Our Collection

Music of all types is the focus of our collection, with particular emphasis on jazz and American music. The collection comprises books, periodicals, scores, songbooks, sheet music, performance material, sound and video recordings, databases, reference materials and microfiche. Our holdings number more than 28,000 books, nearly 600 scores, 8000 sound recordings, 1600 video recordings, 500 periodical titles and several specialized databases. Among our Special Collections are, the Arthur Prysock collection, archival sheet music, ensemble music, the John Lennon Collection, and Five Towns College Productions /Special Events.

Highlights of the collection are arranging and composition, scores, biography, music theory, and music history. The music journals represent all aspects of the arts: jazz, popular music, general interest, music trade, musicology, and the technology of music. The Library also houses a Media Room where students may listen to and view sound and video recordings.

We continue to expand on our holdings that support the film, theatre, audio, and business disciplines, as well as supplement our education collection with a children’s literature collection.

Reserve Items

The Library’s reserve collection consists of books, music and media that have been placed behind the Circulation or Media Center desks because of anticipated heavy usage. Some items are the personal property of faculty. Reserve materials may be used only in the Library.

Textbooks

Textbooks for many courses are available at the Circulation Desk. These may be used in the Library for up to one hour upon presentation of a valid student ID.

Periodicals

Also known as magazines or journals, periodicals are located in the Media Center on open shelves in alphabetical order. Several titles are also available on microfiche. Please consult the "Five Towns College List of Periodicals" for the complete holdings of the Library.

Access to Materials

Library materials, with the exception of periodicals, are represented on Athena, the College Library’s online catalog, which is accessible from terminals located in the library.

Borrowing

Students may borrow books for two weeks, with one two-week renewal period. To ensure equitable usage for all, students may check out up to three books on a particular subject area at any one time. Audiovisual materials do not circulate except to faculty for classroom use. Faculty are asked to check all library materials out in the Media Center or at the Circulation desk.

Overdue fines are 10 cents per day per item for regular loans. Items not returned to the Library will be charged to students’ tuition bills. Students owing materials to the Library at semester’s end may not register for next semester courses. Transcripts and diplomas may be withheld until items are returned or reimbursement is made.

Reference books, periodicals, songbooks, and audio recordings do not circulate.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

When materials are not available at the Five Towns College Library, a librarian may initiate an interlibrary loan at the request of an FTC student or faculty member. Materials received from another library on behalf of an FTC student or faculty member may be borrowed for a time period established by the library owning the materials. These items are subject to any fines or fees incurred by the students and faculty members borrowing these materials.