LX9, for the uninitiated, is part of the Library Annex, the vast complex of temporary buildings where the Stanislaus State Library and other offices will be housed during the two-year renovation of the library building.
The vast Vasché Library, one of the original buildings on the Stan State campus, was a place of refuge for Lopez and Vargas, sorority sisters of Phi Sigma Sigma. They studied there, hooked up with friends, ate and sometimes escaped roommates or classmates for quiet time. For now, those functions will be conducted in LX9.
The library staff is working to maintain the same level of service in the diminished space while keeping its sense of humor.
Those who took the library tour — and roughly 100 students, faculty and staff did so during the first two weeks of school — received a directory of the annex buildings with a headline of “Where the heck is the Library?”
Not all of the buildings in the Library Annex are dedicated to the Library. Other programs that were housed in the Library Building, including Disability Resource Services, the Diversity Center and the support desk for the Office of Information Technology are in the Library Annex.
The Library’s main circulation and research help desk, along with the 25,000 volumes not in storage during the renovation are in LX25. That building also is where laptops may be checked out and where materials on reserve for courses may be found. Students may also request materials from other CSU campuses there, and within a few days pick them up.
LX26 is a quiet/no eating study space with 10 desktop computers and printer and LX9 is the study area where talking and eating is allowed with vending machines and a microwave available. The computer lab is in LX10 and the library instruction room, where librarian-led classes are held, is in LX27.
“The library services are still available,” reference librarian Maryann Hight said during a tour. “Anything you could do in the library, you still can. Study spaces are still available.”
Marina Gerson, biology professor, and Pengtao Li, management information systems professor and newly appointed department chairman, both went on Hight’s tour.
“I assume other (faculty members) and students will be coming to us asking ‘where do I find something?’” Li said. “At least I’ll know where to find what. With a map I can direct students to the right room.”
Gerson, too, wanted to be able to direct students.
“The electronic resources on campus have been so good the last few years, that’s the go-to for the students, anyway,” she said. “I think the real key to the Library is if they can’t find things on their own, if they know where to start to get help, then this will work really well.”
The place to start is LX25, which is open 7:45 a.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, phone the Stan State Library at (209) 667-3234.