Information for Faculty

Spring 2025

Check out our Spring 2025 Updates for Faculty for tips, invitations, and answers to many frequent questions about what your Library can do for you! 

New Faculty

Once you have your SF State OneCard ID, try signing into your account so you can check out and renew books, order materials from other libraries, and use many resources remotely. Most new and returning faculty don't need to do anything special, but immediate access for new lecturers and special hires may require contacting us — please come to the Book Checkout & Pickup Desk or send us an email. Any questions or problems with your account can be directed to circmail@sfsu.edu.

Teaching Support

• Request Instruction: Invite a librarian to lead an instruction session tailored to your specific course and research assignment by filling out our Instruction Request Form. For first-year experience (FYE) and other lower-division courses, use the Lower Division Information Literacy Instruction Request form instead. 
• Course Reserves in the Library: Explore several options for putting physical or digital materials on reserve for students in your classes. When you know which option you’d like to choose, submit the Course Reserves Request Form. You can also send questions to circmail@sfsu.edu.
• Additional Library Support for Courses: We offer subject research guides, digital learning objects for students, and recommended guidelines for class research assignments. You can also access and embed library resources and content directly in Canvas.
• Teaching Research Toolkit: The toolkit contains activities and resources to support your teaching and assist in scaffolding the research process in your classroom. A growing number of toolkit activities have been adapted into Canvas modules, available in the SFSU Canvas Commons.
• Loaner Laptops: You can request a loaner laptop from Academic Technology to support your remote instruction needs. (And students can request extended-loan laptops from the Library.)

Library Collections & Spaces

• Room Reservations: Reserve a room in the library for teaching, office hours, or events. 
• Interlibrary Loan: Learn about options for requesting books, articles, media, and other materials from other libraries.
• Media: Explore our streaming resources or use the Media Request Form to request that the library acquire a media title on DVD or other format.
• Proxy Borrowing: As a faculty member, you may authorize one assistant, for a one-semester period, to borrow materials from most Library units for your use. This can be done by filling out a proxy authorization card at the Book Checkout & Pickup Desk on the first Floor. For other borrowing information, see the Borrowing Materials page.

Research Support & General Help

• Library Liaisons: Find the subject librarian and team with expertise in your area.
• Ask a Librarian: Contact librarians 24/7 via chat, or email us and we'll get back to you with an answer. You can also schedule a research consultation.
• Contact Us: Give us feedback, report problems, or suggest a purchase.