A Self-Guided Tour brochure is available at the Stauffer Library Information Desk. This guide leads you on a tour of the building and contains basic information about the Library's collections and services.

Visitors are welcome to explore the Library, keeping in mind that certain areas of the Library are places for quiet study and research for students, faculty and staff in the Queen's community.

The Queen's Learning Commons is centrally located on the ground floor of Stauffer Library. It is a collaborative endeavor with the Library, Learning Strategies Development, Special Readers' Services, the Writing Centre and IT Services to provide students with a technology-enriched learning environment.

Begin your tour just inside the entrance near the Circulation/Reserve desk:

Circulation/Reserve Desk

Check out books, request reserve materials and book searches, pick up holds and interlibrary loan requests, and pay fines. Use your Queen's ID card as your library card.

Interlibrary Loan Services

Queen's faculty, staff and students can use ILL services to borrow books or obtain articles from other libraries. Come to the Circulation desk to pick up requested books and photocopies of articles or if you need assistance.

Walk along the south wall to find the Sorting Area.

Sorting Area

Always look here if the book you want is not signed out and not on the shelf.

Express Stations

Patrons are encouraged to use the Express Stations for checking email and quick catalogue searches. Most are located at stand-up counters in high-traffic areas on the ground floor and on each level.

Directly across from the Circulation desk is the Adaptive Technology Centre.

Adaptive Technology Centre

Go here for services for students with disabilities. The computers are equipped with character-enlarging software, voice input technology and a Kurzweil Personal Reader.

As you leave the Adaptive Technology Centre, you will find the Research Help desk ahead and a little to the right of you.

Research Help Desk & IT Help

Ask here for help in finding information and using the Library's resources. Bring your Queen's related IT questions to the IT Support desk.

Research Stations

Throughout the area near the Research Help desk are Research Stations, which provide access to the Library Catalogue (QCAT), a large selection of journal indexes and databases, the Web, MS Office, networked CDs, sound, and more.

All of the Research Stations are networked to black and white laser printers, located near the Circulation desk and on the lower level, and to a colour printer located near the Circulation desk. A colour copier is located in the Art Collection area. A library Copy Card is required for printing. This card, which is different from your Queen's ID card, can be purchased at the Circulation desk or at the value-added terminal located near the Circulation desk. Keep your card and add value at the same locations.

Reference Collection

Walk north/east and stop at the Reference Collection. This collection contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, directories, and other reference tools. These materials are for library use only and may not be borrowed.

Continue walking north and turn left and you will find the Photocopier Alcove.

Photocopier Alcove

There are photocopiers in the same location on the 2nd floor and the lower level of the Library. A library Copy Card is required to make copies from all photocopiers, except for the coin operated photocopier on the lower level. For a fee, staff can make photocopies for you. For this service, please enquire at the Circulation desk.

Walk east down the corridor to the area which houses current newspapers.

Current Newspapers

In this area, recent newspapers are shelved in alphabetical order by title.

The Writing Centre

In the northeast corner, you will find the Writing Centre, which provides workshops and consultations on assignment interpretation, grammar and other aspects of the academic writing process.

Learning Strategies Development

Beside the Writing Centre, you will find Learning Strategies Development, which provides workshops and consultations on study skills, coaching and referral for academic success and course-specific study sessions.

The north and south sections of the atrium are separated by a spiral staircase which leads to the government documents, data, and maps and air photos collections on the lower level, and the main stacks and study areas on the upper floors.

At the spiral staircase and on each floor you will find floor directories and floor maps.

Walk southwards towards the elevators or stairs to descend to the lower level.

As you step off the elevator, turn to the right. If you used the stairs, you will walk into the MADGIC unit - Maps, Data & Government Information Centre.

Ahead of you is the government documents reference collection and to the left is the main collection, which includes depository collections from the Canadian federal government, Ontario government, United Nations.

Turn right and walk to the metal filing cabinets, which house the Microform Collection.

Microform Collection

The cabinets contain newspapers, journals, theses, government reports and more, which are on microfilm or microfiche. Readers and printers are available in the surrounding area, including behind the stairs.

Continue north to the Maps area.

Map and Air Photo Collection

This collection includes topographical and thematic maps, air photos, historical cartography materials, and electronic mapping facilities.

Walk towards the elevators or stairs to ascend to the second floor.

As you step off the elevator, turn right (if you used the stairs, walk to the left).

Ahead of you are the bound journal stacks. Bound journals are individual issues of past magazines or journals bound in hard covers. They are arranged in call number order and are shelved in the first and second rows. Bound journals do not circulate.

The book collection begins in the third row. It is arranged on the shelves in call number order, from A to D. These books may be checked out at the Circulation desk on the ground floor.

There are Research Stations beside the spiral staircase in the same location on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Library.

Note the single person study carrels located along the atrium on both sides on this floor and in the same location on the 3rd and 4th floors.

There are 3 group study rooms located on the west side of the floor. Groups have priority and all rooms can be booked online.

Walk to the northeast corner and you will find the Art Collection.

Art Collection

You will find exhibition catalogues, current art journals and all art related books and art conservation materials in this area. You will also find Research Stations, a colour photocopier and a group study room. Bound art journals are integrated into the existing Stauffer Library bound journals collection.

As you leave the art collection area, turn left and walk towards the reading rooms.

North and South Reading Rooms

You can find Research Stations in each reading room.

Continue walking south through the South Reading Room to the southeast wing to the Fireplace Reading Room.

Fireplace Reading Room

This room is for library users who prefer to do their solitary reading, studying, or thinking in quiet surroundings. Users are asked to make sure that their cell phones are turned off before entering this room and to refrain from using noisy equipment.

Exit the Fireplace Reading Room, turn left and walk along the south side of the building to the Folios and Current Periodicals sections.

Folios

Note the journal and book folios collections shelved in the south part of the building. Folios are oversized books and bound journals, which will not fit on the regular shelves. There are book folios in the same location on the 3rd and 4th floors. Book folios can be checked out at circulation.

Current Periodicals

In this area, recent, unbound issues of journals are shelved in alphabetical order by title.

The book sorting area (located in the south/west corner), is located in the same area on each floor.

Walk towards the elevators or stairs to ascend to the third floor.

On the third floor, you will find books with call numbers DA through K.

On the west side, there are single person study carrels as well as a limited number of individual carrels with lockable space that can be reserved by graduate students for their personal use. (Please see Circulation for eligibility and availability).

Walk to the north-east corner of the building.

Graduate Students Reading Room

This room is available for the use of graduate students. It is furnished with a combination of study tables and carrels.

Reading Room

This reading room is dedicated to May Ball.

Walk towards the elevators or stairs to ascend to the fourth floor.

On the fourth floor, you will find books with call numbers L through Z as well as the compact shelving collection (call numbers A - Z) located in the far northwest section of the floor.

Compact shelving is a space saving device to move whole ranges of shelves with a mechanical assist system so that most aisles can be eliminated. Infrequently used materials are located here.

You will also find individual research/study carrels on the west side of this floor.

Also …

Telephones

Pay phones are located in the loggia and on each floor of the Library, towards the north end, except the lower level.

Water Fountains

Located near the phones on all levels.

Washrooms

Located in the north corridor on the lower, ground and 2nd levels and on the south side of the 2nd level. On the 3rd and 4th levels, the men's washroom is located at the north-east end and the women's washroom is located at the south-east end of the building.

Laptop Internet Access (available to current Queen's students & employees)

Wireless access is available throughout Stauffer Library. However, there are a few small areas where the signal strength is low or absent. Wired jacks are available at designated study tables on all levels but ground.

Lost and Found

Library lost and found is located at the Commissionaire's desk beside the main entrance of the Library.

For more information see the brochures available at the Research Help desk.