When a researcher uses the Reading Room, be sure to do the following:

• Make sure they do not bring forbidden items into the Reading Room, such as beverages,  bags, or pens.  If you notice a researcher brought in such items, politely ask them to place them in one of our lockers. If you encounter further difficulties, call staff for help.  The one exception is for computer bags.  Researchers can briefly bring in a computer bag as they set up their research station, but the bag must be immediately placed in a locker once the computer is, well, out of the bag.
• Assign the researcher to a table, serve materials, and sign researcher out of the reading room using Aeon.
• Offer assistance if the researcher is experiencing problems with the Book Eye scanner.
• If a researcher needs photocopies or inquires about publication permission, ask staff for help.
• Before the researcher leaves, ask them if they need the material held for a particular time period or if they are finished completely with the materials.

How to Use Aeon in the Reading Room 

• Search the patron’s name, and sign the user into a table, by using  the "Sign User In" button.
• Look at the Requests tab to see the patron’s requests.  Ask the patron which item they want to use.  Each item will have a hold slip on it with a transaction number and user information.
• Retrieve the item from the hold shelf, check the item out to the user, and serve material to the patron.
• If the patron leaves the reading room for lunch or some similar duration, you will need to change the user status to Away.   You can leave the materials as they are.
• When patron leaves for the day, you will select the "Sign User Out" button.
• Materials will either be placed on hold or routed to Reshelve Item.

If no researcher is using the Reading Room, you may:

• Listen to audio on the computer via headphones.
• Use the BookEye scanner for your own stuff.
• Leave the Reading Room to take a quick break (let the front desk attendant know).

If there is a researcher, please:

• Remove headphones.  You need to be approachable.
• Be alert. Keep a careful watch to make sure researchers are appropriately handling materials.
• Do not use the BookEye. We need to keep the BookEye available for researchers. And, if you use it, your back is to the researchers.
• Do not leave the Reading Room unattended.  If you need help with something or would like to take a break,  use Slack or the phone to ask staff for help.
• If a researcher is talking loudly or making excessive noise and is distracting to other researchers, politely ask him or her to be quiet.
• Feel free to move around the room as needed, but make sure you have a good view of researchers at all times.
• Do not move the computer monitor on the monitor's desk.

We have many researchers looking at a variety of things.  Keep the following in mind:

• Large amounts of materials are kept on carts labeled with the researcher's name; these carts might be stored in the workroom.  Ask staff for help if you can't find a particular cart.
• Students occasionally have assignments requiring they use Special Collections material.  These materials will be on carts labeled with the professor's name and the name of the class.
• Books are shelved in the Reading Room in alphabetic order based on patron's last name.  Oversized books might be shelved flat or placed on one of the shelves in the workroom. If you don't see material in the Reading Room, ask staff for help.
• For more info, look at the What's in the Reading Room? page.

When you are in the Reading Room, your primary responsibility is to make sure the researchers are using materials appropriately.  Please ensure they do the following:

1. Books: are to be used on book cradles.  Book snakes are available to keep a book open. Additional book supports are located in the cabinet near the monitor's desk. If a researcher has a cart of books at their table, make sure they do not create a "cart fort" in which you can't see what they are doing!

2. Boxes: researchers should only have one box at a time on their table, and only one folder at a time out of the box. The researcher should use a flag to mark where he/she removed the folder. Researchers are not permitted to have a cart of boxes next to them; they must request one box at a time that you will bring to them. When you bring a researcher a box, open it and look briefly at the folder titles to be sure none are marked as RESTRICTED (this will be either a red RESTRICTED stamp or written on the folder). If you find any restricted material, alert staff before allowing the patron to use the box. It is very important that researchers maintain the exact order in which they find materials in each folder, and put folders back in the box in order.

3. All materials, whether books or archival materials, should be flat on the table (or book cradle) and handled carefully. No holding books on your lap or stuffing materials roughly back into folders.

4. If a researcher expresses concern about the condition of material, please contact a staff member to assist.

5. If you have politely asked a patron to handle materials in specific way, and the patron does not listen to you, call staff for assistance.

• Researchers should let us know whether they are finished with materials or need them held.
• Reading Room monitor signs the researcher out in Aeon.
• Researchers can leave the materials on the table.   For items going back on hold, please put them on the correct shelving or truck.   For items needing to be reshelved, please put them on the reshelve truck.   Remember to also change the status in Aeon.

Our researchers are really great; however, if you are concerned that someone might be purloining our stuff, please review the following lists of dos and don'ts:

• Do express your concerns via Slack.  Staff will determine what level of intervention is needed.
• Do not try to physically get the material back -- we don't want you or anyone else to be harmed.
• Do not prevent the researcher from leaving.   Otherwise, we could face a charge of false imprisonment or put yourself and others at risk.

We occasionally have researchers come to the Reading Room to look at materials together. Researchers working in groups are to abide by the same policies as individual researchers. Small groups may use the small glass office in the Reading Room.  Please tell the researchers that the room is not sound proof, so they will need to keep their talking to a minimum and not talk above a whisper so as not to disturb other researchers.