Help us keep your library a safe, clean, and pleasant place to study, research, create, and collaborate by being considerate of fellow library users and avoiding behavior that interferes with the appropriate use of the library or that could result in a safety hazard, injury, or damage to library property. Failure to abide by any of the rules listed below may result in the loss of library privileges, including access to the library building, and/or referral to the University Police.
Abuse of library materials, equipment, furniture, and facilities will not be tolerated. Mutilating library materials includes but is not limited to marking, underlining, removing pages or portions of pages, removing binding, removing bar-codes, removing call number labels, removing electronic theft devices, using post-it’s and paperclips, or in any other way damaging or defacing library materials.
Soiling or defacing library furniture is also prohibited, as is any behavior that leaves the furniture or facility in an unsanitary condition.
Maliciously accessing, altering, deleting, damaging, or destroying any computer system, laptop, network, computer program, or data is also not permitted. Such acts may be construed as vandalism and violate California Education Code Section 19910 and California Penal Code Section 594.
The Public Announcement (PA) system is used to make closing announcements and for emergency broadcasts. To minimize disruptions, the PA system is not available for paging individual patrons.
The University Library provides computer workstations to support the scholarly activities of CSUDH faculty, students, and staff. Priority use of library computer workstations is for members of the CSUDH community who are conducting academic research.
Please be sensitive to the public nature of shared computer workstations and do not:
Please be respectful of others and behave in a manner that supports an atmosphere conducive to study, research, and learning. Library users must not engage in any activity prohibited by law or campus policy. Please avoid all disruptive behavior, including but not limited to verbal or physical abuse, intimidation or harassment of any kind (such as sexual harassment and harassment based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.), and viewing materials that create a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment. Additionally, personal hygiene should not be disruptive, unpleasant, or interfere with other patrons’ use of the library.
Organized events may not be held in the library without prior permission from Library Administration. For more information, please see the library’s Scheduling Events and Reserving Rooms policy.
The library strives to provide excellent service to all library users and welcomes thoughtful feedback that can help us improve. In-person feedback will be relayed to the appropriate supervisor. Written feedback may be submitted online via the library's feedback form. All comments submitted through the form are sent to Library Administration for review and response.
Food and drink pose a risk to library collections, equipment, and furnishings. To minimize damage to collections and maintain a clean environment conducive to quiet study, food is prohibited in most areas of the building. However, the library has established two food-friendly areas, and drinks are permitted throughout most of the building, provided that they are in spill resistant containers with lids.
The library has two "food-friendly" areas: The Dominguez Den on the second floor of the north side of the building (the area behind the Book Checkout Desk). The second floor Mancillas Courtyard, located between the building’s entrance and the Research Help Desk.
Food is prohibited in all other areas of the library. Although beverages with lids are permitted throughout most of the library, they are not allowed in Archives and Special Collections. Only bottled water is allowed on the fifth floor.
Occasionally the library sponsors special events that include food service. The location and food guidelines specific to each sponsored event are carefully selected and approved by university administration.
Library users are required to leave the library at closing, during emergencies and evacuations, and when requested to do so by library employees or University Police.
The library’s lost and found is located at the Book Checkout Desk on the 2nd floor. For inquiries, call (310) 243-3712. Important items such as wallets, purses, bank cards, phones, iPads, and laptops are taken to the University Police Department as soon as possible. University Police is located on the lower level of Welch Hall, room 100. They are open 24 hours a day, and can be contacted at (310) 243-3639.
Supervising and ensuring the safety of minors in the University Library, as in any public place, is the responsibility of parents or legal guardians, and not library employees. For their safety and well-being, minors under the age of 15 should be accompanied at all times by an adult caregiver.
Parents or guardians should be aware of the following safety concerns:
The University Library is committed to providing a welcoming environment that is conducive to a variety of study needs. Some are designed to facilitate conversation and collaboration while others are silent spaces where conversation and phone use are not permitted.
The fourth floor of Library South is designated as a silent area.
Students can engage in group work on all floors except for the fourth floor. However, please keep conversations at a low volume. Students working in groups may also wish to check out a group study room through the Technology Checkout office.
Excessive noise or any disturbance interfering with another person's use of the library is prohibited throughout the building. Excessive noise includes: loud conversations, snoring, and using audio devices (cell phones, radios, CD/MP3 players, etc.) in such a manner as to disturb others. This type of behavior is in violation of California Penal Code Sections 415 and 415.5.
The Campus Bookstore and the Grab & Go convenience stores (in Welch Hall and in the Social and Behavioral Sciences building) offer a wide variety of office supplies. Our library services desks are able to supply students with minimal supplies and equipment. Library supplies such as staplers, hole punchers, scissors, rulers, pencil sharpeners, pens, highlighters, etc. must be used at the service desks and returned when the task is complete.
Please do not leave your belongings unattended at any time. The library is not responsible for loss or damage to personal property. Books, laptops, backpacks, briefcases, mobile devices, or other personal belongings left unattended are at risk of being stolen. If you leave the library, you must take all of your belongings with you. Library staff retain the right to discard unattended items or place them in the library’s “Lost and Found” as appropriate.
Sleeping in the library is discouraged due to safety concerns. Community users are reminded that the library is open to them for research purposes and not for sleeping. Lying on furniture or on the floor is not permitted as the former could damage or soil the furniture and the latter poses a safety hazard to other library users attempting to navigate the building.
Tobacco products of any sort (including e-cigarettes), alcoholic beverages, and illegal drugs (including being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs) are prohibited in the library. Student violators will be subject to CSU (California State University) student disciplinary procedures established pursuant to Title 5, Section 41301 of the California Code of Regulations.
Backpacks, briefcases, book bags and all other bags are subject to inspection upon exiting the library. Should you set off the alarm when walking through the gates, please do not leave. Instead, return to the Book Checkout Desk and allow User Services staff and/or students assistants to desensitize library-owned materials that have been checked out.
To prevent theft of books and library materials, state law authorizes the detention, for a reasonable period, of any person using the facilities who is suspected of committing "library theft." The theft of books and library materials is considered petty theft and is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment (California Penal Code 490.5).
Unauthorized firearms, weapons, fireworks, explosives, or other dangerous devices or substances are not permitted in the library (California Penal Code Section 626).