Disability Services
Access to D. H. Hill Library Building
Parking
There are two parking places reserved for disabled users on the Hillsborough Street (north) side of D. H. Hill Library. There are other accessible parking locations throughout the campus, including some on the perimeter of the Brickyard near the library.
Note that all parking spaces on campus require parking stickers that are issued through NCSU Transportation Department. For more information about accessible parking and permit applications, contact Transportation at 515-3424 or the Transportation Accessibility Coordinator at 515-1469.
The NCSU Accessibility Map (pdf) shows accessible parking, building entries, walkways, and other information for the entire NC State campus.
Unassisted Entry
From the Brickyard (main entrance):
The main entrance into D. H. Hill Library is located on the south (brickyard) side of the building, and there are two options for entry:
- A wheelchair-accessible ramp leads up to the bank of entry doors. The far right hand (Eastern most) door is a power-assisted door that can be operated by a push pad.
- Another wheelchair-accessible ramp runs parallel with the steps on the Western side of the main portico (near the Atrium) and goes down a level to a power-assisted door that can be operated by a push pad. Immediately inside this door is an accessible elevator that goes to the main entrance level.
Once inside the main entrance, accessible elevators are located to the right of the service desk.
From Hillsborough Street:
Individuals with disabilities who need to enter the building from the Hillsborough Street door (located at the West end of the building on the north side) can apply for an access card. This electronic proximity card controls equipment that will temporarily deactivate the lock and alarms and will automatically open the doors to allow unassisted entry.
Once inside the building, an accessible elevator leading to the second floor of the Erdhal-Cloyd (West) Wing, is located to the left of the Hillsborough Street doors. An accessible elevator leading to the East Wing and other parts of the library is located past the newspaper section and down the hall to the left (beside the staircase that leads up to the main lobby).
Assisted Entry
During hours that the Atrium dining facility is open, individuals with disabilities can obtain staff-assisted entry into the library via the elevator in that area. For assistance entering the library via that elevator, call 515-3364, using the telephone in the Atrium, and Library staff will bring the elevator to the ground-floor level.
Emergency Evacuation
In the event of an emergency evacuation of D. H. Hill Library, according to the Emergency Plan for the D. H. Hill Library, "Persons with disabilities who cannot leave the building without assistance should go to the nearest accessible safe area. Safe areas in the library are the enclosed stairways ... Neither the Fire Department nor Campus Police will check the building for persons who need help exiting unless they locate an emergency situation that requires building evacuation."
During an emergency, patrons with mobility impairments should proceed to the nearest stairwell and wait inside the stairwell on the landing. The Erdahl-Cloyd (West) Wing has an area of rescue assistance located in the stairwell closest to the elevator. There are two stairwells in the Bookstacks and several stairwells in the East Wing. The stairwells and sprinkler system in the East Wing and Bookstacks provide a sufficient measure of safety such that an area of rescue assistance is not required.
Patrons with mobility impairments should ensure that the emergency personnel are made aware of their location by sending word through others exiting the building, or by telephone if available (5-3333). NCSU Libraries personnel will notify the staff of the Libraries' Facilities unit if they are aware of patrons with mobility impairments in the building. In the case of a real emergency, emergency personnel will automatically sweep every stairwell and floor to ensure all occupants are out, but knowledge of an individual's location can ensure that help arrives more quickly.
Please note:
- Sprinkler heads are zoned so they engage where a fire actually occurs and do not go off in a false alarm situation.
- When the alarms stop sounding, the issue has been resolved and a threat is no longer present.
Assistive Technologies in the Library
The NCSU Libraries' Assistive Technologies Center houses technologies to facilitate library research and alternate format access to library materials for users with a variety of vision, hearing, and/or mobility related disabilities. Technology available includes:
Location and hours of the Assistive Technologies Center
The ATC is located in Room 1402 on the Mezzanine level of the central towers--the same floor as the Main Circulation/Reserves Desk.
The facility is kept locked for security reasons. With a valid NC State ID, a key to the room can be borrowed from the Express Circulation Desk, or the Main Circulation/Reserves Desk.
The ATC is available whenever D. H. Hill Library is open, and no appointment is required.
Assistive Technologies Center Staff
Staff at the Reference Desk can provide general assistance in the use of ATC equipment and can help in selecting and using library resources. Library users who do not know how to operate independently the assistive technology in the ATC (particularly first-time users) can call in advance to schedule an appointment with a member of the Research and Information Services Department (515-2936) for an orientation to the ATC.
Accessible workstations, phones, and restrooms
In addition to the Assistive Technologies Center, there are height-adjustable tables in the West Wing as well as in the Digital Media Lab.
Two ADA-accessible public telephones (one campus and one pay phone) are available in the West Wing.
ADA-accessible restrooms are available on the first floor of the East Wing in the Learning Commons, the mezzanine of the first floor (East Wing), and on the first (women's) and second (men's) floors of the West Wing.
Reference Assistance
The staff in Research and Information Services Department (RIS) will be happy to assist users to identify pertinent resources, locate materials, and operate the various assistive technology and equipment available in the library. Users who anticipate needing extensive assistance in locating resources or using the ATC should allow ample time in advance of a deadline and call ahead for an appointment with one of the reference staff.
- Open a live online chat with a librarian on the Ask Us page, from information there you can also IM, text or e-mail library staff.
Book Retrieval
Disabled patrons who would like assistance retrieving materials directly from the bookstack shelves in D. H. Hill Library can seek assistance at the main Circulation Desk. Before submitting retrieval requests, call numbers must be obtained for all materials. Assistance in locating call number information is available at the Reference Desk (515-2935).
For requests submitted during regular weekday hours, materials will normally be retrieved within two hours. During evenings and on weekends, materials will normally be retrieved by the next business day. Retrieval times may be longer when staff is not available. All materials, except those retrieved for photocopy requests, will be held for pick-up at the main Circulation Desk. Similar retrieval services are available at the four branch libraries:
If an item is not available at NC State, we will try to acquire the item on loan from another library through Interlibrary and Document Delivery Services.
Photocopy Services
Disabled users may request that copies be made through Interlibrary and Document Delivery Services, either by submitting a request online or by calling ILL at 515-2116 during business hours. Staff there will provide copies at the self-service rate. Articles are retrieved and paid for at the circulation desk. Please allow time in advance of a deadline when making use of this service.
There are also photocopy machines available in the Learning Commons, in the bookstack tower, and in the photocopy services lobby.
Reserves
Faculty members sometimes assign students to read articles or chapters in books of which the Libraries has only one or two copies. In order to make these high-demand items available to a large number of students in an efficient manner, faculty employ D. H. Hill Library's reserve operation, located at the main circulation desk. Reserve material is located behind this desk; ask a staff member for assistance. Check-out of reserve material ranges from two hours to three days, depending on the wishes of the faculty member placing them on reserve. Once properly charged out, materials can be taken elsewhere in the building for reading or copying, such as to the Assistive Technologies Center.
Faculty also place items on Electronic Reserve. The collection of electronic reserve items can be searched by course number or instructor name. Electronic reserve items are text-searchable PDFs, designed for use with screen-reading software.
If you have questions about accessibility of electronic reserve course materials, please contact the staff at 919-515-3364 or via e-mail at: reserves@ncsu.edu.
Librarian Contact Information
For questions or comments, please contact David DeFoor, Technical Support Analyst (513-3961), or use the Ask Us page to chat with, IM, text or e-mail library staff.
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