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Oviatt Library Tour

Oviatt Library Entrance - Welcome to the Oviatt Library! It sure does look daunting from just outside, doesn't it? Once you get to know your way around, it becomes much easier to find your way around. Hopefully this photo tour will help you get acquainted with us!

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Oviatt Library Entrance - Welcome to the Oviatt Library! It sure does look daunting from just outside, doesn't it? Once you get to know your way around, it becomes much easier to find your way around. Hopefully this photo tour will help you get acquainted with us! Turnstyles - You'll go through these turnstyles to get into the Library. Notice the sign that says no food or drink in the library. We're pretty strict about that in most cases. You can bring water or soda bottles as well as travel mugs that won't spill. Please don't bring regular coffee cups or lots of food with you. That makes us kind of cranky. Thanks! Information Desk - This is one of the first desks you see when you enter the Library. It's the Information Desk and it's a great place to start if you don't know where you're going. Need directions? Just ask. If they can't answer a particular question, they'll point you towards the Reference Desk for more in-depth help. Circulation Desk - On the right side of the lobby you'll see the Circulation Desk. This is where you go when you want to check out some books and take them home. Make sure you have your student ID with you - this is your library card. You can't take anything home with you if you don't have your student ID. By the way, if you don't have a student ID yet, and Bayramian Hall is closed, you can get your ID card here at our Circulation Desk. BookDrop - If you're returning your books to the library, you can do so at the Circulation Desk or in the book drop right outside the Library entrance. There are several other bookdrops across campus too. Reference Room - Walk straight through the Lobby and you'll enter the Reference Room. Reference Room - There are more than 100 computers in the Reference Room. Anyone can use these computers, but priority is given to CSUN students, Faculty and Staff. More Reference Room - The Reference Collection houses items such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases and much more to help get you started on your research. You can't check these items out and take them home with you, but you can use them in the library and make copies of them if you like. Reference Room Computers - Here's another view of our Reference Room computers. You can access the Internet and print out Microsoft Office documents form these computers, but you can't actually use them to type your papers. The Collaboratory on the 3rd floor is where you need to go for that. RefDesk - This is just one of your friendly neighborhood Reference Librarians, at the Reference Desk. Don't be shy - if you have any questions about doing your research please come talk to us. It's what we're here for! The desk is staffed most of the hours that the library is open. Check out the library's homepage (http://library.csun.edu) to see more options for getting research assistance! Computing Rules - An obligatory sign stating the rules of the Computer Lab in the Reference Room. These include priority seating for members of the CSUN community, limiting your time to 30 minutes during busy times, and priority to research over email/Facebook/Myspace etc. Printer - There are two printers in the Reference Room for printing documents or web pages. We don't take cash, so you need to use a print card that can be purchased in a machine right next to the printers. Each printout costs 10 cents. Ask at the Reference Desk if you're not sure how to print. Print Card Dispenser - Purchase your print/copy cards from this machine, located next to the printers in the Reference Room. The card itself costs 50 cents, so when you put a dollar in you'll get a card back with 50 cents on it. The machine itself doesn't accept change, which is why you have to put a dollar in that first time. You can then add more money to the card if you like. Printouts cost 10 cents each. We suggest you put your name or email address on your card in case you lose it. Believe it or not, we have people bringing these cards to Lost and Found all the time. No Cell Phones - You'll see these signs throughout the library, so try to refrain from using your phone if you can. Don't be surprised if in some areas someone asks you to take the conversation elsewhere, especially if you're talking loudly. Copy Center - There's a copy center on the main floor, close to the printers. Besides making copies here you can make color printouts, and you can also get change here if you need to buy a copy/print card. There is also at least one machine where you can pay with cash. There are more copiers located on each level of the library. The Copy Center also sells some school supplies like pencils, pens, envelopes, etc. Seating - Outside the Copy Room on the 1st floor, we have some comfortable seating areas. West Wing Sign - If you walk West through the Reference Collection, you'll get to the "West Wing." We talk about the Library in terms of direction like as North, East and West. It helps when the building is so big. Study Area1st Floor - Some study tables on the first floor. They may look empty here, but they fill up to capacity during exam times. Friends Bookstore - You'll also see the Friends of the Library Bookstore here. It sells used books that have been donated to the Library, and the profits help the Library purchase best sellers for our collection. The Friends also hold several book sales in the Lobby each year where you can get lots of books for super cheap prices! (no textbooks usually, though) Instructional Labs - There are 3 instructional labs on the 1st floor - Labs A, B and C. When your class visits the library together, you'll be going to one of these. After walking through the lobby and into the Reference room, Lab A is to your right and Labs B and C are to your left. Instructional Lab - more - There are many computers in each of the labs. If there's no class going on, you can use these computers on your own. Inter Library Loan - While we do have a lot of books (more than 1.35 million) and magazines and journals, we don't have everything. That's why we offer a service called Inter Library Loan (ILL). Fill out a request form online and we will try to get you what you're looking for from another library. Escalator - As you saw from outside, Oviatt Library is huge. We have lots of ways to get around. One of which is the escalator system, on your left when you enter the Library. It goes from the main, or first floor, up to the fourth. There are also stairwells, and..... Elevators - There are also elevators located in the "Core" or middle section of the the library (across from the Circulation Desk) and in the East Wing of the Library. Ask at the information Desk if you can't find them. Second Floor - Now you're on the second floor. To your right is the Music and Media Department. To the left is Special Collections and the Reading Room. Our main browsing book collection starts on the second floor and continues on the third floor. Music & Media - The Music and Media Department is located on the second floor of the library. Music & Media Desk - This is the Service Desk for Music & Media. If you can't find what you're looking for, come talk to someone here. Music & Media - DVDs - Holy cow. Did you know that besides books, the Library has a really big DVD and Video collection? You can check many of them out, so drop by and see what we've got. Music & Media - Viewing Stations - You can watch DVDs and videos here at these viewing stations. You can bring your own or watch something from the Library's Collection. So if you've got some free time before your next class, consider coming here. Music & Media - Turntable - Not only do we have DVDs and videos, we also have cds, LPs and tapes. We also have turntables, cassette decks and cd players so you can listen to them. Music & Media - Books - Most of the books in the Library about music are also housed in Music & Media. Entrance to Special Collections and the Reading Room - Walk through this doorway to the Tseng Family Wing, located on the West Wing of the 2nd floor, which houses Special Collections, a gallery and the Reading Room. Gallery - Once you go through the doors, you'll see our Gallery. We often have interesting exhibits going on so come check it out. Reading Room - A large collection of fiction is housed in our Reading Room, located right next to Special Collections. It's a good place to study or just grab a book and read if you've got some free time. Group Study Room - There are group study rooms scattered throughout the Library on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. They are first come first serve, and they do fill up during the year. We define a group as three people or more; if you are alone or in a pair, you may be asked to leave the room. There are also individual study rooms located on each of those floors. Third Floor - You're on the Third Floor now. To the right is the Collaboratory, a computer lab with access to software programs like Microsoft Office. To the left is the Oviatt Library Administration. The third and the fourth floors are reserved as quiet study space. If you need to talk, try to find a group study room, or find a space on the first or second floor. Catalog Computers - We have some computers scattered throughout the Library if you need to use them. They have Internet Access but are not hooked up to any printers. Collaboratory - The Collaboratory on the 3rd floor is a computer lab with more than 170 stations (all pcs, sorry mac users!). These computers can only be used by CSUN students. You must know your portal user name and password to log onto them. Besides Internet access, they have software like Microsoft Office, SPSS, Dreamweaver and other various utilities. Collaboratory Desk - If you have any questions about computing, you can always try at the desk in the Collaboratory. We also rent out headphones and laptops (library use only) at this desk. Make sure you have your student ID with you for this. Collaboratory Computers - A nice view of the Collaboratory. There are printers up here as well. Vending Machine - A vending machine that doesn't sell candy! Conveniently located in the Collaboratory, check it out if you're in need of school supplies. Collaboratory Sign - The library's hours are on the website. But keep in mind that some areas, like the Collaboratory, close 15 minutes before the library itself closes. Library Administration - This is the door to Library Administration. If you have any concerns about the library, you could bring them here. It's also where you go to fill out an application to work in the Library. Study Area 3rd Floor - There's lots of study space in the library, like this area on the North Side of the 3rd floor. There are similar areas on the 2nd and 4th floors. Fourth Floor - You've made it to the top floor - the 4th floor! If you take a right, you'll head to the Reserves, Periodicals and Microforms Room, and if you take a left you'll get to the Library's Technical Services Department. Remember, the 4th floor is also a quiet study floor. Bound Journals - The 4th floor consists mainly of "bound" periodicals. Because not everything is available online yet, we do have some journals, magazines and newspapers in print. When they get a little older, we bind them together like this, so we don't lose them. You can't take these home, but you can make copies of them in the library. There are copiers on the 4th floor for this. More Bound Journals Reserves, Periodicals and Microforms - This is the entrance to the Reserves, Periodicals and Microforms room. Reserves Desk - Come to this desk if you have any questions about the microfilms or magazines and journals on the 4th floor. Also come here if your Professor has placed any items on "Reserve" for your class, if they're not available online. Current Periodicals - The Current Periodical Section is located in the Reserves, Periodicals and Microfilms Room. It's where we house our most recent issues of print magazines, newspapers and journals. Reserves Stacks - Some reserve items are behind the desk, but some are on shelves that you can browse through. Microfilm Machines - What are these old machines, you're asking yourself? They're microfilm machines. Some of our older magazines and journals are in Microfilm format, and you use these machines to read them and print them. Remember, not everything is online yet, so you might need to use these one day. If you do, just ask at the Reserves/Microfilm Desk and they can help you. MicrofilmStorage - These large cabinets hold the microfilm for those strange looking machines. Make sure to ask at the Service Desk if you can't find what you need. Technical Services - This is the Technical Services department where the books, DVDs, cds etc. in our library get processed so we can put them out into the Main Collection. Chances are, unless you work at the library, you won't ever go in here. Down Escalator - If you get confused which side goes up or down on the Escalators, just look for the Up and Down signs hanging from the ceiling. Teachers Curriculum Center - We're back in the Reference Room, behind the Reference Desk. This door takes you to another door which takes you to a stairwell that leads to the Teachers Curriculum Center (TCC). There you'll find lots of books, kits and games aimed at kids. These are mostly used by education majors and actual teachers. TCC Service Desk - This is the service desk for the TCC. If you want to check anything out from TCC, you do it here, instead of the main Circulation Desk upstairs. TCC - A bird's eye view of the TCC. TCC - TCC has some really fun contraptions like these wood block printers if you feel like being crafty. TCC - You'll find the newer materials out on display shelves like these. Library Exit - Leaving so soon? Well, just walk through those gates and you'll be on your way. If you beep on your way out, you'll be asked to go through it again. If you've checked something out, sometimes it hasn't been properly desensitized, so we'll take care of that. Anyway, thanks for taking our tour. You've seen a lot, but there are other fun things you'll want to see in real life like our Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS), otherwise known as that really cool place in the library that has robots. Hope to see you for real in the library soon, and don't forget to ask about those robots!
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