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How to Access E-Resources

All you need to know to get the most out of the e-resources that Hampshire and the Five Colleges have to offer!

What about e-resources that don't have a link?

Sometimes, one or more of the other Five College libraries will purchase resources that we don't have at Hampshire. When that happens, it usually takes a little more work to access these materials, but you still have options as a student within the Five College consortium! 

You can usually recognize e-resources owned by other Five College libraries by looking at the Location (or, in some cases, Call No.). We are only able to provide links to items labeled HC (Hampshire College) or FC (Five College). Items labeled AC (Amherst College), MH (Mount Holyoke), SC (Smith College), or UM (UMass) are owned by other Five College libraries; there's more information about how you can access these further down this page. 

Here's an example of where you would find these labels in the results of a Discover search:

Screenshot of two items in Discover, emphasizing where to find information about what schools the e-resources are available at.

Keep reading for information about how you can access these resources even though Hampshire doesn't own them...

But what if I REALLY need that thing?

If you need a resource RIGHT AWAY, you have a few options available to you:

  • Ask a librarian! Sometimes we can find other ways to get your hands on things, or we might add it to our own collection.
  • Take a free bus over to the library that owns it--you can access it on one of their computers! 
    • In case you aren't familiar with the Five College buses, here are bus schedules and information about the system.
    • You'll usually want to call ahead to check their hours and make sure you'll have access to the item. Here are phone numbers for the other Five College libraries:
      • UMass: (413) 545-2623
      • Amherst College: (413) 542-2373
      • Mount Holyoke College: (413) 538-2622
      • Smith College: (413) 585-2910

Alternately, you can request the resource through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)! If it's a book or movie, you'll receive a physical copy that you can pick up at the InfoBar; if it's an article, you'll get an email that lets you download a PDF. Requesting and receiving a physical item through ILL takes more time, so you'll want to consider your overall schedule.