Instruction and Class Use
Seminar rooms:
Three seminar rooms and a press room are available for faculty and classes engaged in course work and research projects based upon Bancroft Library materials. Each seminar room comfortably seats 18 people. Additional seating up to 15 can be accomodated upon request.
Faculty members must reserve the use of these rooms for individual or weekly class meetings. The Bancroft Library cannot guarantee the availability of a room without a reservation.
Make a seminar room reservation
Request Bancroft Library materials for a seminar
Guidelines for using materials in seminar rooms
Check-in procedures for instructors and participants
Seminar room reservations
To arrange a date and time for a seminar, please contact The Bancroft Library Administrative Services Office, (510) 642-3781, at least one week before the date of the seminar.
If you leave a telephone or email message, Bancroft staff will confirm the availability of the room requested within 24 hours. Please do not assume that a request is confirmed without a telephone or electronic mail confirmation.
Request Bancroft Library materials for a seminar
In order to reserve Bancroft Library materials for classes, please fill out the Materials Request Form. All requests must be sent to Lee Anne Kolker (lkolker@library.berkeley.edu).
Via the online form, please provide the following information:
- Instructor name
- Course number/Group name
- Name of room reserved
- All dates and times for which the materials are needed
- Call number of item(s)
- Title of item(s)
- Time after which materials may be returned to the stacks or,
for extended holds, what date may they be discharged
All requests for materials should be submitted at least 1 week prior to the seminar to ensure availability. In addition, the Library reserves the right to restrict access to certain material.
Please limit the number of items to be used in a single class to minimize deterioration of the collections.
Guidelines for using materials in seminar rooms
The faculty leader of each class assumes responsibility for the safety and preservation of research materials following the Guidelines for the Care and Handling of Bancroft Material. All individuals participating should be aware of these rules:
- Food or drink should never be taken into seminar rooms; hands should be washed prior to handling materials during the seminar.
- Backpacks and containers are not permitted in seminar rooms.
- The use of pens is not permitted in seminar rooms.
- All materials examined at seminars should be handled with great care. Manuscripts should not be removed from their folders and should be kept in order within their folders. "Shot bags" (special weights used to hold books open) will be provided upon request. Nothing else should be placed on books to prop volumes open.
- Large books and manuscripts as well as books with weak or damaged bindings should always be placed on a book stand or book cradle for viewing. Material should be handled as little as possible. Seminar participants should be instructed to gather around the object, which should be placed on a book stand to minimize handling.
- For special handling considerations, consult the Reference Desk.
Check-in procedures for instructors and participants
Seminar instructors:
The instructor should arrange for the seminar room to be opened when ready and retrieve the daily roster sheet for
participants from the Registration Desk. Collection material will be delivered when the class has assembled.
Seminar participants:
All seminar participants must sign in on a daily roster sheet supplied by
the instructor.
After the seminar:
Use the telephone in the seminar room to call the Registration desk to have the material removed. Material must never be left unattended: please remain with the material until it is collected by Bancroft staff. Alert staff if material needs to be placed on hold for subsequent class use. Unless otherwise notified, all materials will be re-shelved. Please return the daily roster sheet to the Registration Desk.
Seminar Rooms

Baldwin G. Lamson Seminar Room
Location: Room 375, Third Floor
Capacity: Table seats 18, up to 15 perimeter seating
Accommodations: AirBears, chalkboard, art display easel, projector screen

Jean and Irving Stone Seminar Room
Location: Room 373, Third Floor
Capacity: Table seats 18, up to 15 perimeter seating
Accommodations: AirBears, art display easel, projector screen
Note: This room houses a portion of the Irving Stone collection.

Krouzian Seminar Room
Location: Room 371, Third Floor
Capacity: Table seats 18, up to 15 perimeter seating
Accommodations: AirBears, chalkboards, art display easel, projector screen

Press Room
Location: Room 377, Third Floor
Accommodations: AirBears, early hand printing presses, moveable type
Note: This room is reserved for the History 200X course, "The Hand Printed Book in its Historical Context"
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