SAPL: Branches - Central: Reference

Reference 2nd floor main reference desk

1^st floor – Provide in-person assistance with library services and collections and with the computers offering access to the library catalog, Internet, Microsoft Office and databases.
2nd floor - Provide in-person and telephone assistance with the Reference Collection and databases. Provide assistance with Special Needs equipment.
4^th floor – Provide telephone assistance to customers calling the (210) 207-2500 number.
5th floor - Provide in-person and telephone assistance with the circulating nonfiction collection and with the computers offering Internet and Microsoft Office programs.
6^th floor - Provide in-person and telephone assistance with the circulating nonfiction collection, the Latino Collection, and with the computers offering access to the library catalog and databases.

Telephone Reference

Staff members answering the Library's main telephone number (210) 207-2500 have the resources and knowledge to answer to your reference questions in 5 minutes or less. They also provide information about Central and branch library activities and hours as well as detailed directions to Central and branch libraries

To answer these questions quickly, they use over 1,200 reference books, keep up-to-date information on all local, federal, and world government officials, and maintain a clipping file of answers for frequently asked questions.

Collections
Latino Collection | Language Collections

Reference Collection:
There are approximately 18,500 volumes in the 2nd floor Reference collection, including a wide variety of dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, and directories. These items are identified in the SAPL catalog by the word REFERENCE in front of the call number, and are for use in the library only. (The reference collection also includes about 1,000 Spanish-language volumes, whose call number begins with the word ESPAÑOL CONSULTA.)

Nonfiction Collection:
There are approximately 267,000 items in the Central Library nonfiction circulating collection, as well as approximately 12,200 Spanish nonfiction items and approximately 350 items of nonfiction in other languages. The collection is arranged using the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

1st floor - Dewey numbers 000-499, foreign language books, large print books

5th floor - Dewey numbers 500-799

6th floor - Dewey numbers 800-999

These items are selected by librarians from the Reference Staff along with librarians from the Collection Development department. If you would like to suggest a nonfiction title for consideration for purchase by the library, please email the Reference Desk.

Staff
The Reference/Readers' Advisory staff is made up of librarians (who have Master's Degrees in Library Science) and library assistants (who have Bachelor's degrees in a variety of subjects.) Within the department, we have staff with the ability to assist library patrons in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, French, and of course, English.

Updated: 06/04/2008

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