LITS Services and Resources for Individuals with Disabilities

Mount Holyoke College library materials:  Most physical library materials in MHC's collection may be selected for paging (or retrieval) by all users through the library catalog and they will be pulled by LITS staff and held at the Circulation Desk for pickup.  After identifying a title in the library catalog, choose “Request Item” and log in.  Paging happens several times a day and materials are often available within 4-5 hours.  Users will receive an email when the item is ready for pickup.  For speedier access, please visit the Circulation Desk or call 413-538-2622.

Five College library materials:  After identifying a title at another Five College library in the catalog, choose “Request Item” and log in.  Items are generally delivered to Mount Holyoke within 24 hours Mondays-Fridays and users will receive an email when the item is ready for pickup at the Circulation Desk.

Unfortunately, not all of the LITS stacks are wheelchair accessible and library stacks shelving is traditionally high. For individuals with disabilities who would like to receive materials from the LITS complex North and South stacks more quickly than can by achieved by requesting them through the catalog, please go to the Circulation Desk or call 413-538-2622 during hours of operation and LITS staff will retrieve the items. At certain times there may be a short wait for book retrieval, based on location of the item or quantity of materials requested. For a full list of stacks floors noting which are wheelchair accessible, please see our stacks guide.

Electronic browsing: On request, a list of MHC books with their bibliographic information in call number order can be generated. Please contact the Circulation Department at 413-538-2622, email libcirc@mtholyoke.edu, or stop by in person Mondays-Fridays, 8:30 am-5:00 pm during days we are open to discuss your electronic browsing needs.

Physical browsing: On request, a sub-set of materials can be retrieved and placed on a book truck for browsing. Please contact the Circulation Department at 413-538-2622 or libcirc@mtholyoke.edu or stop by in person when the stacks are open to discuss your browsing needs.

Archives and Special Collections staff are available to assist with using materials in the collection during hours of operation.

Pratt Library student staff are available to assist with accessing materials in the collection during hours of operation.

A scanning service is available to all MHC students, faculty, and staff that provides scanned articles in PDF format from journals, and book chapters from books, that MHC owns. Please place these requests through ILLiad.

LITS subscribes to a wide variety of electronic books, journals, and media resources from a range of vendors.  Libraries for Universal Accessibility maintains a repository of accessibility statements and VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) indicating vendor compliance with Section 508 accessibility guidelines.  If you have difficulty accessing any of our databases with assistive technologies, please let us know through the MHC Accessibility Barriers form.

Borrow books, videos, CD's, and obtain journal articles from (almost) anywhere.  Interlibrary Loan services are available through ILLiad. To ensure that scanned items are of quality adequate for screen readers, please request this at the point of ordering the item. Staff will also locate and borrow large print and audio editions of books if available and requested at the point of ordering.