Tour of the LRC

	Background Palo Alto College (PAC), a college of the Alamo Community College District (ACCD), is an Associate of Arts institution according to the Carnegie Classification. The library's primary clientele is the faculty and student body of the college. There are 114 full-time faculty and over 7,000 students enrolled in various programs at PAC. The Ozuna Learning Resources Center of Palo Alto College was designated a Federal Depository library in 1990 to meet the government information needs of the 28th U.S. Congressional District of Texas. This responsibility is shared with Blumberg Memorial Library at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin.
Location Palo Alto College is on the south side of San Antonio, just inside Loop 410 and just east of I35. The Ozuna building stands in the center of the campus, between the Child Care Center and the Natatorium.
	The Ozuna Building In August of 1997 the new Ozuna library building opened, providing ample space for patrons and staff to work, easy access for users with disabilities, group study rooms, and a multimedia instruction room.
	LRC Entrance Entering the Ozuna building from either side, you arrive in the foyer which separates the east and west wings of the building. The LRC is located in the west wing. Faculty offices, computer classrooms, and the Megalab occupy the east wing. Note that the entrance to the LRC is the LEFT set of doors coming from the foyer.
Circulation Friendly Circulation folks	Circulation As you enter the LRC, the Circulation desk is immediately to your right. The friendly people there can check out books for you (you will need a photo ID), give you change, issue you a TexShare card, check out earphones for video viewing, take interlibrary loan requests, check out materials for using the group study rooms, and loan you reserve materials assigned by your instructor. This is also where you return books and other materials when you are finished with them. NOTE that when you print from any of the computers in the Information Concourse upstairs, the printouts come out in Circulation downstairs. The first ten copies and free and then copies are ten cents per page.
Reference Desk	Reference Desk Almost directly in front of you as you enter the LRC -- behind you if you are at the Circulation desk -- is the reference desk. There is another round reference desk upstairs. Both are normally staffed with qualified librarian/faculty members. These people are here to help you learn how to find the resources you need. Don't be shy about asking for help.
Online Catalog	Online Catalog To your left as you enter the LRC are computers for the online catalog. This catalog lists all the materials available in the various colleges of the Alamo Community College District (ACCD). The online catalog is located on the World Wide Web (WWW) so it is actually accessible from any computer in the building or from your home if you have an Internet connection. The URL is http://library.accd.edu/.
Magazine & Journal area	Current Periodicals Area If you walk straight into the LRC, after passing the Circulation desk and the displays, you will encounter an area with many comfortable chairs. This area is surrounded with the most recent issues of magazines and journals, organized in alphabetical order by title. On the wall beside this area are recent issues of several newspapers.
Print Indexes	Print Indexes Beside the leisure reading area can be found the Print Indexes. Print indexes are available by general subject area: humanities, sciences, agriculture, medicine, and so on. If you do not know how to search these indexes, ask the reference librarian.
	Instructional Innovation Department In the back right corner of the first floor, just to the right of the Children's Library, is the Institutional Innovation department. This department specializes in providing equipment for, and helping faculty produce, instructional materials.
	Children's Library Straight back from the entrance is the Children's Library. Children's books and computers are available. Parents should stay with their children. However, children over 5 may be left with the attendant (during the limited hours when an attendant is present) if the parent lets the attendant know where on campus the parent can be found in case of an emergency.
	Restrooms & Water In the center, at the back of both floors are restrooms and water fountains.
	Group Study Rooms There are group study rooms available on the second floor. These rooms may be reserved for use. If you wish to do this, see the reference librarian on the first floor.
	Book Stacks "Stacks" is just a library word for bookshelves. There are stacks on both floors of the LRC. Letters A through G of the call numbers (we use the Library of Congress Classification system) are on the first floor; H through Z are on the second floor. With the exception of children's materials, everything is shelved together. If you look up "fish", for instance, all the books, reference books, journals, magazines, government documents will be found in the same place on the shelf.
	The Stairs You may need to go to the second floor to find a book, to use a computer, or for a class or meeting. The stairs are to the left of the entrance as you come in. They are rather steep and not carpeted, so please hold onto the handrail.
	The Elevator If you do not wish to use the stairs, an elevator is available. It is located behind the stairs, to the far left as you enter the LRC.
	Quiet Study Area Upstairs is a quiet zone; an area where you may wish to study. There are plenty of tables and chairs.
	Photocopiers On both floors, for your convenience, a photocopiers are near the elevator entrance. On the second floor the copiers are in a small room opposite the elevator. Copies are ten cents each (the first ten copies are free). Copy cards are not used. You can usually (until they run out) get change at the Circulation desk, which is also in charge of addressing any problems you may have with the copy machines. The copiers now accept dollar bills.
	Instruction Room OZU 200 is the room number for the multimedia instruction room located on the second floor. The entrance doors face the top of the stairs.
	Adaptive Equipment Adaptive equipment is located in the Information Concourse on the second floor. Just tell the reference librarian on either floor that you want access and they will help you out.
	Information Concourse The Information Concourse contains a large number of computers for Web and other forms of research. The computers contain MS Word to be used for research purposes. In addition, the Concourse contains CD-ROM research materials, microfilm and microfiche materials and readers, video/TV viewing machines, and relevant indexes. The reference librarian can show you how to use the equipment. Some types of research printing are free; all other printing is ten cents per page (the first ten pages are free).
	The Web Site You are there. Hopefully, you will explore the various resources located here.
	Offices Upstairs, on the north side of the building, are administrative and faculty offices. If you are taking an Information Studies course, your instructor will probably be officed here. Come on in and say hi.
	Services Available Please see below.
Toiling at the Copier	Faculty and Staff The library currently has five full time faculty members, and several part time adjunct faculty, one administrator, plus professionals, and several college work study students. If you would like to see photographs of our permanent people, click here.
	Security As you leave the LRC you will have to pass through the security gates pictured here. This is to insure that no materials leave the LRC without first being checked out. This procedure is not to impose on your freedom, but rather to protect the resources of the LRC so that they will be available to you when you need them.
	Communicating With Us If you have questions or comments, feel free to write Colby Glass, chair of the teaching department. If you wish to talk to Circulation, to renew books, call 210-921-5080. If you wish to speak to a reference librarian, call 210-921-5087. If you wish to speak to an administrator, call 210-921-5100.

Collection Development

The immediate community is defined as Palo Alto College and the surrounding metropolitan area and adjoining rural communities. The extended community is the 28th Congressional District and areas not otherwise served by the proximity of a depository library.

In the area of government documents, the library currently selects 9.71% of the 6400 items available through the depository program.

Second Floor

Cooperative Efforts