Contact Information
Administration (213) 740 0049
Circulation (213) 740 4350
Upper Commons (213) 740 7988
Reference (213) 740 6938
Customer Support (213) 740 5555
Ask-A-Librarian
Information Commons at Leavey Library
Computers in the Information Commons are for the use of USC faculty, staff and currently enrolled students only. Computers require a USC login and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No game playing is allowed. Any computer left unattended for more than 10 minutes will be given to the next person in line.
Computing Facilities
Leavey Library supports a full range of computing facilities. The Lower Commons, located on the lower level of Leavey, has 39 Macintosh and 71 PC computers. The Dorothy Leavey Memorial Commons, or Upper Commons, is located on the second floor and has 70 PC computers and 40 study carrels with network connections for laptop computers. All computers in both Commons have USB ports and CD/DVD drives.
Additional computer workstations are available in the Learning Rooms (on the Lower Level). These computers are available when the rooms are not in use for a class.
Learning Room A: 20 PC computers
Learning Room B: 24 Macintosh computers
In the Lower Commons, Express Stations, marked with signs, are available for a maximum of 5 minutes to send print jobs or for short computing sessions (such as checking E-mail). Public access stations, which have Internet access but no productivity software, are also available on the first and second levels of Leavey as well as in the Lower Commons.
Software
Listings of software installed in Information Technology Services computing centers and the Information Commons:
Macintosh Pentium PCs
Printing
USC Libraries provides printing options from all library research terminals, Leavey Library Information Commons and Multi-Media Lab computers. The new print system is designed to increase the flexibility available to USC Libraries' users in choosing where their output is picked up.
Print output is available in 8.5 x 11 only. The print system's default color job type is mixed. It assesses each job's color pages and black & white pages and charges accordingly (e.g. if you print out a report with a single color image on one page, you will be charged for 1 color page, while all the other pages will be charged at the black and white rate)
Printouts can only be paid for by USCard (discretionary account or payroll deduction). A USCard automated value transfer station, located on Leavey's Lower Level, allows users to add cash to their discretionary account if needed.
Pricing for Printing
- Black & White: 12c
- Double-sided Black & White: 16c (per sheet)
- Color: 50c
- Double-sided Color: 70c (per sheet
Jobs with both color and black & white pages will be charged for each page type separately.
To facilitate research, each library is also equipped with a color photocopier, and several libraries have additional copiers specifically designed for book copying as well. For more information, please see www.usc.edu/libraries/printing/
Research and Computing Consultation
Leavey librarians, staff and student navigation assistants (SNAs) are available to assist patrons with research using a combination of print, electronic and Internet resources. They can also assist with computing questions regarding productivity software and E-mail.
Simple reference questions can be answered by phone at (213) 740 6938 (Leavey Reference Desk). For chat or E-mail reference go to Ask-A-Librarian. If you have in-depth computing questions, please call the Customer Support Center at (213) 740 5555.
Reference librarian hours for the fall and spring are 12 p.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Student navigation assistants are available whenever the library is open to assist with research and computing questions.
As of May 14, 2007, the ITS Customer Support Center walk-in area will be located in Leavey Library's Lower Commons at the Reference and Computer Consultation Desk. This new location allows ITS and the USC Libraries to offer the university community a common point of contact for IT and reference help.
ITS walk-in services such as account assistance, software support, and statistical software distribution, which were previously available in the Jefferson building, room 150, are now available in this new location between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please see the CSC site: www.usc.edu/its/csc/
Reference Collection
Leavey has a wide variety of print and electronic reference resources that are available to aid your research. The reference collection is located in the Lower Commons in bookcases along the perimeter of the room and behind the reference desk.
Leavey also has two special collections located behind the reference desk to aid you in your research:
Computer collection: help books on Leavey's major productivity tools, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, statistical programs and graphics software.
Issues collection: focuses on current events and "hot topics." The issues collection includes the serials Current Biography, CQ Research and The Reference Shelf. This collection helps users become familiar with an issue's key points and people, as well as providing an overall perspective on the issue.
Collaborative Workrooms
Both commons have rooms available for group study. The Lower Commons has 19 rooms, designed for groups of five to 12 people. The Upper Commons has 13 rooms, designed for three to four people. All workrooms provide a white board, dry erase markers and network connections for laptops. Workrooms 3K through 3X in the Lower Commons have PC computers. Reservations may be made in advance at the reference desks in the Upper and Lower Commons. You must make reservations in person; reservations are not taken over the phone. You will need to show your USCard while using the room. Other important information on reserving and using collaborative workrooms is on the Collaborative Workrooms page.
Writing Consultation
In cooperation with the Writing Center, writing consultants are available Monday through Thursday from 7-9 p.m. in room 3Z (lower level, northwest corner) during the fall and spring semesters.
Adaptive Technologies Room
The adaptive technologies room is located in room 3AA in the Lower Commons. Leavey and the Center for Academic Support and Disability Services and Programs work together to provide users with disabilities equal access to computing resources through a variety of adaptive technologies.
For more information on the available technologies and on the training program for their use, please contact the Academic Support and Disability Services and Programs Office at (213) 740 0776.