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Community College Visitation Guidelines
The University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries is a busy research environment. More than 1,500,000 people entered the University Libraries last year, and more than 12,500 contact hours of instruction were taught to our campus students.
Visiting community college groups from the Denver metro area are a small but important clientele of the Libraries, and we are dedicated to providing the best possible research experience for your students that our limited resources will allow. In this spirit, when thinking about bringing a class larger than 6 students to visit the University Libraries, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:
- Scheduling
We are unable to accommodate visits without a minimum of two weeks advance notice. Please schedule your visit in advance with Instructional Services / 303-492-0450. This will ensure that a librarian is scheduled to work with your students, that a meeting location is available, that at least two computer terminals will be available for your students' use, and that sufficient handouts will be available. Due to the heavy instructional demands of CU classes, we may not be able to accommodate a visit on a particular day. Please have two or three potential dates in mind when you call to schedule a visit.
- Instruction session
Any visiting group larger than 6 students must attend an instruction session taught by a librarian. The session will be reasonably brief, will directly address your students' research needs, and, whenever possible, will include guided searching time using the University Libraries' online information systems.
- Timing for your visit
The best times for visits are during the University's interim periods, spring break, and summer sessions. Also possible are the months of November and April. The worst times for visits are the months of September, October, and February, as these periods are exceptionally busy research periods on campus. During these months, books, rooms, and computer terminals are very heavily used and frequently unavailable. Also, most service desks are exceptionally busy at these times, and visiting students may not receive the attention they need in order to ensure a successful research experience. Please note that we cannot accommodate group visits on Reading Day or during Finals Week in deference to the stressful time this is for students and faculty alike on the University campus.
- Size of the group
The Libraries can successfully accommodate groups of up to 35 students if you plan to have students engage in research. Please arrange for two visits if you have more than this number of students. If you only wish for a simple tour of the facilities, numbers can be higher.
- Help for the visit
Course instructors must attend orientation sessions with their students. This ensures that the librarian assigned to your group will have sufficient help in meeting the research needs of all your students.
- Borrowing materials
Colorado residents age 18 or over may apply for borrowing privileges at the Patron Accounts office upon presenting a Colorado photo ID. For specific policies regarding the borrowing of materials, please contact
- Patron Accounts / 303-492-0826.
- Public & other
academic borrowers.
- Parking on campus
On-campus parking is extremely limited both days and nights. We encourage all visitors to carpool or take mass transit when visiting the University Libraries.
- Campus Parking Services / 303-492-2322.
- Parking information and map links.
Thank you for adhering to our visitation policy. We are committed to ensuring that your students have a successful research experience at the University Libraries. If you have any additional questions concerning your visit, please contact
- Instructional Services / 303-492-0450 or
- Reference & Instructional Services / 303-492-7521
