How to Reserve Equipment or Access Resources at Park Library

Park Library at the Hussman School of Journalism & Media offers two main paths for students: reserving physical equipment and accessing online research resources. Equipment reservations go through the library's reserve system, while off-campus access to databases and subscriptions requires connecting to VPN first. If you get stuck, you can schedule an appointment with library staff.

Reserving Equipment

The library lists Reserve Equipment as a central resource, meaning equipment checkout is handled through a reservation process rather than walk-up borrowing alone.

Before you reserve, confirm two things:

• Who can reserve. The library describes its resources as serving "students at UNC Hussman's department of Journalism and Media," so eligibility is tied to that program rather than the general public.
• What you need it for. Course-related production work is the typical use case; the library's guides and tools are organized around coursework and research.

The reservation flow itself follows a standard pattern:

1. Go to the library site and find the Reserve Equipment entry under Central Resources.
2. Log in with your university credentials when prompted (reservation systems for university libraries are account-based).
3. Select the equipment and your pickup/return window.
4. Confirm the reservation and note the pickup location and time.

Expected result: you receive a confirmation for a specific item and time slot. If you don't get a confirmation, the reservation didn't go through — try again or contact the library.

Common snag: reservation systems often require you to agree to standards and policies before checkout. The library publishes a Standards & Policies page; read it before your first reservation so you aren't blocked mid-request.

Accessing Online Resources Off-Campus

The library's online resources include databases and subscriptions such as:

The library explicitly lists Connect to VPN as a step for using these resources. That matters because database and subscription access is typically tied to being on the university network.

How to use it:

1. Connect to the university VPN from your off-campus location.
2. Once connected, open the database or subscription link from the library's resource list — not from a general web search.
3. Log in with your university account if the resource asks for one.

Expected result: the resource loads with full institutional access instead of a paywall or limited preview. If you still hit a paywall, the VPN connection likely didn't establish — reconnect and retry.

Note on the free NYT and WP subscriptions: these are listed as additional resources, but the page doesn't state the signup terms. Check the linked pages for activation steps rather than assuming instant access.

Using Guides, Tools, and Search

Beyond databases, the library organizes help into Course Guides and Subject Guides. These are the fastest route when you don't know which database fits your assignment — a course guide points you to the specific sources your instructor expects.

You can also Search All Three Together across Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, and Communication & Mass Media Complete, which is useful when your topic spans media, business, and general academic literature.

Getting Help

If a reservation fails, VPN access doesn't work, or you can't find the right database, the library offers Schedule an Appointment (including scheduling at Davis). This is the direct route for questions that the guides and policies pages don't answer.

Quick Decision Guide

• Need a camera, recorder, or other gear? → Reserve Equipment, then check Standards & Policies.
• Need articles, data, or news archives from off campus? → Connect to VPN first, then open the resource from the library list.
• Don't know where to start on an assignment? → Course Guides or Subject Guides.
• Stuck on anything? → Schedule an Appointment.