The Los Angeles Valley College Library was founded in 1949. Over 75,000 people pass through our doors each year, including approximately 700 visitors daily in Spring and Fall.
Mission
The mission of the Los Angeles Valley College Library is to provide library materials and services, which effectively support, implement, and enrich the educational mission of the college.
Staff
The Library is staffed by five full-time faculty librarians, six full-time support staff, and several part-time librarians. Learn more about our faculty here.
Reference
The Library is your information center for research projects and personal interests. Our reference desk is staffed by knowledgeable librarians who will help you identify and locate the most appropriate resources for your research needs. When the Library is closed -- or you're off campus -- use our online chat service to reach a human reference librarian 24/7.
When you’re at home, you can still access the Library's resources, using the same username and password you use for Canvas. For more information and screenshots, see our online guide to off-campus access.
OneSearch
Locate books, eBooks, articles and media through a single search box -- anywhere, anytime -- using OneSearch, the search tool located on the Library's homepage. OneSearch includes both digital resources and physical materials (including books!) in the Library.
Books
More than 100,000 printed books, including textbooks on reserve, are available in the Library. In addition, the Library provides access to over 450,000 eBooks, most of which can be accessed through the OneSearch box on the Library's homepage.
Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers
The Library provides full-text access to newspaper, magazine and scholarly journal articles through OneSearch and our comprehensive suite of over 100 databases including standard resources such as EBSCO's Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, and U.S. Newsstream; discipline-specific powerhouses like Westlaw and Drama Online; rich primary source collections such as the Women's Studies Archive, and popular new additions such as Libby and The Atlantic. The Library also subscribes to print versions of several popular magazines, as well as to paper versions of the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.
Computers and Internet Access
The Library offers about 50 public computers with Internet access for currently enrolled LAVC students, each with standard software (e.g., Microsoft Office, web browsers), webcam, DVD drive, and accessibility software. WiFi is also available in the Library for current LAVC students and employees, and guests on campus for LAVC events.
To log in on campus, you generally need your student ID number and the password you use for Canvas. Currently, LAVC username and password instructions are in flux (and expected to change over the course of 2025), but up-to-date instructions are posted inside the Library, and you can always ask a Library employee for help.
Print and Copy Services
Printing and photocopying are available in the Library for current students, $0.10 per page (black and white) and $0.25 (color). Desktop scanners are also available for free, and librarians can teach you how to use your phone as a scanner. The copiers and printers accept credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay as well as cash (coins, small bills). Printing is also available upstairs from the Library in Computer Commons.
Facility & Group Study Rooms
There are quiet areas and chattier places, long tables and solo study desks, and comfy chairs throughout the space. The Library offers study rooms (2 "Zoom rooms" for 1-2 people per room, the rest for groups of at least 2) that students reserve through the Library website. Click here to learn more about our study room policies.
