Faculty and Staff Library Resources and Services

At Western’s Library, discovery meets support. We connect you with tools, resources, and people who help you answer your questions, grow your curiosity, engage with your community, and learn for life. 

This guide is designed to help introduce and share information about resources available to Western faculty and staff. It is divided into different sections and covers the most popular resources, staff questions, and faculty needs. 

Links to guide pages on the LEFT.

I heard there were some changes over the summer. What do I need to know for Fall 2025?

• We have a new librarian! Abby Von Arx joined our team in August, following the retirement of Linda VanSistine-Yost. Abby will be supporting the Business (BUS), General Studies (GS), and Academic Excellence, Education, and Human Services (AEH) divisions.
• Library technology also saw some big changes over the summer. We launched a new Library Search and switched our proxy method for accessing library resources.
  What this means for faculty and staff:
  • The Databases A-Z list isn't going away, but we now have a more robust Library Search available. It combines many of our databases into one streamlined search alongside our print collection and other curated resources. If you're doing a research project, give it a try. Want some help? We'd love to show you and your students how it works!
  • Check your Blackboard links to any library content to make sure they are still active. Reach out if you are having any issues and we will help you troubleshoot.
  • Library accounts also got a facelift, which means you can now view your library account, save items in your profile, and opt in to save your searches or borrowing history. We love to see staff using the library collection and resources for themselves.
• We wrapped up our two year (2023-2025) OER grant, which supported the development of 31 new OER to be used in Western courses and shared with the world. As of the Summer 2025 term, these brand new resources have saved Western students more than $328,000. We also learned that there will be additional funds available for 2025-2027. Though, we're still trying to solidify plans for what's next for OER at Western, stay tuned because this is exciting work!

All in all, this is a great year for a "re-introduction" to your library and library staff. Stop by to chat, send us a note, or schedule a class visit--we'd love to show you around!

Are librarians available to help faculty and staff too? 

Ellen and Abby (profiles on the left) are your librarians at Western. They are always happy to collaborate with and assist Western faculty and staff. After all, they are your librarians too! 

What do librarians even do? How can the library support my teaching?

Librarians have expertise in research, information resources, and information literacy skills. We provide and maintain materials and resources to help you and your students find relevant, high-quality information. We maintain and develop the library collection, we work directly with students, we collaborate with instructors, we visit classes to provide instruction and support, and we do our best to answer any questions that come our way. 

Some of our favorite things to teach:

• Question development and inquiry
• Source types and search skills
• Critical evaluation and quality source selection
• Ethical source usage and citation

This guide offers an introduction to a few of the many ways you can collaborate with us (we've also listed some ideas below). If you don't see what you need or still have questions, just ask a librarian!

Here are a few ideas for how you might use the library and collaborate with a librarian:

• Consult with a librarian to work information literacy skills into your research lessons and assignments
• Bring your class to the Learning Commons or bring us into your classroom for an instruction session tailored to your course and students
• Embed a librarian in your Blackboard course(s)
• Request a custom research guide
• Add your textbook to the course reserves available in the Learning Commons
• Link directly to databases, articles, or other library resources within your Blackboard courses
• Work with us to find Open Educational Resources (OER) for your courses and content
• Borrow materials from the library collection or request materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan
• Suggest a purchase for the library collection
• Request assistance with your own research and professional development
• Understand copyright and fair use
• ... or something else we haven't thought of yet!

Which librarian should I contact? 

We invite you to contact your area's liaison librarian with your questions and instruction needs:

Academic Excellence, Education, and Human Service - Abby Von Arx

Business - Abby Von Arx

General Studies - Abby Von Arx

Health and Public Safety - Ellen Range

Integrated Technologies - Ellen Range

You can also contact our general email at library@westerntc.edu and one of us will reach out to you! 

Do you have any quick guides on how to use the library at Western? 

The guides linked below offer a general introduction to using Western Library resources for reading and research. They are a good introduction for new faculty and staff, but can be a refresher course for anyone!

These guides can also help students familiarize themselves with the many resources available to them via the Western Library. Please feel free to include these (or any other) guides in your Blackboard courses, if it is appropriate to your content. If you're hoping for something more specific, we invite you to request a custom research guide or reach out to us to schedule class instruction.

Does your course require students to do research? Remind them that their library is here to help! Feel free to use or adapt the following statement for your syllabus, Blackboard course, or assignment sheets. 

Library Resources / Ask a Librarian

Need credible sources but don't know where to start? Searching for a book, video, or article to support your argument? Your Library provides 24/7 access to books, databases, research guides and more at westerntc.edu/library. The Library 101 Guide provides a general introduction to using the library and is a great place to start. Still feeling overwhelmed by research and wish someone could help you navigate? Ask a librarian!