Criss Library has 50, 2-person study carrels available to UNO graduate students to facilitate scholarly research using library resources. Each carrel provides two overhead locking bin spaces, data port, one chair, and one shared locking file drawer.

Eligible Users

Currently enrolled graduate students in good standing in their respective schools are eligible to apply for a study carrel. Graduate assistants who have office space available to them are not eligible for these carrels. Notification of such office space will result in loss of carrel assignment.

The following list prioritizes those individuals eligible for a carrel:

1. PhD candidates
2. Masters students
3. Honors students

Application Form

Application forms are available at the Main Service Desk, or download the PDF from the library's website, and may be submitted at any time during the year. For full consideration, however, the form should be returned before the beginning of the desired semester. Completed applications should be submitted to the Main Service Desk.

Carrel Assignment

Carrels are assigned on a per-semester basis and eligible users may renew them for subsequent semesters.

Carrel location will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Students may request a specific individual to share the carrel space.  The Library will make every attempt to accommodate sharing requests.

Carrel Sharing

Unless otherwise approved, two students per carrel will be assigned. Given that there is only one workspace, the carrels must be shared on a mutually-agreeable time-share basis: Occupants are encouraged to regularly discuss and agree on time- sharing schedules and the shared file drawer.  Library staff will not negotiate time-sharing for carrels and are not responsible for personal contents stored in the shared drawer nor the overhead bins. If no agreement on scheduling can be reached between the two occupants, one of the occupants may move to another carrel if one is available.

Carrel Keys

Students will be issued a key to one individual overhead locking bin and a key for the shared file drawer.  Keys may not be duplicated or loaned to other individuals. Keys must be returned to the Main Service Desk at the end of the loan period. Overdue keys are subject to fines.

Loss of a key or failure to return a key will incur a charge of $69 for lock change and installation costs.  A library hold will be placed on the student's account until payment is made.

Lost keys should be reported immediately to the Circulation Desk. Replacement keys will be made available after payment of required charges.

Carrel Renewals

Notices for carrel renewals will be distributed via email a week before the following dates:

• December 10 for the following spring semester
• May 2 for the following summer semester

Failure to receive a carrel renewal notice does not excuse a patron from overdue fines.

Carrel renewal or the return of carrel keys is required by the close of the academic semester.

Carrels may be renewed as long as an occupant is currently enrolled or currently teaching at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Terms of use

• Assignment of study carrels is intended to provide eligible students a place to work on a project or conduct research on a regular basis during the period for which the carrel is assigned.
• To protect patron privacy, Library staff will not divulge carrel assignments to outside parties. However, shared carrel occupants may be provided the contact information of other carrel occupant to set up time-sharing agreements.
• All library policies apply to study carrels, including no use of cell phones.
• Graduate study carrels are available for use only during the hours the Library is open.
• Library staff regularly conduct carrel inspections and will remove any library materials not properly checked out, open food and any other items in violation of the terms of use.
• Library materials kept in carrels must be checked out to the assigned occupant. Library materials located in study carrels are subject to overdue notices, recalls, and other library policies. The carrel assignment will be revoked immediately if the library finds the following within the carrel:
  1. circulating library property that is not checked out to the assignee
  2. non-circulating items such as reference materials and journals.
• Food is not allowed in library carrels. Please do not consume or store food items in your carrel. Beverages are allowed in covered cups.
• Personal belongings may be kept in the carrel's locking bins; however, neither the University of Nebraska at Omaha nor the Library assume any responsibility for damage to, theft, or loss of personal property kept on or in the carrels and their associated bins and drawers.  It is recommended that valuable property, i.e., laptops, cell phones, etc., not be left in the carrels.
• All library materials left unattended on the carrel work surface will be collected and re-shelved during the regular course of library operations.
• Study carrels are not soundproof. Please be considerate of other library users.
• Nothing is to be permanently posted or attached in any way to the walls, furniture, or any other surface or area in the carrel.
• A carrel is to be used exclusively by the person to whom it has been assigned and cannot be loaned or transferred to another party. Patrons who loan or transfer their carrels to another party will lose checkout privileges to that carrel.
• Carrels not in regular use should be surrendered. If you find that you are not making use of your carrel, please inform the Main Service Desk and return both keys so that the carrel may be reassigned.
• If scheduling conflicts arise between carrel occupants, one or both of the occupants may move to another available carrel.  Library staff reserves the right to restrict carrel changes if they become too frequent.

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