Signing In

Help! I forgot my password.

CIBT does not store teachers’ passwords. Teachers are required to reset their own password by clicking the ‘I forgot my password’ link after entering their email address.

Help! The system says it doesn’t recognize my e-mail. 

The CIBT Lending Library system recognizes only one email address from every teacher—usually the same address the teacher used to register for the last workshop they attended. If you are not sure which email address the system has for you, please contact us directly at cibt@cornell.edu.

I recently changed schools and need to update my address, to get the kits to my new school. 

It is very important that CIBT has the address of your current school! Please forward your new school name, address and phone number to cibt@cornell.edu so we can update your records.

Why do some kits require ‘previous training’ for their use? 

Several of CIBT’s Lending Library kits require training before teachers are allowed to take these to their classroom. The DNA Profiling kit and the Protein Electrophoresis kits, for example, consist of equipment valued at over $5000. To ensure the safety of the equipment, teachers are required to attend the corresponding training. These are very long and involved labs, taking about five hours to implement from beginning to end. The training helps teachers become familiar with the equipment and biologicals, and increases the chances of obtaining useful results after such a significant time investment.

Other kits (for example the Comparative Skulls, the Hominid Skulls and the Dichotomous Key kits) are in such high demand that we want to give priority to teachers who have actually attended workshops where these have been presented.

I have lots of experience using electrophoresis equipment. Why can I just reserve these without attending the specific training? 

CIBT’s DNA Profiling Lab works with specific plasmids and stains that not everyone is familiar with. During the training, teachers are taught how to use the equipment and what results to expect based on the biologicals used. However, knowing how to use the kit is very different from knowing how to teach high school students to use the equipment. The training provides effective pedagogical practices that will increase the changes of obtaining successful results at the end of the lab.

How do I know that my reservation was accepted? 

Once you submit your reservation by clicking the ‘Send’ button after checking the ‘I have read and agree to the Lending Library policies’ box, a message will appear on your screen saying “You will be contacted shortly with further details.”  The system will then send you an automated message with a summary of your request. This message has yours and your school’s name, address, phone number and email. It also states which kit you reserved and the week that you reserved the kit for. It contains your answer to the inquiry about other teachers using the kit, and the number of students and types of classes using the kit. THIS EMAIL IS THE ONLY CONFIRMATION OF THE RESERVATION THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE.  Please make sure that all the information in this message is accurate, especially the type of kit you reserved and the dates.

I never got a confirmation e-mail from you after I reserved my kit. 

The Lending Library system will send you an automated email right after you submit your reservation. If you don’t receive this e-mail, please check your junk or trash folders—sometimes the school’s safety features will redirect these messages away from your inbox.

Your kit will be shipped the week before you actually reserved it for. We try to ship the kits as early as possible the week prior, to give you as much time as possible with the equipment.

How do I know my kit is being shipped and you did not forget to send it? 

CIBT will ship your kit the week before you are scheduled to use it. After FedEx® has picked up the boxes, an email will be sent from the CIBT staff alerting you that the shipment was made and providing you with an estimated date of arrival and a FedEx® tracking number. With the tracking number, you can check the trajectory of the shipment at anytime through their webpage at www.fedex.com.

How long does it take for a kit to arrive? 

In most of New York State, kits will arrive the next business day after their shipment, but there are always exceptions to this estimate. For example, kits shipped to New York City and its boroughs might take an extra day to arrive, as well as kits shipped to schools in very rural areas.

Using a Kit

For how long can I keep the kit? 

The Lending Library system will allow teachers to reserve a kit for one week. If you need more time than that, you need to contact the Lending Librarian directly at cibt@cornell.edu.

I had an unexpected delay using the kit and need to keep it longer.  

Illness, weather delays and other unforeseen circumstances might delay the implementation of the kit. Please contact the Lending Librarian directly at cibt@cornell.edu to check on the overall calendar of your kit and see if you can keep it longer. If another teacher is not scheduled to use the materials immediately after you, you might be able to keep the kit longer.

I lost the packing list, return label, and/or shipping instructions. 

If you cannot find the packing list, return label and/or shipping instructions, contact us at cibt@cornell.edu so we can get these to you right away.

Returning a Kit

How do I know when to ship the kit back? 

You receive the kit before the week you are scheduled to use it, and are required to return it the week after you use it. We request that you ship the kit no later than Thursday of the following week so we can get it to the next teacher promptly.

How do I return a kit? 

Returning a kit is a fairly simple process and all the instructions for the return shipment are included inside the box. CIBT sends you a return-shipping label for every box you receive from us. After safely packing the kit and taping the top of the cardboard box, please stick the return label on top of the box you received, so that only one shipping label is showing. Place the box either at the school’s main office or loading box and call FedEx® at the phone number provided, then give them the information they request pertinent to the box.