Welcome to the ECU Library + Archives!
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We acknowledge that our space is situated on unceded, traditional and ancestral xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.
As a part of the Learning Commons at Emily Carr University, the Library + Archives invites our community to use the space for all manner of creative practices including research, collaboration and relaxation.
This summer we created a short, entertaining walkthrough of our space, highlighting our services, resources, and physical spaces. If you're curious about the Library feel free to enjoy this virtual tour!
Library Services
A current Emily Carr University OneCard or Community Borrower card is required to borrow materials. If you haven't used your OneCard in the library yet, come visit us at the service desk and we will activate it!
How long can I borrow things for?
Our semester-long loan periods allow students, staff, and faculty to borrow books, graphic novels, and exhibition catalogues until the end of the semester, unless another patron requests them. Please keep an eye on your email for recall notices and bring items back promptly if we ask!
| Some of our other items have shorter loan periods: | |
| Books + Graphic Novels + Exhibition Catalogues | Semester-Long (can be requested by another patron) |
| DVDs + VHS + Films + Games | 1 week |
| Phone Chargers + Headphones | Until the end of the day |
| Interlibrary Loans | Up to 3 weeks (determined by other library) |
| Course Reserves | 2hr, 1 day, 3 day, or 7 day (determined by instructor) |
Course Reserves are selected by instructors for required or suggested readings. These high-demand items have short loan periods in order to allow equal access to all students. You can check the Reserves List online to see if we have any items associated with your courses available.
How many things can I borrow?
You can have up to 25 items out to you at a time! That may be too many to carry home in one visit...
How much are late fines?
The ECU Library is delighted to be a FINE FREE Environment! We strive to make your library experiences inclusive, accessible, and positive. Beginning in 2019, the ECU library stopped charging fines on all library materials, except for those borrowed from other institutions.
While we do not charge traditional late fines, if you have borrowed an item and it is over a month late, it is assumed to be lost and your account will be billed for the replacement fee. But don't worry, if that item is returned within a reasonable time period, the replacement fee will be removed from your account.
One of the first things you will see when entering the Library is the Service Desk to your right. This is where you go to check items out, pick up holds, look for items on course reserve, return items, buy book sale items, purchase print credit, and get answers to basic queries.
What can we help you with?
- Library account problems
- Activating new library cards
- Questions about finding books
- Checking books in and out
- Basic IT assistance
- Directions to other library & campus services
- Paying for and using the public printers
- Exchanging your old print card for online credit
- Providing amateur plant care advice
- What you should watch next on Netflix
What else can you borrow from the Service Desk?
| Phone chargers | Headphones | USB drives |
| Whiteboard markers | Stapler | Long-arm stapler |
The Research Help Desk is a good early stop when starting a project or looking for library help. Our friendly staff are available to help you at any stage in your research process. The desk is staffed:
Monday - Friday 11:30am - 1:30pm and 3-5pm
Research help is also available by appointment, (in person or on Zoom) at any time upon request. Ask at the Service Desk or make an appointment by email - library@ecuad.ca
There are liaison librarians available for different programs in the school - if you're looking for a subject specialist, try contacting one of the following:
Ana Diab - Art and MFA programs
D. Vanessa Kam - Design + Dynamic Media and MDes programs
Hillary Webb - Culture + Community and Continuing Studies
What can we help you with?
- Concept mapping
- Developing a search strategy
- Searching databases and selecting resources
- Accessing resources
- Evaluating resources
- Organizing and annotating your resources
Help is also available via AskAway, a chat reference service. It is staffed by ECU Library folks on weekdays (during the semester) from 12-4pm, and by staff from other BC libraries Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Sat 11am-5pm, and Sunday 10am-9pm. You can find the chat box on our home page, while doing a general search, and on many of our research guides. Ask away!
We also have research guides available to connect you to resources on course-related topics, demonstrate library research processes, and provide details on our collections.
We have an excellent guide on starting your library research, if you are looking for some self-directed research assistance. There's even a guide on copyright available, if you need help understanding Canadian Copyright laws!
What's an Interlibrary Loan??
If you're looking for something that we don't have in our collection, we can probably bring it in for you! Current students, staff and faculty can request books, journal articles, and eBook chapters from other libraries by using our free Interlibrary Loans (ILL) service.
To place an interlibrary loan request, use the form on our website or contact the ILL department at ill@ecuad.ca.
You'll be notified by email when your request is ready for pickup.
ILL Timeframes
Working days are Monday-Friday. Allow 3-5 working days for journal articles, which will be emailed to you via a download link, and up to 10 working days for books (or longer if material is coming from outside BC).
If you are on a tight deadline, it may be faster to borrow items from other BC post-secondary libraries in person as a reciprocal borrower.
Loan Times, Renewing and Returning
All loan periods are set by the lending libraries and are typically 3 weeks. The loan period will be indicated on the item. Unfortunately you cannot always renew ILL items. To request a renewal, contact the ILL department by phone or email, or come visit the library service desk. Please return all ILL materials to the Emily Carr Library, NOT to the lending library (i.e. where the book came from).
The library is staffed by a friendly bunch - some library technicians, some librarians, and one archivist!
Last summer we created a series of fun staff profiles to help you get to know some of the folks who work here. Take a look and see who we are! You can also find contact information for library staff in the Staff Directory portion of our About + Contact Page.
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The Libary Space: Maps and Details
The upstairs floor of the library is where you enter our space, and where you can access most of our services. It is home to our main Service Desk, as well as our Research Help Desk. You can also find some of our specialized collections on the upstairs level, as well as various display spaces.
The downstairs level contains the majority of our collections. Here you can find our books and media, as well as a variety of other resources and spaces, including:
We have a small mezzanine which houses our Creative Tools & Wellness Collection. This collection consists of board games and sports equipment that are available for checkout. We also have a Kids' Corner! If you are visiting the Library with your youngsters, or are just looking for a bit of old fashioned LEGO fun, take a peek.
The ECU Archives can be found on the lower level of the Library + Learning Commons space. It acquires, preserves and makes available records documenting the history of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, its various faculties, departments and governing bodies.
The Archives also collects the papers of faculty members, administrators and alumni; as well as the records of independent student, alumni and employee organizations. The holdings consist of a broad range of materials including publications, textual records, course calendars, video recordings, audio recordings and photographs dating from 1925 to present.
While we are still working on making many of these records findable, you can access digitized material including photographs, student publications, posters, and academic calendars through eCollections @Emily Carr. For more information about Archives and the ECU Archival holdings check out our Archives research guide.
Contact our Archivist, Kristy Waller, to arrange a research time, schedule an orientation or a meeting (in person, phone, or zoom)!
Library Collections
Our print and media collections are primarily focused on contemporary art,
media, and design - including art history, critical and cultural studies,
design research and other creative practices.
The Artists' Books Room and Special Collections houses two of our more unique collections. These collections are library use only, and viewing requests can be made at the Service Desk, Reference Desk, or online.
The Artists' Book collection contains over two thousand books crafted, published,
produced or altered by an artist or artist collective with the intention of creating an independent art work. In addition to
self-published artists' books, the collection also includes limited
edition publications resulting from collaborations with art organizations, artists'
books from both independent and mainstream presses, and a growing
collection of artists' audio works. We currently collect
contemporary, limited edition print publications that exemplify the
international collaboration occurring between designers, typographers,
visual artists, poets, writers + curators and publishers.
The Special Collections contains a variety of notable materials, including:
- Rare and out-of-print exhibition catalogues
- Special magazines
- Type-specimen posters
- Comics
- Sound recordings
- Vinyl
- Videos
The ECU Archives collects the papers of faculty members, administrators and alumni; as well as the records of independent student, alumni and employee organizations. The collection consists of a broad range of materials including publications, textual records, course calendars, video recordings, audio recordings and photographs dating from 1925 to present.
- Institutional/historical documents
- ECU publications, posters, & promotional materials
- Photographs (prints, slides, negatives)
- Audio & video recordings
- Faculty archives
- Menu Collection
Online Resources at the Library
Our library provides access to a huge number of resources online! You can find anything from academic articles to support your research, to absurd 80s action films for your next movie night. Some online resources can be tricky to figure out - read below for information about the best way to access what you need!
There are many ways to access eBooks. Not all of our eBooks come from the same source, so there can be different steps to follow. Consult this libguide for more information.
There are 22 databases for eBooks, but you can also search for specific titles in the General Search on our home page. Many of our eBooks are provided by EBSCO - if we have an eBook version provided through them, the record will look like this:
You can at that point just click on PDF full text and read it in your browser. If prompted to login, use your ECU credentials - this login is your ECU email username, and your email password.
You can download up to 100 pages without creating an account. If you wish to download the full title, you will need to create an EBSCO account. EBSCO accounts are personal and not managed by the ECU Library - if you have any issues with your personal EBSCO account you will need to contact their help desk.
We have 34 different streaming services, which range from documentary to experimental to feature length films. Many films are discoverable by using the library search function, but you can also look for titles directly in the service.
For Hollywood Blockbusters and full length animation, check:
For Documentaries, check:
- Academic Video Online / Alexander Street Videos
- or, for a more curated collection within: Film Platform: Alexander Street
For Classics, try:
Some Open Access (no login required) options include:
This list features just a few examples of what can be found in our collection!
Please note that we only use Kanopy Streaming Service to provide films requested by faculty for curricular requirements.
For resources that require a login in order to view streaming content: this login is your
ECU email username, and your email password. This is different from your
Library account login - you can tell when to use your webmail
credentials, as the login page will look exactly the same as the webmail
login.
We have access to a wide variety of online journals, which will ask you for a login. This login is your
ECU email username, and your email password. This is different from your
Library account login - you can tell when you to use your webmail
credentials, as the login page will look exactly the same as the webmail
login.
Emily Carr is transitioning to a new print payment system this semester! You can find details about this long-awaited update to the print system on this page, including information about how to transfer print credit from your old ECU print cards, and how to actually print your files!
We have two printers in the Library, both of which can print black and white as well as colour!
| Paper Size | Black & White | Colour |
| Letter Size (8.5" x 11") | 12¢ per page | 55¢ per page |
| Tabloid Size (11" x 17") | 21¢ per page | $1.05 per page |
For assistance with your print jobs, please visit the IT website.