Research Guide for High School Students: Using the Libraries

• Community members are welcome to browse the shelves and consult library materials free of charge while in the library.
• Titles in the collection can be browsed virtually by using the library search tool Omni.
• Tips: Understanding library call numbers at YUL

• Library cards are available for high school students over 16 yrs old and other community users with an annual fee of $100.00. (See Extramural Readers). Borrowing privileges include:
  • a 14-day loan period 
  • up to 15 books from our shelves with the exception of access to non-circulating items
  • maximum of 2 renewals 
• To request assistance in getting a library card, please email askusyul@yorku.ca. 

With a daily guest account, high school students can have access to most licensed electronic resources while in the library including

• E-books
• Electronic journals, magazines and newspapers
• Databases 

• All libraries have study tables and individual study carrels located in the main open space for quiet study. All of these spaces are drop-in.

• With a valid piece of government-issued photo ID (excluding health cards), obtain a daily guest account at the service desk in the Bronfman, Frost, Scott, or Steacie Libraries. 
• For any high school student under the age of 16 or without appropriate ID, a parent or guardian will need to obtain a guest account that the minor could use under the parent's or guardian's active supervision.

• Printing and photocopying are available using a Guest YU-Card. You can purchase one of these cards from the PHIL machines located at the main entrance of Scott and Frost libraries. These stations accept $5, $10 and $20 Canadian bills only and do not provide change. 
• Print charges are 10¢ per page for black and white printing and 25¢ per page for colour printing. 
• Flatbed scanners with maximum scan size of 8.5X11.7 in. are available in all library branches. If you would like to save scanned images, a USB flash drive would be a good option.

• Equipments to view, print, scan and save from microfilm and microfiche formats are available at Scott and Frost libraries.

Check our upcoming workshops to register for a tour of Scott Library.

• Offered regularly through the year and lead by our Library Student Success Mentors. 
• Tour Highlights
  • See the floors of physical books and journals.
  • Learn about the hundreds of databases of journal articles, historical documents, and streaming audio and video. 
  • Get a glimpse of the Making and Media Creation Labs in action with its recording booth, VR studio and digital equipment for loan.
  • Step back to the pre-internet era and check out our collections of microfilm and microfiche.
  • See our wide range of study spaces from the very quiet to the collaborative and pick the spot where you are going to study when you come to York!

For High School Teachers and Librarians - Do you want your students to learn more about what a university library has to offer? For a deeper orientation to doing research at a university library, contact the Libraries' Student Engagement Manager, Tanya Prince (tprince@yorku.ca) for a class workshop and tour. (Availability may be limited during busy periods of the academic year.)