What is SWITCH?

The Southeastern Wisconsin Information Technology Exchange is a not-for-profit organization of participating private colleges in the Milwaukee area. SWITCH members are able to share information and library resources quickly and easily, with daily deliveries between member institutions and many shared resources including TOPCAT. The SWITCH members are:

• Alverno College
• Cardinal Stritch University
• Concordia University Wisconsin
• Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
• Mount Mary University
• Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology
• St. Francis de Sales Seminary
• Wisconsin Lutheran College

What is TOPCAT?

TOPCAT is the name for the SWITCH Libraries’ discovery layer. It’s essentially a tool that allows users to search all 8 SWITCH Libraries’ catalogs at once for materials and place holds on any eligible items. The SWITCH Libraries also partner with other institutions including UW-Madison and our patrons are able to search their catalogs as well. Every Alverno patron has a TOPCAT account where they can view their loans and due dates, renew eligible items, and see if they have any fines or fees.

How do I reserve a group study room?

Students are able to create and view reservations for all four Library study rooms using the EMS website. To use the EMS reservation system see these instructions. For more information about study rooms, please visit our Policies page.

How do I find full text?

There are a few different ways to find the full text of an article when you already have the citation.

Google Scholar

• Click the Google Scholar link on the library homepage (direct link here)
• This is especially important if you’re off campus. The link on our homepage is synced to our databases, that’s how it knows whether or not to give you full text access
• Enter the article title in quotation marks
• If we have full text access, a link should appear on the right hand side that says either “Full Text @ Alverno” or [HTML] from Ebsco or [PDF] from proquest.com
• Click those links to go to the full text

TOPCAT

• TOPCAT is our online library catalog.
• Go to TOPCAT or start from the TOPCAT search box on the library homepage
• Click "Citation Linker" at the top menu bar, choose the correct type (article, book, etc.) and enter as much information for the citation as you know.

How do I cite this in APA?

Visit the library’s How to Cite in APA 7 guide to view examples of how to cite dozens of types of sources including class notes, journal articles, books, and more! If you have any questions this guide can’t answer, please feel free to reach out to a librarian at library@alverno.edu.

What is Interibrary Loan (ILL) and how do I submit a request?

For more information on Interlibrary Loan, see this page.

Do you have my textbooks?

The library maintains a Textbooks Collection that contains copies of books being used in current course offerings. We aren’t able to buy every book being used in every course, but we do buy as many textbooks as we can. To check if we have the textbooks for your course, search for your course number (e.g. CH213) in a Textbooks search in TOPCAT. If we do not have the book you’re looking for, let a librarian know and we’ll see if it's available to purchase.

Do you have fines?

Most materials in the Alverno College Library do not have overdue fines. Notable exceptions are the Textbooks Collection (as we want those items to be available for as many students in the class as possible) and our equipment. We do also charge replacement fees for lost/damaged items. For more information about fines and fees, please visit our Policies page. 

How can I get help with research?

Librarians are available to help you with your research - that’s a big part of why we’re here! If you have a question, you can chat with us during our normal working hours, email our shared inbox at library@alverno.edu, or reach out to your subject liaison librarian directly.

How do I find full-text articles?

TOPCAT

• TOPCAT is our online library catalog.
• Go to TOPCAT or start from the TOPCAT search box on the library homepage.
• Begin typing your search keywords, then choose Articles from the dropdown that appears.

If you already have an article's full citation, including titles, author(s), dates, volume and/or issue:

• Click "Citation Linker" at the top menu bar, choose the correct type (article, book, etc.) and enter as much information for the citation as you know.

Google Scholar

• Enter the title you’re searching for in any Google Scholar search bar on the library’s website (direct link here) or bookmark scholar.google.com
• You can also use the Google Scholar Button browser extension.
  • Chrome download
  • Firefox download
• When you access Google Scholar through the library, it will automatically sync with our databases and notify you if we have full-text access to an article.
• Most of the time, if we have full-text access, a link will appear to the right of the search result that says something like [PDF] or [HTML]. If you click this link, you should be taken to the full text of the article unless something has changed on the publisher’s side of things. 
• If the link on the right side of the result doesn’t work for whatever reason, try clicking the “All X versions” link below the search result. This will bring up other places where that article is hosted and we may have access through one of those other places.
• Sometimes authors choose to publish their articles for free on sites like ResearchGate and Academia.edu. If so, Google Scholar will find them.

InterLibrary Loan

• If none of the above options work for you, please place an ILL request for the article you’re looking for.

How do I renew a book online?

Log into your TOPCAT account and go to My Loans. All items eligible for renewal will have a red renew link to the right of the item information. Items that are eligible for renewal can typically be renewed twice. Take note of the Maximum Renewal Date listed when selecting which items to renew as it is possible to use up a renewal on an item you’ve just checked out. 

Items that are ineligible for renewal include Textbooks, equipment, and items that have been recalled for use by another patron or for another collection. Some ILL books are also not eligible for renewal, but this varies based on the lending institution’s policies. If you have questions about your loans, please contact the librarians at library@alverno.edu.

How do I log in?

Use your Alverno network login. This is the same username and password you use to check your email. If you can't remember your password, you can reset it through Tech Services. Visit our Off-campus Access page for more information.

I'm off campus and it's telling me I need to log in. Huh?

Do you see a page asking you to log in to your TOPCAT account? If so, enter your Alverno network username and password. If not, give us a call at (414) 382-6433 so we can look into it.

If your password did not work, you may need to use the password reset form from Tech Services. Please note: the sysetm will lock you out for several minutes after too many failed password attempts. The library is not able to reset your password.

Much more information can be found on the Off-campus Access page.

How do I access my email from off campus?

From on campus, you will need your Alverno network username and password. From off campus, you will need to enter Alverno\ before the username. Example: Alverno\janedoe. 

For the most up to date links & information on accessing email from off campus, check the Tech Services website.

How do I reset my password?

You can reset it through the password reset form from Tech Services. If you cannot use this form, please contact the Tech Services help desk at (414) 382-6700. The Library is not able to reset your password.

Where do I find Alverno dissertations and theses?

Alverno College doctoral dissertations and master's theses/projects are sorted into groups in TOPCAT's Collection Discovery.

You will also find more information about submitting your final project from the MSN Capstone tab of the Nursing LibGuide.

How do I print in the library?

Alverno students are able to print from either the library’s desktop computers or from their personal devices connected to the student wifi network. 

From a campus desktop computer:

Log in with your Alverno username and password

Pull up your document and choose either the black and white or color campus print server. The default printer is usually not either of these and if you do not specify the correct printer, your job will not print. You must choose either:
Alverno_Campus_BW on PRINTSRV1 or
Alverno_Campus_Color on PRINTSRV1

Once you have sent your document to the printer, you must release the print job at the appropriate printer. Scan your Alverno ID or enter your username and password to log in to the computers at the printers and select Print Job to print your document.

From a personal device:

• Follow the Mobility Print instructions from Tech Services. This requires registering your device to the network and installing an app, but it will allow you to print from your personal device without logging in to a campus computer.

How do I add pages to my print account?

Students begin the semester with 400 pages in their account. Any library worker is able to help you add more pages to your account. Each printer page added to your account costs 10 cents - black and white printing uses 1 page per single- or double-sided page and color printing uses 10 pages per single-sided page. We can only accept cash and we must add a minimum of 50 pages ($5) to student accounts.

Community members should be prepared to pay with cash, for exactly the number of pages they need to print, at the main help desk.

How do I request a print refund?

If your print job doesn’t turn out right, go to http://printsrv1:9191/user and request a refund from Tech Services. Click on “Recent Print Jobs” on the left, find the appropriate job in the list, and request a full or partial refund as necessary. The library is not able to issue refunds.

What equipment is available for checkout?

At the library, you can borrow charging cords (Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-C,) headphones, mice, and a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lamp. These items are available for 4-hour or 3-day checkout and are subject to overdue fines as detailed in our Policies. 

Additional equipment, including laptops and cameras, is available for checkout from the Media Hub. The Media Hub uses the same checkout system we use, but the library will be unable to answer any questions about or accept returns of Media Hub equipment. Please direct all Media Hub equipment questions to the Media Hub.

Does the library have a fax machine?

The library does not have a fax machine. The only publicly accessible fax machine on campus is located right outside the Computer Center.

Can I film video footage in the library?

Typically yes, but we do need advance notice and would like to know what your filming project is before you come in. Anyone wishing to film or photograph any part of the library should fill out this form at least one business day prior to the requested filming date. This will allow the library to prepare for your visit and determine if any special requests can be accommodated.

Can I buy books from/sell books to you?

The library does not buy books from or sell books to patrons. Textbooks can be purchased from the online bookstore.

Can I donate my books to the library?

We accept donations on a case-by-case basis and materials are added to the collection based on curricular relevancy and need. We reserve the right to refuse donations and to process, donate, or resell donated items that are not suitable for the collection.

Do you have any free books?

The library does not typically give away free books. Books in usable condition that are removed from our collections are given to Better World Books, a reseller who shares a portion of their profits with us. The college does have shelves of free books by the mail room in the basement of Founders Hall, where some of our deselected items may end up if Better World Books will not accept them.

Are there any quiet study spaces in the library?

The Library is an active workspace for students and is not intended to be a silent study space. Parts of the library that are usually quieter include behind the glass wall in the Reading Room and at the north end of each floor of the stacks, but we do not guarantee that these spaces will be quiet.

How do I get into the library on the weekends?

Per Campus Safety: “Exterior doors will be locked at or before 10pm. Students and employees may use their ID to access the buildings between Midnight and 6am when the doors are locked. Visitors are not allowed on campus when exterior doors are locked.”

Students who do not have their ID can call the Campus Safety non-emergency line at (414) 382-6158 to request entrance, though they are not guaranteed access to the building without their ID. Anyone who has lost their ID should get a replacement made at the Dean of Students' office as soon as possible.