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Services for Visitors

The information on this page is for anyone who is not a current student, faculty, or staff member at SUNY Oswego.

If you are an emeritus faculty member, please see our Services for Emeriti page.

Get a Library Card

All visitors are eligible to receive a free library card; you will need to complete an application for the card. (You can also come to the library and complete a paper application.) Please bring a photo ID when you come to the library to get your card.

Your card will be active for one year. We will send an automated email when your card is due to expire and you will have the option to renew your card for another year.

Students, faculty, & staff at other SUNY campuses

If you are a student, faculty, or staff member at another SUNY campus, you do not need to complete an application. You should already be in our system. All we need is some sort of photo ID when you check out items. 

Find books & other physical materials

Please see our Borrow & Renew page to learn what you can check out, and for how long.

Search Our Collections to find books & other materials.

Not sure where to start? Check out our guide on how to find books.

Feel free to ask us if you need assistance.

Databases & online resources

Penfield Library's databases can be accessed by all visitors that are on campus. Off-campus access is only available to current students, faculty, and staff, due to vendor licensing restrictions.

However, there are a number of databases that New York state residents can access for free!

Archives & Special Collections

The Oswegonian, old yearbooks, and other college publications are available online.

Historical images, works by SUNY Oswego authors, and more are available in OswegoDL.

Please contact or visit Archives & Special Collections if you have questions or are interested in other sources from the college archives, local history materials, rare books or manuscripts, or oral history recordings.

Computers & Printing

Computers

A staff member at the Research Help Desk (located on the 1st floor) can assist you with logging on to one of our desktop computers, if one is available. Please note that these computers are primarily for student use, and computers may not be available during busy times of the semester.

Wireless access

We are not able to give visitors access to the campus wireless network. However, if your visit is sponsored by an academic department or other office on campus, you can ask them to request guest wireless access for you.

If you come from an institution that participates in eduroam, you may connect to the eduroam wireless network here.

Printing

The first ten pages are free to print. After that, the cost is $1.00 per 10 pages. If you print a number of pages that is not divisible by 10, we will round up to the nearest dollar. 

Examples:

  • 10 pages = free
  • 13 pages = $1.00
  • 27 pages = $2.00
  • 39 pages = $3.00

You can pay for your printouts here:

PAY ONLINE WITH A CREDIT CARD

Pick up your printouts at the Check-Out & Reserves Desk.

Scanning & copying

Scanning stations are available on the library's first floor if you need to make digital or physical copies.

Faxing