You are eligible for Health Sciences Library privileges as a new or continuing student, faculty, or staff. These privileges allow you to borrow books, and any current or future multimedia and technology (computer/device chargers, headsets, tablets, etc.), use our digital collection of databases, eBooks, and eJournals on and off campus; and receive information, orientation, and training support from our librarian faculty. This guide provides you with an orientation to the Health Sciences Library, as well as an overview of its resources and services. If you have questions, please contact us at library@chsu.edu, or by telephone at 559-549-6405.
Library Personnel: library Faculty include three FTE professional librarians: The Director, Health Sciences Library; Electronic and Technical Services Librarian; and User Services Librarian. The library director and librarians have faculty appointments and provide access to a wide range of resources and services, including instruction and training in such areas as information literacy and evidence-based medicine, in support of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the College of Biosciences and Health Professions, and CHSU administration.
Accessing the Library: You can access the Library homepage at: https://chsu.edu/library/. A link to the Library can be found on the bottom of the CHSU homepage under "Student Life."
Remote Access: Over 95% of the Library’s collections are online, and available both on- and off-campus. To access the Library’s collections off-campus, go to the Library website and click on the needed resource. When prompted, enter your regular network credentials – your CHSU email (username) and password.
Library Homepage: You may begin your search by entering a keyword, title, or author into the Discovery Quick Search box and then pressing the Enter key or clicking on the “Search” button. If off-campus, you will be prompted to login with your CHSU credentials. You have many options to filter your search Results, including by resource type, publication date, and subject term. Also, on the Library’s homepage are quick links to databases, eBooks, eJournals, mobile apps, and library guides.
Document Delivery & Interlibrary Loan (ILL): This is a service provided to CHSU faculty, staff, and students for requesting articles and books from other libraries when the item is unavailable through the CHSU Health Sciences Library collections. To place an ILL request, find the item in the Quick Search box, click the button “Request from Library,” and complete the form.
Library Guides: The CHSU Health Sciences Library has created a series of library guides that provide information and links specific to osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, and a variety of scholarly topics. From the Library’s homepage, you may click on the College of Osteopathic Medicine Library Guide, the College of Biosciences and Health Professions Library Guide, or “More Guides” for a full list. Examples of guide topics include:
- Copyright and Fair Use
- How to …. Access Grammarly Premium
- Scholarly Snippets
- Wellness Resources
Print & E-Books: The CHSU Health Sciences Library subscribes or provides access to over 450 print texts and to over 2800 eBooks. Use the Library’s Quick Search tool to search for eBooks by keyword, author, or title and limit your search to the Health Sciences Library Catalog to see what print texts are available.
Databases: From the Library’s homepage, you may select popular resources such as ClinicalKey, DynaMed, or PubMed. If you click on the link titled Databases A-Z, you can see a list of over 100 biomedical and health sciences databases to which the CHSU Health Sciences Library subscribes or provides access. Use the dropdown options to filter by subject (e.g., Medicine) and/or database type (e.g., best practice & point-of-care, exam prep, guidelines, images, and literature searching tools).
E-Journals: The CHSU Health Sciences Library subscribes or provides access to over 8,000 eJournals. From the Library’s homepage, select the eJournals link in the Quick Links column to begin exploring our collections. You may also use the eJournals tab above the Discovery tool search box. Using the search function, you can find popular eJournals such as Academic Medicine, JAMA, JOM, The Lancet, or NEJM, or browse through our extensive list by topic.
Equipment and Technology: The CHSU Health Sciences Library provides access to a growing collection of loanable equipment and technology, including Surface Pros, Dell laptops, charging cords, headphones, OMM practice tables, and more. You can request and reserve these items by going to the Library’s homepage and selecting an item from the “Reserve Technology and Equipment” section, located in the middle of the page.
Library Space & Hours: The CHSU Health Sciences Library is located at 2500 Alluvial Ave. It comprises approximately 3300 square feet, with over 80 seats, including modern furnishings, and lighting, flexible space, shelving for our required and recommended print texts, and technology. The Library space features individual study carrels, computer workstations, tables and chairs, and lounge seating. In addition, group study rooms are adjacent to the Library. A multi-functional printer is also close by. The Library is generally staffed from Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, and there is extended building access in the evenings and on weekends. Please check the library website for information on special closures.
Services & Getting Help: Please contact us in-person, by e-mail at library@chsu.edu, by phone at: 559-549-6405, or by messaging us on Teams. We can provide support on topics such as asking an answerable clinical question; acquiring the necessary, evidence-based information; using citation management tools; searching PubMed effectively; copyright and fair use; and identifying journals in which to publish your research.