About our collections

• Where can I find Stanford Honors theses?
• How can I access newspapers online?
• Do Stanford Libraries have audio books?
• What does it mean when the catalog says a book is "In Transit"?
• What does it mean, in the catalog, when the location is "In Process"?
• What does it mean when a book says it has to be paged for delivery?
• There is an incorrect book cover for a SearchWorks record. What can I do?
• Do you have new books displayed somewhere?
• What if a book is not on the shelf where it's supposed to be?
• Where do I ship a library book I forgot to return?
• Can I return a book to Green Library if I checked it out at another library?
• What does it mean in the catalog, when the location is "B&F"?

About our services

• How can I print, copy, scan?
• Can I get items emailed to me?
• How can I make articles available on Canvas?
• Does Stanford Libraries appraise the value of books?
• Can I have a book or a DVD put on hold for me to pick up later?
• Can I send a fax from the library?
• Does the library offer exam-proctoring services?

Miscellaneous

• Where can I find library job postings?
• Where is the Raubitschek Room?
• Are the Stanford yearbooks online?
• What is the green statue in Green library, in the Lane Reading Room?
• Is information about Kircher's Magnetic Clock in Green Library available online?
• What do the three figures on the Bing Wing facade represent?

About our collections

Where can I find Stanford Honors theses?

Not all Stanford Honors theses have been systematically collected. Some are kept in branch libraries. You can check the Online Archive of California to locate finding aids for the honors theses collections in our University Archives and follow instructions on their How To Request Materials page.

How can I access newspapers online?

Many newspapers are available online through databases. The database Factiva, for example, offers access to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Barron's, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Investor's Business Daily, American Banker, Forbes, and the Times of London. The Washington Post can also be accessed through its website, by clicking on the "eJournal Subscription" link in the catalog record. The Wall Street Journal Digital content can be accessed through the Business Library's databases list. Check out the Newspapers and News Sources Guide for more info!

Do Stanford Libraries have audio books?

Not really. To search for a particular book, try SearchWorks and limit the format to "sound recordings." We have some poets and famous authors reading selections, but generally these are not in a format that circulates. Public libraries generally have large audiobook holdings, and you can download audiobooks (though not for free) on sites such as Simply Audio Books and Audible.

What does it mean when the catalog says a book is "In Transit"?

"In Transit" means that the book has been sent from one library to another library, and hasn't arrived yet. It could also mean that it is on its way to another location for repair.

What does it mean, in the catalog, when the location is "In Process"?

"In Process" means that the item has been received and is being processed for use. Usually, it is not more than a week or two for the item to arrive on the shelf. In Process materials can be requested by using the link that says Request This Item (with SUNet ID). The Circulation Desk will email you when it is available and will keep it for you at their desk. If there is no "Request" link, go to the Circulation Desk and ask them to put a hold on it.

What does it mean when a book says it has to be paged for delivery?

Stanford has several Auxiliary Libraries that provide storage for less-frequently-used materials. You may request (“page”) these items be delivered to Green Library. Materials are only paged on weekdays.

However, delivery times vary by the day and auxiliary library:

• SAL1&2 is on campus – items are delivered to Green each weekday afternoon, at approximately 4:30 pm. Items requested after 1 pm will be delivered the next business day. You can also visit this library. Hours are listed on the library homepage.
• SAL3 is off campus and is a storage only facility – items requested before 12 pm are delivered to Green the following business day, at approximately 10 am. Items requested after 12 pm are delivered two business days later. For quickest delivery, choose Green Library as your pickup location.
• SAL Newark is off campus – items are delivered twice weekly, at approximately 5 pm. Please plan ahead when requesting SAL Newark materials.

All paged items are held for you at the Circulation Desk for seven days. 

See Paging from Stanford Auxiliary Libraries for more details.

There is an incorrect book cover for a SearchWorks record. What can I do?

The images for our records are provided by Google Books, and may not match the title. You are welcome to report any problem to us through the Feedback form from the link on the upper right toolbar. We will report this to Google, but we have no control on the ultimate outcome.

Do you have new books displayed somewhere?

Yes. Selected recent fiction is in the Lane Reading Room with HAS-Fiction on your left after you enter and HAS-Newbooks (humanities and area studies) on your right. For selected new books in the social sciences, see the bookshelves near the reception desk in the Social Sciences Resource Center (SSRC). All of these new books can be checked out.

What if a book is not on the shelf where it's supposed to be?

If the book is listed as available at Green Library, noted by a green check mark and with the location Green on the catalog record (near the call number), double check that you are in the right section of the stacks. You will notice that the books around the one you want are about very similar topics. To decipher the Library of Congress Call number system, you can visit the  Library of Congress Call Number system.

If the location is SAL, there is a link in the catalog record to request the item. You will receive an email when the book is available for you. 

If there is a red x by the call number, it is checked out. You can recall the item from the borrower by clicking on the Request link in the catalog record. If you do not have a SUNet ID, the Request links lets you put a hold on the item and you will be notified when it is returned and available. 

If the book isn't on the shelf, ask a reference librarian if they can help you. Especially at the end of each quarter, there is a backlog of books waiting to be re-shelved.

If you still can't find the book, go to the Circulation Desk and fill out a search request form and library staff will notify you if they find it.

Where do I ship a library book I forgot to return?

Please ship to:

Cecil H. Green Library
Access Services Dept.
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6063 

Can I return a book to Green Library if I checked it out at another library?

It is best to return the book to the original library so that it doesn't mistakenly get shelved in the wrong place. However, we will do our best to return books to the proper library if we find them among Green Library books.

What does it mean, in the catalog when the location is "B&F"?

"B&F" designates Binding and Finishing. Ask at the Circulation Desk when will access to the resource be available. Journals, for example, are sent out of state to be bound together like a book. Other material may be sent to our in-house unit for repair.

About our services

How can I print, copy, scan?

Printers/Copiers/Scanners are available throughout Green Library, including the following locations:

• Hohbach Hall - 2 Cannon printers
• SSRC Hall - 4 Cannon printers
• Hallway leading to Rotunda - 2 Cannon printer

The printers do not take cash. You must use a Stanford ID card.

Scanning is free.

For detailed directions, see the Cardinal Print page.

Can I get items emailed to me?

For materials located at SAL1&2 and SAL3, Stanford patrons can request a Scan-to-PDF of a chapter, article, or up to 50 pages by clicking on the "Request" button in the catalog record, and then clicking on "Scan to PDF". If the Stanford Libraries do not hold the materials you need, you can request them through Interlibrary Borrowing.

How can I make articles available on Canvas?

You can link to articles from Canvas. More information can be found on the Copyright Reminder Page's Link to it page.

Does Stanford Libraries appraise the value of books?

No. Book appraisal services are not offered by the Stanford University Libraries, but consider using the following resources for getting the valuation of old books on your own. In the San Francisco Bay area, try The Brick Row Book Shop.

The Brick Row Book Shop offers appraisal services of books, manuscripts and archives for numerous purposes: donation to educational institutions, replacement value for insurance coverage, division of property, establishment of a fair market value for sale, etc. There is a link on their site for Appraisals.

There is also a public site: AbeBooks.com, which is an online marketplace for old books. Or you can show your book to a book dealer. Any major yellow pages will list Books, Used & Rare.

A couple of good, general sites for analyzing the value of books are: Bookride is an amusing site with lots of advice and links and lastly there is ViaLibri with a search engine for checking about 20,000 book dealers worldwide.

Can I have a book or a DVD put on hold for me to pick up later?

If you've paged an item that's normally housed at SAL or SAL3, it will be held for you at the Circulation Desk. Otherwise we do not hold DVDs or books that are currently in the stacks here at Green Library.

Can I send a fax from the library?

Yes. The Cardinal Print program allows you to send faxes; see instructions on the Cadinal Print Faxing page. 

Does the library offer exam-proctoring services?

Green Library does not provide exam-proctoring services.

Miscellaneous

Where can I find library job postings?

Students can apply for jobs on the library’s Human Resources website. 

Where is the Raubitschek Room?

The Raubitschek Collection/Medieval Reading Room is located on the 3rd floor of Green East, room 351, two right turns off the main stairs, past the rest rooms. It is named in honor of the late professor emeritus Antony E. Raubitschek. It brings together the primary texts of Greek and Latin epigraphy and papyrology, together with the necessary secondary and reference literature. The Medieval Studies Room, also in Room 351, contains a non-circulating collection of medieval studies texts.

Are the Stanford yearbooks online?

Yes, the Stanford yearbooks, known as "The Quads" are viewable online through their SearchWorks record.

What is the green statue in Green Library, in the Lane Reading Room?

The green statue in the Lane Reading Room is a sculpture titled Ogham Speaks, by Irish artist John Coll, acquired from The Kenny Gallery in Galway, Ireland. The Nobel laureates W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney, are depicted on each of the stone's edges. Ogham - or Ogam - is a script that preserves the earliest known form of the Irish language. Druidic in origin, it appeared in Ireland around the second century AD, carved as a series of lines on the edge of "standing stones" and read from the base upward. Standing stones usually marked an important feature or person in the Celtic landscape. The name Ogham is derived from Ogmios or Ogma, the classical god of eloquence.

Is information about Kircher's Magnetic Clock in Green Library available online?

Yes, it is. For that information, and more, check out the Athanasius Kircher Project.

What do the three figures on the Bing Wing facade represent? 

There are three roundels above the Bing Wing portal, each housing a relief figure. The figures represent (from left to right) Art, Philosophy, and Science. They were executed by San Francisco sculptor Edgar Walter; the exact date of their design and creation is unknown. Scholars and librarians can take pleasure in the fact that the figure representing Philosophy is shown with an open book in his hands.