By Naamah Jarnot, Coordinator of Tutoring Services
Sarah Lucchesi, Learning Services Librarian
Bill Grubb, Coordinator of Reference & Instruction
David Nutty, Director of Libraries and University Librarian
Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives
College is fun, but when you have multiple assignments due at once a little friendly help and the right resources from USM Libraries can make a huge difference!
Locations & Hours
The USM Libraries have locations on each of the three campuses (Portland, Gorham, and LAC). The Libraries are open lots of hours but hours vary by location, day of the week, and time in the semester, so check the library’s website at usm.maine.edu/library for the most up-to-date hours. They each provide the spaces and help you need to excel.
The fourth library location is wherever you are! All of the library’s online resources can be used from anywhere you have an internet connection at our virtual library and it is open 24/7. Once logged in to the MyUSM Portal using your MaineStreet (UMS) login, students have full access to library and other USM resources. Search any of our databases, access e-reserves, and get research help from your couch, your favorite cafe, or anywhere else you have internet access. Many services can be accessed from the website as well.
Study Spaces
We know that quiet, private space for group work are often hard to find. Each of the three USM library locations has group study rooms available anytime the library is open. Study rooms can be booked online in advance or used on a walk-in basis if available. Each library also has study tables in common areas as well as individual study carrels in quiet zones.
Textbooks On Reserve
Many textbooks for 100 and 200 level courses are on reserve at the library on the campus where the course is taught. Textbooks on reserve can be checked out for two hours at a time for in-library use. Make sure to grab one of the “Reading Actively” guides to show you how to get the most out of your reading time and effort! To check whether the textbook for your course is on reserve, call the library on the campus where the course is taught.
Online Access/Databases
The library provides USM students with access to over 200 interdisciplinary and subject-specific databases for searching journal, magazine, trade articles, multimedia, news, as well as the URSUS catalog for searching books, ebooks, and other physical materials located in the libraries.
Research Help
We know that navigating the library’s many databases and other resources can be tough! Research help is available at each of the libraries in person, by phone, email, or chat – just click “Ask A Librarian” in the left sidebar on the library homepage. We can help at any stage of your research process, from identifying and narrowing down a topic, to figuring out what information you need to find, to searching the right databases using the most effective and efficient techniques, to making sure you’re citing your sources properly, or just helping you problem solve access. These are resources you can not find on Google and are provided to you as a USM student.
Contact Us!
For more information about how the library can help with your success at USM drop in to any one of the library locations, call us, or email us.
Portland: 207-780-4270
Gorham: 207-780-5345
LAC: 207-753-6540
Email: [email protected]
Website: usm.maine.edu/library
The Learning Commons
The Learning Commons is an open space designed to foster collaborative and active learning, filled with moveable tables, rolling whiteboards, and plush furniture. In addition to subject-based tutoring, we offer help with time-management and study skills, technology assistance, and research guidance, as well as reservable group study spaces and access to community computers. Although physically located in Bailey Hall Library in Gorham, and Glickman Library in Portland, many of our services (including tutoring!) are also available online.
Thanks to ongoing partnerships with academic departments across the university, we have over 70 tutors who have completed a nationally-accredited training program and are able to provide assistance in numerous subject areas. In addition to math, science, and writing, all School of Business tutoring is also located at the Learning Commons, with expanded offerings in accounting, finance, and economics.
In terms of graduate-level support, we have two Graduate Writing Assistants who are available to work with students on all types of writing—essay assignments, literature reviews, research papers, and more. Both our graduate and undergraduate level writing assistants are trained to help at all stages of the writing process, whether you’re just starting to generate ideas or have a completed draft. Although tutors do not edit or proofread, they will work with a student collaboratively, provide feedback, and offer strategies for becoming a stronger and more effective writer.
Any current USM student can work with a tutor in Gorham, Portland, Lewiston-Auburn or online. To view the schedule or book an appointment, visit our website usm.maine.edu/learningcommons. Courses for which tutoring is offered are listed on the site, and updated each semester. If the course you’re looking for isn’t included, we suggest reaching out to your professor to see what’s available to you at the department level or giving us a call.
Contact: Naamah Jarnot, Coordinator of Tutoring Services; [email protected]