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| Overview & Welcome
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Suzzallo & Allen Libraries
Tour Guide
In-person Suzzallo & Allen
tours are given several times at the beginning of each quarter. These walk-through tours of the building take 45 minutes to an hour. Tour
schedules are available at the beginning of each quarter from the
Suzzallo & Allen Libraries service desks and from this web site.
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WELCOME! AN OVERVIEW:
- The University of Washington Libraries is a decentralized system
with 22 locations including:
- Suzzallo Library -- the main library with research collections for
disciplines within the social sciences and humanities not served by branch
libraries, e.g., History, English, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Economics,
and Anthropology.
-
Allen Library -- opened Fall of 1990. Units include the Natural
Sciences Library and Manuscripts-Special Collections-University
Archives. The Allen Library is connected with the east end of Suzzallo Library.
- Odegaard Undergraduate Library
(OUGL) -- serves primarily lower division undergraduates and operates
a reserve system for areas not served by a branch library. The Media Center
is located here.
- 17 specialized branch
libraries, e.g., Foster Business Library, Engineering, Music, Chemistry;
as well as the libraries at both the UW Bothell and UW Tacoma campuses
- Approximately 1,600,000 of the almost 6,000,000 volumes which
make up the University Libraries collection are housed in Suzzallo and Allen Libraries. There are 35 miles of shelving in Suzzallo and 25 miles of shelving in Allen Library.
- Hours of the various units in Suzzallo and Allen Library vary.
Generally, hours are shorter during the summer and interim periods.
- The Libraries catalog, the primary tool for identifying and locating materials
in Suzzallo and Allen Libraries, can be found on public research terminals
throughout the building. Indexes for finding articles on a variety of subjects
are also searchable at these workstations.
- The library collection is organized by two classification systems:
- The Library of Congress system (LC) has been used since 1967. Call
numbers begin with a letter, e.g., BF698 C13 1984.
- The Dewey Decimal system was used for older materials, e.g., 372.5
COM
- A printed guide to the location of library materials according to
their call numbers is available at all service desks.
SUGGESTED TOUR
ROUTE:
- West Entrance, Suzzallo Library
- 1st Floor, Suzzallo Library
- 3rd Floor (by way of the stone stairs), Suzzallo Library (no access to
2nd floor from this end of the building)
- 3rd Floor, Allen Library
- Periodicals - North Wing
- Arcade Bridge to South Wing
- Book Stacks - South Wing
- 2nd Floor (Stairs by Elevator), Allen Library, South Wing
- 1st Floor (Stairs by Elevator), Allen Library, South Wing
- Ground Floor (Stairs by Elevator), Allen Library, South Wing
- Natural Sciences Library
- Reference Desk & Circulation
- Stairs leading to Manuscripts-Special Collections- University Archives
(basement level)
- Arcade to Allen Library, North Wing
- Ground Floor, Allen Library, North Wing
- Ground Floor, Suzzallo Library
- The architecture of the original portion of the building is Tudor Collegiate
Gothic, a popular architectural style of the period. The sculpted figures
at the entrance were created by Allan Clark of Tacoma.
- Along the facade are statues of eighteen persons who have contributed
to Western culture, as voted on by the faculty in 1923. From left to right,
they represent Moses, Pasteur, Dante, Shakespeare, Plato, Benjamin Franklin,
Justinian, Sir Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Goethe, Herodotus,
Adam Smith, Homer, Gutenberg, Beethoven, Darwin. and Grotius.
- The shields along the facade are coats of arms of various universities
around the world, e.g., Oxford, Uppsala, Louvain, Paris.
- Over the portals of the entrance are "Mastery", "Inspiration" and "Thought".
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- Located in room 101, just off the west entrance. This is an area where
library users may enjoy food and beverage while studying or socializing
with friends.
- The sculpture over the door in room 101 is entitled "The Waiting Multitude"
and was created by the Bellevue sculptor, Ray Jensen.
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University
of Washington's Donor Wall
- Located in the Libraries Exhibit Area, room 102.
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- Central reference unit for the Libraries, providing reference and research
assistance to the University community. Also, within the limits of staffing
and time, responds to the general public.
- Specializes in the humanities and social sciences.
- The Reference Desk is staffed by professional librarians and other staff
who provide in-depth assistance during most of the hours the library is
open.
- Reference librarians also serve as subject selectors in purchasing materials
for the collection, assist with the bibliographic instruction program and
assist users with online database searching.
- Reference Stacks -- Non-circulating material such as encyclopedias, dictionaries,
handbooks.
- Includes the Curriculum
Materials Collection. This collection contains K-12 textbooks, curriculum
guides, and supplementary teaching materials, including sample kits and
media such as software, CD-ROMs, laserdiscs, audiotapes and videotapes.
- Also includes the Children's
Literature Collection.
- The Grants and Funding Information
Service is also located in this section
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SUZZALLO
CIRCULATION
First Floor, Suzzallo
- Most materials, except those which do not have barcodes afixed to their
covers from certain library units, e.g., Periodicals, Maps and Government
Publications, can be checked out here. Materials can also be checked out
on the Ground Floor, Allen North and South and Suzzallo third floor.
- Users need a University ID or other Libraries borrower's card to check
out materials. Current members of the
UW Alumni Association as well as Sustaining, Supporting, or Patron/Corporate
members of the Friends
of the University of Washington Libraries can obtain borrowers cards.
Others may also qualify for borrowing
privileges.
- Suzzallo Circulation staff can also assist users in placing holds on
materials and initiating searches for missing items.
- Staff here retrieve materials from the Auxiliary Stacks and other book
storage areas, two times daily and once a day on weekends.
- Library Cashier
will help you pay library fines, reserve carrels, apply for borrowers cards.
- Change machine for $1 and $5 bills and coins.
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- A major seismic, mechanical, electrical, and life safety renovation
of the Suzzallo Library 1925 (which contains the Suzzallo Reading Room),
1935, 1947 and 1963 wings was completed in August of 2002.
- There was a prior interior renovation of the Reading Room in 1986/87.
At the time it was built, it was the second largest library reading room
in the U.S. and was considered to be one of the most beautiful library rooms
ever constructed.
250 feet long and 65 feet high from floor to ceiling. 35 feet high leaded
glass windows contain unique watermark designs. Carved oak frieze above
the bookshelves represents native flora of Washington State.
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PERIODICALS
3rd Floor, Suzzallo (including Reading Room) and Allen North
- Includes general interest periodicals as well as scholarly journals in
the social sciences and humanities. They are arranged in call number order
(both the Library of Congress and Dewey classification systems). There are
also periodicals in the Natural Sciences Library, Allen South, First Floor.
- Newer issues of selected titles (about 600) are located in the display
shelves across from the Periodicals Desk and are arranged by title
- Many, but not all, periodicals circulate and may be checked out (3 days,
2 renewals) at the Periodicals Desk.
- Sorting area -- check here for volumes not on the shelf.
- The largest number of self-service photocopiers in the Suzzallo and Allen
Libraries is located on this floor, as well as a self-service print station
(which only accepts Husky and Dawg-Prints Cards as payment).
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SUZZALLO/ALLEN
STACKS
4th Floor Suzzallo; 3rd Floor, Allen South, 2nd Floor, Suzzallo and
Allen North
- Book Stacks
- Two classification systems used -- Library of Congress (LC) and Dewey
Decimal (all on Suzzallo 4th floor).
- Maps on each floor show location of call numbers on that floor.
- Books should be returned to blue shelves for reshelving.
- Books from these areas can be checked out at circulation desks in any
of the following locations: First Floor, Suzzallo; Ground Floor, Allen North
and South; Third Floor, Suzzallo.
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- A branch library located in the Allen Library with a separate staff,
reference desk, and circulation desk.
- Includes the biological, atmospheric and geological sciences.
- Natural Sciences books in the Library of Congress classification system
and the Natural Sciences Periodicals are on the 1st floor; the Dewey Decimal
System classified books, the Circulation Desk and the Reference area are
on the Ground Floor.
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- Pacific Northwest
Collection
- Material covers all aspects of history and life in the Pacific Northwest,
Alaska, and Western Canada with particular emphasis on Seattle and Western
Washington.
- Pacific
Northwest Regional Newspaper and Periodical Index contains more
than one million name and subject citations from the Seattle Times,
P.I. and other local publications.
- Photographs and Graphics Collections.
- 375,000 photographs documenting the history of Seattle, Puget Sound
and Alaska.
- 22,000 architectural drawings of residential and commercial buildings
in the Puget Sound area.
- Historical maps and other graphic materials such as postcards and
posters.
- Rare Books Collection
- Early printed books (pre-1801).
- Particular strengths: life-time editions of 19th century American
authors, most notably Crane, Longfellow, Hawthorne, Norris and James.
-
Book Arts Collection -- emphasizes the output of contemporary artists
in the field.
- Manuscripts
includes unpublished written material on the history and culture of Seattle
and the Pacific Northwest.
-
University Archives holds records and personal papers of the University
of Washington organizations, faculty and administration.
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ALLEN LOBBY
Ground Floor, Allen North
- The Allen Information Desk provides directional, catalog and quick information
assistance to in-person and telephone users. Limited book check-out and
renewal is also available at this desk.
- There are a large number of 'Guest Research Stations' for access to the
Libraries catalog and other databases near the Information Desk.
- Self-service print stations
are located here (also Allen south ground and Allen north 3rd)
- Take Husky & Dawg-Prints Cards only
- Dawg-Prints Cards can be purchased at:
- The add-value station in the Allen Library lobby in any $1 denomination (cash only)
- Raven
Brings Light to This House of Stories. Project of the Washington State
Arts Commission. Title on wall is in Lushootseed, language of the Native
Americans ancestral to where Seattle is today. Works in this project are
found in other areas of the Allen Library.
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- Collects official publications from governments and intergovernmental
organizations worldwide. Serves as a depository for government documents
from Seattle, King County, Washington state, the United States, Canada and
the United Nations.
- Some materials are not included in the online catalog.
- Many special indexes are available in the unit. Ask for assistance.
- Many government publications are dispersed throughout the library collections
and can be found in the online catalog. Others are shelved in the Government
Publications stacks by specialized classification numbers.
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- With over 6 million items, this is the largest collection of microform
materials in any ARL (Association of Research Libraries) library.
- Central library location for all materials in any microformat including
old newspapers, ERIC documents, government documents, and various literature
collections.
- Over 300 U.S. and foreign newspaper subscriptions in paper copy and in
microfilm. Particularly strong collection of Washington State and Pacific
Northwest newspapers, both current and retrospective. Most foreign newspapers
come by surface mail and so are several weeks late. The East Asia Library
receives an additional 60 current newspaper titles.
- You can print or scan the microforms. Printed copies are $.20 each and
the printers only accept dimes. A change machine is on the First Floor,
Suzzallo.
- Many online and print indexes are available.
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- UW students, faculty and staff who need to borrow materials which
are not in the UW Libraries' collection but are needed for academic
research purposes may submit requests through the Interlibrary Borrowing
Service office. Turn around time is about two to four weeks. For personal
recreational needs, use the public library for interlibrary loan.
- Self-service copying and printing is available throughout Suzzallo and Allen
- Public and free local-calling telephones are available on the Ground floor in Allen
north.
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- Suzzallo Library was named after Henry Suzzallo, president of the University
of Washington from 1915-1926. The Allen Library was named for Kenneth Allen,
Associate Director of Libraries from 1960 to 1982.
- The original section of Suzzallo was completed in 1926. A second section
of the building was completed in 1933. The next wing was finished in 1964.
- Allen Library opened Fall Quarter of 1990.
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A variety of library services are available to visitors, including
open use of the collection, specialized fee-based information services, as well
as library borrowing privileges to qualified users.
END OF TOUR
Don't hesitate to ask questions. We have a large collection
with scattered locations, so it can be difficult for you to find your
way around. The library staff is here to help you.
Please send additions, corrections, or suggestions to adamhall@u.washington.edu
Last modified:
Wednesday November 05, 2008
WEST
ENTRANCE 
Suzzallo
Espresso
REFERENCE AND RESEARCH SERVICES
SUZZALLO
READING ROOM
NATURAL SCIENCES LIBRARY
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS
MAP COLLECTION AND CARTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICES
MISCELLANEOUS
SERVICES AND INFORMATION 
LIBRARY HISTORY
AND BUILDING INFORMATION: