Reference

Please see our Hours.

Your library barcode is your USC ID number + 4 digits on the back of your ID card. Write out the number with no spaces in between. 

Your PIN is set to your barcode number by default. The first time you use it, you will be asked to set a new one.

See “My Account” in HOMER. The instructions are:

To change your PIN:

1. Enter your USC "Library Barcode" number (ID number + 4 digits on the back of your ID card).
2. Enter your current PIN in the "current PIN" field.
3. Enter your new PIN twice in the following fields. PINS can be made up of letters and numbers (up to a maximum of 10 characters).

You can search for books on most topics in HOMER, USC’s main online catalog. For medical and health sciences topics, search Helix and for legal topics, search Advocat.

HOMER, USC’s catalog is available on the Web. It can be accessed from any computer connected to the internet.

Renewals may be accomplished in one of 3 ways:

• In person, at any library circulation desk
• Online, using HOMER’s My Account
• Over the phone, by contacting any Library

USC students, staff, and faculty are allowed to borrow up to 200 standard circulating materials at one time.  Please see our Policies page for more details.

You can search for articles using USC’s electronic resources, which includes article indexes. Also available is a list of databases by subject and a list of full-text online journals.

• Access our website from any working internet connection: http://www.usc.edu/libraries.
• Go to “Electronic Resources.”
• Next, when you click on a database (e.g. JSTOR) you will be prompted to log in using your USC username and password (the same one you use for USC email).
• You can also login directly by clicking “Off Campus Access” on our homepage.

For more information see: http://www.usc.edu/e_resources/isd/remote/. To report a broken link or a technical problem, see: http://www.usc.edu/libraries/erms/contact.php.

Please see our Dissertations LibGuide: http://libguides.usc.edu/dissertations

Do an advanced search in HOMER, and limit “format” to “AV materials.”
Note: Several libraries' collections include DVDs and VHS tapes. You can also limit by library location in the advanced search form.

Please see our Policies page.

For help with citations, see the APA Format Guide, the MLA Citation Guide, the Chicago Manual of Style Online, or the Cite It Right Guide.

Leavey Library has 32 collaborative workrooms available in the basement and on the second floor for group study. For more information, see the reservation policies.

Grand Depository is the Grand Avenue Library, located at 3434 South Grand Avenue. You can electronically page items in Grand by clicking on the “page this item” link in Homer. Paged materials are delivered within 24 hours and held for 10 days.

See the “Library Printing and Copying” page for details.

You can request items using the Interlibrary Loan service.

For electronic reserves, use Ares and for other formats, use Homer and click on the “Course Reserves” tab.

If you are prompted to log in, use your USC email ID and password. If that does not work, make sure you go back to our website (www.usc.edu/libraries) and click “connect to resources from off campus.”

We have created online research guides (LibGuides) that you may find helpful.
If you want an overview of the research process, check out this Research 101 tutorial.
Also, please see our Ask-a-Librarian services. You can get help

• In person: For personal research assistance or help finding materials or information in the library, scheduled reference service is available in the Doheny Reference Office, Leavey Library and most other USC libraries.
• By phone: Reference service is also available by phone at (213) 740 4039
• Via chat or email: Ask-a-Librarian includes options for 24/7 chat, IM, and email.

Subject librarians are available for most disciplines. Contact information is available on each subject area page.

For access to the Doheny Stacks, follow the sign that says "Book Stacks Entrance" to the right of the Circulation Desk and go to the elevator. Books that begin with call numbers A-D are on stack level 9; books beginning with E-F are on level 5 (the entrance level); G-K are on level 4; and L-Z are on level 2.

Current issues of journals (designated by the "READING-RM" location in the catalog) are in the Periodicals Reading Room. At the entrance level, go to the right of the Circulation desk and all the way down the hallway, then turn right. Older issues of journals (designated by the " JRNLSTACKS" location) are on stack level 1.

The book stacks are on the 4th floor. Exceptions include the new books in the 2nd floor lobby; the McNaughton popular reading collection on the 3rd floor, and the drama collection in the 4th floor lobby.

There are two steps you should take. 1) Make sure you are connected to our resources via the proxy server, and NOT VPN. See this page for details. 2) If you are still having trouble, fill out this online form which will alert us about a technical problem.