Clark Library* Tape Tour A-Z

(Note: This is a transcript of the self-guided Clark Library tape tour. The taped
tour is available for checkout at the Clark Library Circulation desk on the first
floor.)

Welcome to San Jose State University Clark Library. The tour will
give you a basic orientation to the Library and what it has to offer
you. The tour will last about 10-15 minutes. You can pace yourself
by turning the tape player on and off at your leisure. We hope that
you will find that the Library is a useful resource to you during your
course of study at the University.

Begin the tour by standing near the Information Desk and face
towards the entrance of the library.

On your left under the stairs you will find a change machine, copy
machine, a copy card generator and a vending machine that
dispenses diskettes and pencils. Several copiers are along the wall
of the first floor, and many more on the third floor. There is also a
copier available on the 2nd, 4th and 5th floors as well. Payphones
are located just next to the stairs also.

Restrooms are located on your left, all the way down at the end of
the room. Restrooms are located on each floor in this same area.

The elevators are also to your left, and a stairwell that reaches all
floors is located just past the elevators.

Now, turn around and face the interior of the building. You should
see the Information Desk next to you. The assistant sitting there
will be able to direct you to library or campus locations, and answer
general questions about the library and University. They can also
provide general assistance with the library’s online catalog and
databases.

The library on line catalog is one database you will find on the 40
computer stations to your left. Here is where your library research
will begin. The Catalog contains information about the entire library
collection, from books to periodicals, maps, videos, sound
recordings and so on. It also includes films and videotapes that are
housed in the Instructional Resource Center. Don’t let the on line
catalog frighten you. It is fairly simple to use, and is a key to
making your research in the library more productive. You might
want to take a few moments after the tour to sit down and
familiarize yourself with the catalog. The student sitting at the
Information Desk will be happy to give you a brief introduction, and
the Reference Librarians will gladly help with more detailed
research. There are more on line catalog stations to the right of the
Information Desk, and on each floor of the library.
Excerpted from San José State University Library, San José, CA website, July 2002
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/dialaboo/tapetour.htm
You can print some of the information you find in our on line
catalog, and often times you can print entire magazine and
newspaper articles you find through the databases. All of the
computers on the first floor print to the Print Station, located near
the center of the floor. There is a sign hanging from the ceiling
above the stations.

Now look over towards the center of the room. The large desk in the
middle is the Reference Desk. Here the librarians can help you with
your research and answer more detailed questions. Walk over to the
desk and you will see a number of handouts. These handouts also
provide information about the library that you will find very useful.
Especially helpful are the bright yellow “New Student Guide,” the
“How To Find It” brochures, the Library map, the “Guide,” the “SJSU
Location Chart,” and the blue “SJSU Library Special Collections and
Storage” flyer. You may want to take a copy of the “Dial A Book”
guide, which gives information about accessing the library catalog
and other resources from outside the library. Please help your selves
to copies of these.

If you look along the back wall of the library and to your left you will
see Room 108, the High Tech Center of the Disabled. SJSU students
with disabilities can receive training in the use of adaptive
equipment for completing assignments and accessing library print
and electronic resources. The room is available for registered users
when ever the library is open, unless the center has been reserved
for training sessions or test taking. Contact the SJS Disability
Resource Center for information about registering to use these
services.

Now, walk back near the Circulation/Reserves Desk, where you

borrowed this tape tour.
If you wish to borrow library materials, this is the place you will go
to check them out. The staff here can also assist you with questions
about your library account, assist in locating books you cannot find
in the library, and will also hold books for you from other libraries.
At the end of their counter is a tray where you can pick up their
highly informative green sheet, which explains loan periods, renewal
policies and so on. Many of the services they provide can also be
done through the on line catalog.

This is also the desk where you will go to obtain material placed on
Reserve by your professors. Across from the Circulation desk are
two terminals dedicated to assist students in locating reserve
material. Most reserve items are checked out for a limited amount
of time, sometimes for only a few hours.

Excerpted from San José State University Library, San José, CA website, July 2002
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/dialaboo/tapetour.htm
So now lets go to the second floor. You can take the elevator or the
stairs. Whatever choice you make, find your way to the top of the
main staircase on the second floor, and stand facing the room. Go
ahead and shut the tape player off, and turn it on when you get
upstairs.
The second floor contains a wide variety of material that can be
checked out, including CD’s, music scores, audio tapes, juvenile
books, educational materials for teaching, government publications,
and so on.

Walk along the railing to your left and you will come to the audio
corner. Here you will find the library CD collection. All of the CD’s
are in the on line catalog and can be checked out at the Circulation
desk on the first floor.

Just around the corner from the CD collection are music listening
rooms and stations, which can be used by students. Contact the
Circulation Desk for access to these rooms and equipment. Along
the wall you will see audio cassettes that may be checked out.
These are also in the library on line catalog.

Continue on towards to the right you will see the site of the
Computer Lab, the newest addition to Clark Library. In the open
access lab you will be able to check email, surf the Internet, and
write and print your papers for class. The lab will be open the same
hours as Clark Library.

Now continue to your right and you will see the Microfilm/Microfiche
areas. The amount of old newspapers and magazines available on
microfilm is astounding. The machines located here are combination
reader/printers. If you have some time between classes one day,
come find a newspaper from your birthday and see what was
happening in the world when you were born.

Walk along the book stacks, and you will see the various collections
of material housed here. The Learning resources material comes
first, followed by sound recordings…records and music scores. These
stacks contain the historical juvenile collection, current state texts
and curriculum materials.

Once you pass the last row of stacks you will find an open area with
low standing cabinets. These contain maps and atlases, which are
all cited in the library catalog, and can be checked out.

The rows of taller book stacks that line the east end of the second
floor contain Government Publications. Most of the material is listed
in the on line catalog. This is a self-help area; however, if you need
assistance there is a telephone that connects directly with the

Excerpted from San José State University Library, San José, CA website, July 2002
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/dialaboo/tapetour.htm
Reference desk, or you can ask for assistance at the Reference desk
on the first floor.

Now, let’s go to the third floor, where the Periodicals are located.
This floor houses current magazines, journals and newspapers.
When you get to the third floor, go stand in to the left of the
elevators, and turn the player back on.

Here we are on the Periodical floor. You should be standing just to

the front of the elevators. To your left are the bound periodicals,
most of which are three years old and older, and now are bound
together in one volume instead of a lot of individual issues. To your
left is the periodical browsing area. Here you can sit down and relax
with a current magazine, such as Time, Newsweek or People.
If you look out over the floor, you will see a sea of tables for study.
To the left of the study area you will see the Periodical service desk.
Here you can request copies of recent journals, today’s newspaper,
or last months National Geographic for example. Remember that
Periodicals are to be used only on the third floor.

Our next stop will be the 4th Floor. Again, stop just outside the
elevators. Directly in front of the elevators you will see some of the
new books that the library has recently purchased for the collection.
Behind them and along the outer walls of the floor are study carrels.
The 4th floor is designated as a Silent floor, where people can study
without being distracted by conversations and other noise.

Books with call numbers from A-N, and folio A-N are housed on this
floor. The collection begins at the left of the floor, and works its way
to the right end of the floor. Folio books are books that are larger
than usual books, and are the last two or three rows of book stacks
along the right side of the floor. Found on this floor would be such
topics as business, history, music and art.

Now, continue up to the last stop on the tour, the 5th floor. Again,
stand just to the left of the elevators, and turn the tape player back
on when you get there.

The 5th floor is very similar in layout to the 4th. Located directly
across from the elevators are the new bookshelves, and behind that
along the wall on the far right, are study areas. This floor is
designated as a Quiet floor, where people may meet in small groups
to discuss their school work and projects. The book collection on
the floor contains call numbers P-Z, beginning on your left, and
continuing to your right. The folio P-Z books follow those, and
finally, the last row of bookshelves contains the Thesis collection.
Subjects on this floor would include such topics as literature,
medicine, computers and engineering. The 5th floor also houses

Excerpted from San José State University Library, San José, CA website, July 2002
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/dialaboo/tapetour.htm
the Library Administration Offices, located on your left along the
wall.

Well that’s it! We hope this brief tour will help you as you begin your
research here in the library. Remember that all the library
employees are here to help you so don’t be afraid to say hello and
ask for assistance.

Now you can return the tape tour to the Circulation desk on the first
floor, and thank you for taking the time to get to know the library a
little better.

Excerpted from San José State University Library, San José, CA website, July 2002
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/dialaboo/tapetour.htm