 | The Aylett Borel Cotton Library, named for one of the founders of the school, is located on the ground floor of the historic Uplands mansion in the heart of the CSUS campus. A full-time librarian and a half-time library assistant serve the community Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. A copy machine and a laser printer are available for student use. An electronic card catalog and nine computers allow students to access library inventory, search the Internet and download information. Online subscription databases include the Oxford English Dictionary, InfoTrac, and maps and specialized sources for science and for Spanish scholars. Strong collections in social sciences and biography highlight the facility. The library occupies three rooms and 850 square feet. With seating for 85, the space allows for both individual and group study, and for two classes to work in the library at the same time. The large number of students reading and studying in the library between classes attests to its status as a center of campus life.
View recent additions to our library's collections>> |
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- 3 rooms
- 15,150 books
- 38 periodicals
- 4 daily newspapers
- 405+ videos and DVDs
- 1,915+ art slides
- 30 online subscription databases
- Special collections include
- Heather Woods Poetry Corner
- Patsy Margolis Jazz Collection
- Harriet Harper Memorial Collection
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Cotton Library | Q. | Who was Aylett Cotton?
| | A. | Aylett Cotton was one of the founders of CSUS. He was a prominent lawyer in San Mateo, a grandson of both the Borels and the Bovets, both of whom had helped found the city. His daughters and granddaughters attended CSUS and he was a lifelong trustee as well as an avid book collector and history buff. |
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| Q. | Why are the library’s rooms called Reference, Fiction and Folger?
| | A. | Reference = Once called the “L-shaped” room by early classes, the Reference Room is so named because the reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, atlases, etc.) and the reference librarian are housed there. Have a question? Go to the Reference Room.
Fiction = This room houses all of the novels and short stories, otherwise known as fiction.
Folger = Named for Peter Folger, school trustee in the 1970s. This room was remodeled to honor him by his children, one of whom, Elizabeth, is a member of the Class of 1979. Mr. Folger was also CEO of Folger’s Coffee. A memorial bronze plaque can be found to the left of the doors leading out of the Folger Room toward the science wing. |
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| Q. | Who lived in the Mansion when it was a home?
| | A. | The Uplands was built by architect Willis Polk for Charles Templeton Crocker, heir to railroad and bank money, and his bride, Helene Irwin. |
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| Q. | What were the library rooms used for when the mansion was a home?
| | A. | The Reference Room was the parlor of the home. Initially, it was decorated in splendid Louis XV style. Mrs. Crocker entertained her guests here.
The Fiction Room was the library of the home, complete with a nine foot red velvet sofa in front of the fireplace and reading lamps on every bookcase (the hidden plugs are still up there). It was wallpapered in Marseilles silk woven especially for the Crockers. A sample of the original wallpaper hangs in a frame on the east wall of the room.
The Folger Room was an open air loggia which was furnished with patio furniture and potted plants. The room was enclosed in the 1980s to add more space to the library without compromising the footprint of the Mansion. |
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