Borrowing Materials

At the Chula Vista Campus:

  • Books can be brought to the Circulation desk on the second floor for checkout. Most material checks out for 28 days. Staff will inform you of the loan period
  • Bring your SWC ID to check out material.
  • Not all material is available for checkout. Reserves and Reference items are for in-house use only.

Returning Material

Chula Vista: book return bins are located in two locations:  (1) outside the library's front entrance and (2) on the perimeter road, between the library building (64) and parking lot J.

HEC Otay Mesa: book return bin is located in the student parking lot near the campus entrance gate.

HEC San Ysidro: book return located near the entrance to the building.

HEC National City: students can return library books when the HEC NC library is open or at the Admission Office when the HEC NC library is closed. There is not an outside book return bin at HEC National City.

Library Cards

Your Southwestern College student or staff photo ID card serves as your library card. Photo ID cards are issued at the Student Center on the Chula Vista Campus. Remember to bring your permanent SWC photo ID card with you whenever you visit the library. Temporary student ID cards will not be accepted after the Student Center begins issuing photo ID cards.

Students are financially responsible for all library materials charged on their SWC ID cards. The SWC ID card is needed to borrow all circulating library materials.

If you are a community member, you are welcome to apply for a Community Borrowers card. Community Borrowers must be 18 years of age and a San Diego County resident. To apply for a Community Borrowers card you will need to provide proof of your current address and identification.

As a Community Borrower you may use library computers to conduct library research. Community borrowers may also borrow a limited number of materials from the library.

Loan Periods

Collection Type Loan Period
Stacks Collection 28 days
Periodicals & Newspapers Library use only
Reference Books Library use only
Reserve Desk As specified by Professor
Media Library use only

Library patrons with overdue materials may not borrow additional materials for use outside the library, and may only check out materials for in-library use with the approval of a full-time member of the circulation staff

Renewals

Books which are not overdue and have no holds, may be renewed in person or online. Please bring materials and your Southwestern College photo ID Card to the library circulation counter. To renew online, sign-in to your Library Account.

Administrative Holds

If you are unable to register because you have outstanding library material, visit the library during open hours or email SWCLibraryCircDesk@swccd.edu

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service by which Southwestern College students, staff, and faculty can obtain materials not available in Southwestern College holdings. The service is limited to current Southwestern College students, faculty, and staff.

Please allow a minimum arrival time of 14 days for book title ILL requests and 7 days for periodical ILL requests.

ILL Request Forms

Please do not request books and periodicals we have in our current library collection, or books that have been published within the past year, these are violations of existing agreements.

There is no charge for ILL if your request is directly related to academic research. However, any fines for overdue or lost items will be the responsibility of the borrower.  

For more information, contact the ILL Librarian at (619) 482-6346 or the Reference Desk at (619) 421-6700 x5381.