demonstration video & then gives you the chance to put your new knowledge to use. Upon completing the Skill Builder, you’ll be able to download or email a certificate that can be shared with your instructor, if required.

Topics
• Developing a Search Strategy: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/search
• Finding Books in BLINK: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/blink
• Finding Articles in Academic Search Complete: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/academicsearchcomplete
• Evaluating Sources: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/evaluation
• Primary v. Secondary Sources: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/primary
• Avoiding Plagiarism: https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/plagiarism

Course Specific
• Online Library Class for Comp 2 (ENG 102, 104, 105): https://cincinnatistate.libwizard.com/f/comp2

When you can’t visit the Library in person, there are several ways to contact a librarian and get answers to your questions.

Phone: 513.569.1606
Email: library@cincinnatistate.edu (from your Cincinnati State email address).
Text: 513.275.4466
Zoom Research Appointments: Schedule an Appointment
Chat with us during our Virtual Help hours.

Problems viewing the chat box? Use our “Instant Message Popout”.

If the Library is closed when you contact us, we will reply one the next day we are open.

If you are looking for a specific person, please go the the Ask a Librarian page, located in the sidebar.

Your 7-digit College ID is how you connect to library resources from off-campus, plus how you can log into your Johnnie Mae Berry Library account. If you don’t know your Id number, you can look it up using the ID Verification form. Be sure to check the box to display your College ID with the results.

Students can also find their 7-digit College ID in Self Services, while College employees will find it on their pay advice(s) as their Employee Id.

Are you wondering when your checkouts are due? Do you need to renew something? Are you wondering if a hold is available for pickup yet? Log into Check Your Library Account to check due dates, renew books, and more.

Go to Check Your Library Account to renew eligible books.
You’ll want to pay attention to your screen to see if all of the items were renewed. Items that have maximized the number of renewals, have holds on them by another user, or are not eligible for renewal (e.g. movies) will not be processed.

Your Surge card is required when borrowing items, even for use within the library, and to checkout our study room keys. You’ll also need either your Surge card or your CState log-in credentials to print. Student Surge cards come pre-loaded with $18 in funds each semester that can be used for printing at the library and/or the computer lab in ATLC.