Lewis C. Richardson Seminar Room

Lewis C. Richardson

In addition to its library functions, the Seminar Room hosts talks by eminent scholars from a variety of countries, as well as local experts, on topics of relevance to the Graduate Program. Any such talks are advertised on bulletin boards, via email, on the Richardson Seminar Room and English Department Facebook pages, and on the News page of this web site.

Seminar Room Academic Coordinator: Dr. Alicia Pousada
Seminar Room Librarian: Rosa I. Rivera Gutiérrez
Location: Pedreira Building - Room 108
Telephone: (787) 764-0000 ext. 3641
Email: richardson.seminar@gmail.com

Hours of operation

A sample of our book collection

For a detailed listing of the content of our collection of books, journals, recordings, and documents, go to: Seminar Room Holdings.

Guidelines for Activities

As the research and academic-development center of the English Department, the Richardson Seminar Room (RSR) may be used for academic lectures and cultural activities (such as poetry readings) during normal working hours (as defined by the schedule in effect at the time of the activity) or after hours when certain conditions are met. Classes are not normally held in the RSR, but under very specific conditions, groups of students may be brought into the RSR by professors. Activities held in the RSR should meet the following definitions:

	The non-class activity should be part of a lecture or cultural activity series, such as the RSR Lecture Series or the Ph.D. program series; that is, sponsorship will generally be by a standing committee within the department. Speakers, poets, etc., invited jointly by the English Department and another department or the Office of the Dean of Humanities may also speak in the RSR. If these conditions are not met, the Seminar Room Director may refuse permission for the RSR to be used for this activity.
	As noted above, classes are not normally held in the Seminar Room (i.e., the RSR is not a classroom), but professors in the English Department who are teaching a graduate course during the current semester may bring their classes in for orientation on the RSR holdings or to use certain holdings (holographs, reference works, etc., which would not ordinarily be taken out of the room) for a specific class purpose when the professor has secured prior permission of the Seminar Room Director or, under conditions specified in the Seminar Room Policy Guidelines, the Graduate Coordinator. These visits should be occasional, and for a specific purpose related to the RSR.

Use of the room both during and outside regular working hours will be subject to the rules and procedures specified below:

	The activity organizer will notify the librarian and the Seminar Room Director of the date and hour desired for use of the room, and all other pertinent details, in order to be sure that conditions for use of the room are met and that no conflicting activity has been scheduled.
	The activity must not be of a size too large to be comfortably accommodated within the RSR; that is, no more than approximately 30 people should be expected to attend. Should attendance exceed expectations at the time of the activity, it is advisable (for security reasons as well as comfort) that another venue be found and the activity be transferred to a larger space.
	If the activity is scheduled for a time outside the regular hours of RSR operation, the RSR Director or a member of the Graduate Committee designated by the Director (or, in the absence of the RSR Director, the Graduate Coordinator, as specified in the RSR Policy Guidelines) must be present to supervise use of the room and be responsible for its maintenance and its contents.
	At the start of the activity, bags, and other belongings of all persons attending the activity must be left behind the door as the person enters, in order to prevent pilferage or “unauthorized borrowing.” In accordance with the notice posted on the door of the RSR, persons who do not agree with this rule will not be allowed to attend the event. All guests should sign the guestbook before sitting down.
	No eating, drinking, or smoking will be allowed in the Seminar Room at any time. All cell phones and beepers must be turned off.
	The room must be left neat, with all furniture and other items in place as they were before the event. Failure to restore the room to its original condition may result in loss of use privileges.

The Seminar Room is not a meeting room; committee meetings will not, with the exception noted below, be held in the RSR.

	Meetings of committees directly related to functions or operations of the Seminar Room may be held in the room, with permission of the Seminar Room Director. Even so, meetings should not interfere with the orderly functioning of the room. That is, readers should be able to read during the meeting, and users, use the room.
	Meetings with graduate students for the purpose of orientation and course registration may be scheduled in the late afternoon when they are less likely to disturb regular functioning of the Room.

No meetings should be held after regular hours of operation; other venues should be found.

English Department MA and PhD theses

Lending Policies for Bibliographic Materials

The Richardson Seminar Room is not a lending library, but certain books and materials may be checked out overnight or over a weekend. The lending policy for these materials is as follows (equipment lending rules are covered by the "Richardson Seminar Room Equipment Lending Policy"):

1. Periodicals, reference books, theses, and materials from the vertical files may not be checked out.
   
2. Professors, graduate students in the English Department, and any students taking graduate courses in the English Department may check out up to 2 bibliographic items (excluding those enumerated in [1] above) for 2 nights. The books should be returned no later than 10:00 am the next working day after the second night.
   
3. All loans require a signature, an ID of some kind to be left at the Room, and a phone number, so we may contact the borrower if the material is needed urgently.
   
4. For photocopying brief extracts, users should use the photocopier in the Room. If it is not functional, users may take materials out of the Room for brief periods, not to exceed 2 hours, if they leave a valid current ID with the librarian or attendant. Photocopying cards are available on the second floor of the Lazaro Library, and refilling the cards may be done there, in the Department of Music, or in the library in the Communication building.
   
5. Users who fail to return the materials when due will forfeit their user privileges.