FYSB 1771: Freedom and Captivity

Welcome! This page highlights key resources for First Year Seminar: Freedom & Captivity, including the following:

• How to get help from Barnard & Columbia library staff
• How to check out books & other materials from the Barnard & Columbia libraries
• How to look for books, zines, and streaming media
• How to get full text access to various news sources
• Resources for citing your sources and writing
• Tips to help keep textbook costs down

How to get help from the libraries:

• Reach out to me or your Personal Librarian. You can email us and/or book a research consultation.
• Ask a Librarian is a Columbia chat reference service that offers immediate research help from a real, live human being  during regular business hours. You can check those hours here. 
• Drop-In Help is available at the Butler Library 3rd-floor lobby throughout the semester. Monday–Thursday, 1–8pm; Friday, 1–5pm; Sunday, 4–8pm.
• Check out the Barnard Library subject research guides.
• Interested in archival research? Check out Archival Research at Barnard and Beyond.

• Your ID card is your library card!
• In the Barnard Library, you can check things out in a few ways:
  • Check out materials at the 2nd floor information & help desk during opening hours, which vary throughout the week and year. This is necessary to check out books you requested for pick up in CLIO.
  • Download the Barnard self-checkout app from Google Play or Apple App Store.
  • Use the self-checkout station at the 2nd floor Circulation & Help Desk.
• Loan Periods & Renewals
  • Circulating Collection: Circulating books, zines, films, and other items from Barnard Library and any other Columbia Library may be checked out for a semester with unlimited renewals (renewals can be blocked if the item in question is recalled or requested).
  • Course Reserves: All Course Reserves can be checked out for 4 hours at a time. Course Reserves cannot be renewed. Course reserves may go out until 10:00 AM the following morning if checked out less than 4 hours before closing during weekdays. There are scanners available on floors 2, 3, and 4 if you'd like to make scans for your personal use.
  • Barnard FLI Partnership Library: Barnard and Columbia undergraduate students who self-identify as first-generation and/or low-income may fill out the online FLI Partnership Libraries Access Form to have additional access. After you fill out this form, we upload your information so that when you check out materials from the Barnard or Butler FLI Partnership Libraries you will have a semester-long checkout period with unlimited renewals. Materials in the Barnard or Butler FLI Partnership Libraries are available for anyone with a UNI to check out for 2 hours with no renewals.
• Here is full information on how borrow library materials at Barnard Library and at all the Columbia University Libraries.