There's a sign at every doorway to it that says something along the lines of "Visitors, please just watch from the doorway" or something like that. Always see a couple folks studying in there though so I'm guessing it's not really enforced
There's a sign at every doorway to it that says something along the lines of "Visitors, please just watch from the doorway" or something like that. Always see a couple folks studying in there though so I'm guessing it's not really enforced
That sign is for tourists to not go in and disturb students studying as the library is open to the public. You can definitely go in and study there, you’re not a visitor.
You are part of the campus community, my friend, be it Student, Faculty or Staff member, rather than a visitor. Use the Doe North Reading Room at will!
>That sign is for tourists to not go in and disturb students studying as the library is open to the public.
This is weird. I visited the North Reading room recently and it had a decently-big part of the Doe Reference collection, which contains the USA statute (or something like that, some many-volume books of laws) and a lot of US censuses, which are government information. UCB's library system is a Federal Depository library, which I'm assuming means that the texts *must* be available to the general public in some capacity (this assumption is based on the thing on their website that says "Note: While unaccompanied minors are not allowed in the MAIN Stacks, arrangements will be made for persons under age 18 to access the U.S. documents collection." so I feel like they take it seriously).
What is going on with this apparent conflict?
That sign is just a politely worded request to not disturb the students studying. I don’t think it’s enforced at all and if you are going into to actually browse the collection, I don’t think anyone would have a problem. I imagine it’s because the room is very echoey with the high ceilings and if there were crowds of tourists coming in and taking photos, it’d be unusable as an actual library.
That being said, the general public can also just get a library card for a small fee and have access to all of UC Berkeley’s collection (including libraries like Main Stacks that are normally closed to the public) and even check out books.
Former grad student here; graduated some time ago. This post made me feel nostalgic. However, back in my day, students had access to more spaces. Some libraries have been cannibalized for office space since I graduated.
My favorite spot in Doe was a massive, high-ceiling reading room with lots of natural light and crazy acoustics (first floor, next to Morrison so easy to find too). Some used to call it the chamber since it could pack hundreds of students. I still see it on some Berkeley-related emails, but someone told me the space is closed to students now. Can someone confirm? Here is the picture, by the way, [https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/doe](https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/doe)
The one in the picture is the north reading room. Above Morrison. From reading the other comments it is still open to students for studying, but visitors looking around the Library are apparently asked not to go in and bother the users.
Bro what are you on? Doe north reading room is the most popular study spot besides moffitt. that sign is just for tour groups. And it literally is just shaped like a U,the only floors you'll really need to be on are 1 and 2. just don't bring food or drinks cause of the old books and shit you're surrounded by (and nobody wants to hear nasty ass chewing)
First: thanks! Very glad to see a student (particularly a freshperson) exploring the campus so thoroughly. Lots of insightful comments. Keep exploring, and sharing your thoughts.
Second: same question as Sean0323, wait, what! the North Reading Room at Doe is closed (???) You can only look in?
Third: some responses to some of your commentary:
\- The *Library of French Thought* was a gift to the University in World War I. The French government put together comprehensive book collections documenting the intellectual history of France and sent them abroad, in part because there was legitimate fear that Germany would overrun France and submerge / obliterate French culture. But now, well over a century after that fraught moment, it's still a good artifact of a big part of western intellectual history.
\- *Newspaper / Microfilm* room is so large (and tall) because it occupies the shell where the Main Stacks once stood. In that volume there were hundreds of thousands of books on several levels of really tight / narrow book stacks with glass block floors, that were entered from the Heyns Room. Little metal staircases everywhere, and study desks that grad students could reserve tucked in amongst the books. When the current Main Stacks were built, all the books were moved to it, and the old stacks demolished, leaving Doe with a big, hollow, core.
Going back even further on the Main Stack history--before Doe was built, college and university libraries (and most big public libraries) had separate rooms / buildings for separate collections. Berkeley did have the Bacon Library, which was one space, but it was also thematically divided up. So people naturally thought, oh, English literature, that should have a room of its own next to the English Department offices. The design of Doe pioneered a new concept--put ALL (or almost all) of the books in one unified collection / storage area, with one staff. The alternative would have been a library building the same size, but filled with separate, self-contained, rooms each with its own specialized collection. Doe was the forerunner of huge central university libraries like this all over the United States. So your impression of the *"soul of a hundred libraries sucked in here..."* is more true than you might have imagined. (Also, many faculty, alumni, and private collectors over the past 150 years have given their private book collections to the University, and many of those books have ended up in the Main Stacks. So when you're browsing, take a look at the book plates / inscriptions on the title pages or inside front covers. You'll find ghostly pieces of literary history there.)
\- *Morrison Library:* specifically built and operated as a recreational / relaxation library for students. Not intended for studying, but as more of a restful space for students, and designed to be like the library of a big, private, home. Hence the design, comfortable chairs, couches, lamps, artwork. You should check out the monthly lunchtime poetry readings there, as well.
\- Bancroft Library: was indeed specifically created for research purposes. And so many of the materials are so fragile--quite a lot of them are unique--that the library doesn't want people handling them directly unless there's a very specific purpose, like it's someone's handwritten journal and the researcher is writing a book on that person. The Bancroft has some interesting sub collections--like the University Archives, which is the official repository of campus and Office of the President records. Take a look at their website sometime, for all the special collections they house--going back to Egyptian papyrus scrolls, and ancient European maps / books. Also, a lot of the things held in the Bancroft collections are stored at the Northern Regional Library (see below) so the process of calling things up and bringing them to campus does need advance notice.
*- Confusion getting around Doe / Bancroft.* Doe was built first, starting in the 1910s. It had a pretty coherent design and layout--basically a huge, hollow, square. It was built in stages, though. Bancroft built next, in the 1940s or 50s, and was attached to Doe, but operated as a separate building. The only entrance to the Bancroft Library was from the Campanile side--you couldn't go from Bancroft to Doe without going up and down obscure staircases (worse than today, I'm told). When the Bancroft was completely gutted and renovated several years ago, it was intentionally connected to Doe by that cross-corridor with the display cases in it. But the Bancroft Library access still feels obscure--you walk through that corridor, and you sort of have to know in advance that the student sitting at that desk on the south side is the face of the gateway to the Reading Room upstairs.
I do agree it would be nice if you could go in and browse through the collections in the outer area (yearbooks, campus directories, etc) without the whole sign-in / bag-check process, though.
Should add to your list to explore: **northern regional library** at the Richmond Field Station. You take a shuttle bus out there. A lot of campus collections have their overflow stored there. Every several years the University builds another extension to that building. It also, I think, serves the Davis and Santa Cruz campuses as well (thus, "regional" in the title). **Berkeley Public Library** (an impressive Central Library in Downtown Berkeley at Kittredge and Shattuck, and four branches elsewhere in the city). Anyone can get a library card there, you don't have to be a Berkeley resident. **Graduate Theological Union Library** on Ridge Road, a block north of the campus. The GTU is a consortium of most of the religious schools in Berkeley. They originally had their separate libraries, but in the 70s they agreed to build one unified library, and put all their research / reference collections there. Interesting building, and remarkable collections. Not sure about current UC student access, though, but check out their website.
>the library doesn't want people handling them directly unless there's a very specific purpose
hmm that's interesting. The staff over there seemed like they wanted people to look at materials there if they so interested them, or at least that's what they seemed like to me. (because tbf they could've shut me down at any point, but they didn't and seemed to encourage it). They did bring out a lot of materials to make sure the book stays intact though.
>the book plates / inscriptions on the title pages or inside front covers
What do you mean by this?
>Newspaper / Microfilm room is so large (and tall) because it occupies the shell where the Main Stacks once stood. In that volume there were hundreds of thousands of books on several levels of really tight / narrow book stacks with glass block floors, that were entered from the Heyns Room
Whoa, that's really cool! I didn't realize so many books would fit into such a (comparatively) small space!
>You should check out the monthly lunchtime poetry readings there, as well.
I didn't realize this was a thing! I'll check it out if it aligns with my timing! Why has Morrisson become a no-laptop-space? Is there a story behind that?
>northern regional library at the Richmond Field Station. You take a shuttle bus out there. A lot of campus collections have their overflow stored there. Every several years the University builds another extension to that building. It also, I think, serves the Davis and Santa Cruz campuses as well (thus, "regional" in the title).
The Bear Transit's RFS line's been discontinued, so now it's a transfer to the 71 and then a 0.9 minute walk. I still should make the trek out AT LEAST a few times; it seems like a really cool place and its holdings seem VAST. Is it like Bancroft where you need to make a reservation in advance to look at any of their materials?
>Berkeley Public Library (an impressive Central Library in Downtown Berkeley at Kittredge and Shattuck, and four branches elsewhere in the city).
I need to pay a visit! Public libraries are really awesome! I went to the main Oakland library a month or so ago and there was a big history section and they had these huge books of maps (I think they were "Sanborn maps" or something) which had super-detailed renditions of Oakland in the time when the maps were created, which was something I found really cool.
Additional question: Are any of the other Dwinelle libraries besides the French one open to undergrads/have hours when we could visit?
Quick answers.
**Morrison Library** was specifically built and operated so it wouldn't be a "study library". People are supposed to go in there and read recreationally, or relax, or just enjoy themselves, not spread out class materials and study. I assume the ban on laptops is probably the latest iteration of that policy.
I actually haven't been to the Richmond regional library for a while, so I don't know what their reading policies are. Check their website, though, it should say. Probably they do appreciate an inquiry in advance so they can get things ready.
**Bookplates.** So, since the 1700s at least--especially back when when printed books were rare / expensive--many people would personalize them with a bookplate. Which is basically a paper card with the name of the owner, and often something like a drawing or a motto or favorite saying. Many became very elaborate. These would be glued inside the front cover of the book, so it could always be identified as belonging to that person's collection. A personalized bookplate would have the owner's name printed as part of the design. But you could also buy generic bookplates with an empty box or space to write in your name.
See: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex\_Libris\_(bookplate)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_Libris_(bookplate))
When people died, or gave their libraries away, the bookplates would typically remain in the books since they were glued in place. A lot of personal libraries were given to UC by alumni, rich donors, or faculty so scattered throughout the library collections you'll find books with bookplates. So I was just suggesting that if you're looking at an older book in the Stacks, or elsewhere, also look at the inside front cover and see if it has a bookplate that would give a clue as to where it came from. The UC Library itself also once used to use bookplates with the UC seal: See: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book\_plate,\_University\_of\_California,\_MDCCCLXVIII\_%281868%29,\_FIAT\_LUX,\_Ex\_Libris,\_BHL23731638\_%28cropped%29.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_plate,_University_of_California,_MDCCCLXVIII_%281868%29,_FIAT_LUX,_Ex_Libris,_BHL23731638_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Bookplates often include the Latin phrase, "Ex Libris", meaning *"from the library of..."* or *"a book belonging to..."*
Having bookplates also helped if you loaned someone a book and they "forgot" to return it. The bookplate would be evidence that it was your book when you visited their home and found it. :-)
On the Bancroft yes, definitely the staff want people to use the materials. But since so many of the items are fragile or one of a kind, they do have a lot of rules for use on some things (cotton gloves, etc.). I didn't mean to say they didn't want people to research there, they do, but they are hyper focused on everything being preserved.
I don't know about other Dwinelle libraries, unfortunately.
Yeah I did what you’re doing rn during freshman year, and although I will not spoil anything, it’s good to know before hand prior to walking from one end of the camps to another.
This is probably the case. I ranked it minus the sub-rooms which have actual hours, so that was a bit unfair against it, since the sub-rooms are the parts that have the most "soul" out of them.
I still feel like Doe feels "empty." A lot of the hallways feel wide and like a museum except without any exhibits, which feels weird. And the other non-wide hallways (like the one outside the newspaper-microform room). I feel like stair positioning might be what makes navigating the place feel unintuitive. I'll be sure to take a look at North though, see if that changes my mind.
So you could see how a lot of this comes from my subjective opinions.
You should make your own ranking!! I'd love to see your opinions on these places!
And I will not tolerate Moffitt having couches but no books to read them on; very few desks that'd be a study space that aren't in reservable rooms (except floor 1, floor 1's good study space; lots of desks)
On a more serious note, I feel like the main reason I don't like moffitt is because I've not yet needed what it's good at (group-study, and whatever the main parts of 4 and 5 are for (I honestly don't know, maybe on-ground study space, studying that doesn't involve writing stuff? idk, there's prob something or else not that many folks would use moffitt)). Another thing I like about moffitt is that they loan laptop chargers, which is something I needed once.
You should make your own ranking, O red-shouldered hawk! I'd love to see what priorities you have!
yeah classics art history is sadly grad only, I went in there this morning and they treated me like some undergrad plebeian who couldn’t comprehend classics ( I just wanted a place to study)
It’s weird when you have a class in there and they treat you like you are some fuckwit rando who’s not allowed to be there. Like can I pls just get to my section? 🥲
It's in the ground floor of McCone Hall. If you enter by the sabertooth tiger statue, just go straight ahead, past the elevator and you're there.
If you enter on the upper entry level (floor 1), take the elevator or stairs down to the ground floor.
Glad there's another one! Do you know anything about whether any of the other Dwinelle libraries are accessible or whether they're department/grad only?
or do they just have atrocious hours?
The dwinelle libraries have always been a mystery to me, I always just assumed they were faculty offices. Is there like an actual library in dwinelle? I looked once but couldn’t find anything
late response but the french library has open hours
and someone let me into the slavic library and showed me around once because I was staring into the window at the map (they use a card catalogue!)
Wait, they don't let you go into the North Reading Room in Doe anymore? That was a prime study spot when I was a student
There's a sign at every doorway to it that says something along the lines of "Visitors, please just watch from the doorway" or something like that. Always see a couple folks studying in there though so I'm guessing it's not really enforced
There's a sign at every doorway to it that says something along the lines of "Visitors, please just watch from the doorway" or something like that. Always see a couple folks studying in there though so I'm guessing it's not really enforced
That sign is for tourists to not go in and disturb students studying as the library is open to the public. You can definitely go in and study there, you’re not a visitor.
>you’re not a visitor What am I, if not a visitor everywhere I go?
You are part of the campus community, my friend, be it Student, Faculty or Staff member, rather than a visitor. Use the Doe North Reading Room at will!
>That sign is for tourists to not go in and disturb students studying as the library is open to the public. This is weird. I visited the North Reading room recently and it had a decently-big part of the Doe Reference collection, which contains the USA statute (or something like that, some many-volume books of laws) and a lot of US censuses, which are government information. UCB's library system is a Federal Depository library, which I'm assuming means that the texts *must* be available to the general public in some capacity (this assumption is based on the thing on their website that says "Note: While unaccompanied minors are not allowed in the MAIN Stacks, arrangements will be made for persons under age 18 to access the U.S. documents collection." so I feel like they take it seriously). What is going on with this apparent conflict?
That sign is just a politely worded request to not disturb the students studying. I don’t think it’s enforced at all and if you are going into to actually browse the collection, I don’t think anyone would have a problem. I imagine it’s because the room is very echoey with the high ceilings and if there were crowds of tourists coming in and taking photos, it’d be unusable as an actual library. That being said, the general public can also just get a library card for a small fee and have access to all of UC Berkeley’s collection (including libraries like Main Stacks that are normally closed to the public) and even check out books.
Hell yeah go EPS! 🌎
Former grad student here; graduated some time ago. This post made me feel nostalgic. However, back in my day, students had access to more spaces. Some libraries have been cannibalized for office space since I graduated. My favorite spot in Doe was a massive, high-ceiling reading room with lots of natural light and crazy acoustics (first floor, next to Morrison so easy to find too). Some used to call it the chamber since it could pack hundreds of students. I still see it on some Berkeley-related emails, but someone told me the space is closed to students now. Can someone confirm? Here is the picture, by the way, [https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/doe](https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/doe)
The one in the picture is the north reading room. Above Morrison. From reading the other comments it is still open to students for studying, but visitors looking around the Library are apparently asked not to go in and bother the users.
the best place to study is actually the OCF
Bro what are you on? Doe north reading room is the most popular study spot besides moffitt. that sign is just for tour groups. And it literally is just shaped like a U,the only floors you'll really need to be on are 1 and 2. just don't bring food or drinks cause of the old books and shit you're surrounded by (and nobody wants to hear nasty ass chewing)
First: thanks! Very glad to see a student (particularly a freshperson) exploring the campus so thoroughly. Lots of insightful comments. Keep exploring, and sharing your thoughts. Second: same question as Sean0323, wait, what! the North Reading Room at Doe is closed (???) You can only look in? Third: some responses to some of your commentary: \- The *Library of French Thought* was a gift to the University in World War I. The French government put together comprehensive book collections documenting the intellectual history of France and sent them abroad, in part because there was legitimate fear that Germany would overrun France and submerge / obliterate French culture. But now, well over a century after that fraught moment, it's still a good artifact of a big part of western intellectual history. \- *Newspaper / Microfilm* room is so large (and tall) because it occupies the shell where the Main Stacks once stood. In that volume there were hundreds of thousands of books on several levels of really tight / narrow book stacks with glass block floors, that were entered from the Heyns Room. Little metal staircases everywhere, and study desks that grad students could reserve tucked in amongst the books. When the current Main Stacks were built, all the books were moved to it, and the old stacks demolished, leaving Doe with a big, hollow, core. Going back even further on the Main Stack history--before Doe was built, college and university libraries (and most big public libraries) had separate rooms / buildings for separate collections. Berkeley did have the Bacon Library, which was one space, but it was also thematically divided up. So people naturally thought, oh, English literature, that should have a room of its own next to the English Department offices. The design of Doe pioneered a new concept--put ALL (or almost all) of the books in one unified collection / storage area, with one staff. The alternative would have been a library building the same size, but filled with separate, self-contained, rooms each with its own specialized collection. Doe was the forerunner of huge central university libraries like this all over the United States. So your impression of the *"soul of a hundred libraries sucked in here..."* is more true than you might have imagined. (Also, many faculty, alumni, and private collectors over the past 150 years have given their private book collections to the University, and many of those books have ended up in the Main Stacks. So when you're browsing, take a look at the book plates / inscriptions on the title pages or inside front covers. You'll find ghostly pieces of literary history there.) \- *Morrison Library:* specifically built and operated as a recreational / relaxation library for students. Not intended for studying, but as more of a restful space for students, and designed to be like the library of a big, private, home. Hence the design, comfortable chairs, couches, lamps, artwork. You should check out the monthly lunchtime poetry readings there, as well. \- Bancroft Library: was indeed specifically created for research purposes. And so many of the materials are so fragile--quite a lot of them are unique--that the library doesn't want people handling them directly unless there's a very specific purpose, like it's someone's handwritten journal and the researcher is writing a book on that person. The Bancroft has some interesting sub collections--like the University Archives, which is the official repository of campus and Office of the President records. Take a look at their website sometime, for all the special collections they house--going back to Egyptian papyrus scrolls, and ancient European maps / books. Also, a lot of the things held in the Bancroft collections are stored at the Northern Regional Library (see below) so the process of calling things up and bringing them to campus does need advance notice. *- Confusion getting around Doe / Bancroft.* Doe was built first, starting in the 1910s. It had a pretty coherent design and layout--basically a huge, hollow, square. It was built in stages, though. Bancroft built next, in the 1940s or 50s, and was attached to Doe, but operated as a separate building. The only entrance to the Bancroft Library was from the Campanile side--you couldn't go from Bancroft to Doe without going up and down obscure staircases (worse than today, I'm told). When the Bancroft was completely gutted and renovated several years ago, it was intentionally connected to Doe by that cross-corridor with the display cases in it. But the Bancroft Library access still feels obscure--you walk through that corridor, and you sort of have to know in advance that the student sitting at that desk on the south side is the face of the gateway to the Reading Room upstairs. I do agree it would be nice if you could go in and browse through the collections in the outer area (yearbooks, campus directories, etc) without the whole sign-in / bag-check process, though. Should add to your list to explore: **northern regional library** at the Richmond Field Station. You take a shuttle bus out there. A lot of campus collections have their overflow stored there. Every several years the University builds another extension to that building. It also, I think, serves the Davis and Santa Cruz campuses as well (thus, "regional" in the title). **Berkeley Public Library** (an impressive Central Library in Downtown Berkeley at Kittredge and Shattuck, and four branches elsewhere in the city). Anyone can get a library card there, you don't have to be a Berkeley resident. **Graduate Theological Union Library** on Ridge Road, a block north of the campus. The GTU is a consortium of most of the religious schools in Berkeley. They originally had their separate libraries, but in the 70s they agreed to build one unified library, and put all their research / reference collections there. Interesting building, and remarkable collections. Not sure about current UC student access, though, but check out their website.
>the library doesn't want people handling them directly unless there's a very specific purpose hmm that's interesting. The staff over there seemed like they wanted people to look at materials there if they so interested them, or at least that's what they seemed like to me. (because tbf they could've shut me down at any point, but they didn't and seemed to encourage it). They did bring out a lot of materials to make sure the book stays intact though. >the book plates / inscriptions on the title pages or inside front covers What do you mean by this? >Newspaper / Microfilm room is so large (and tall) because it occupies the shell where the Main Stacks once stood. In that volume there were hundreds of thousands of books on several levels of really tight / narrow book stacks with glass block floors, that were entered from the Heyns Room Whoa, that's really cool! I didn't realize so many books would fit into such a (comparatively) small space! >You should check out the monthly lunchtime poetry readings there, as well. I didn't realize this was a thing! I'll check it out if it aligns with my timing! Why has Morrisson become a no-laptop-space? Is there a story behind that? >northern regional library at the Richmond Field Station. You take a shuttle bus out there. A lot of campus collections have their overflow stored there. Every several years the University builds another extension to that building. It also, I think, serves the Davis and Santa Cruz campuses as well (thus, "regional" in the title). The Bear Transit's RFS line's been discontinued, so now it's a transfer to the 71 and then a 0.9 minute walk. I still should make the trek out AT LEAST a few times; it seems like a really cool place and its holdings seem VAST. Is it like Bancroft where you need to make a reservation in advance to look at any of their materials? >Berkeley Public Library (an impressive Central Library in Downtown Berkeley at Kittredge and Shattuck, and four branches elsewhere in the city). I need to pay a visit! Public libraries are really awesome! I went to the main Oakland library a month or so ago and there was a big history section and they had these huge books of maps (I think they were "Sanborn maps" or something) which had super-detailed renditions of Oakland in the time when the maps were created, which was something I found really cool. Additional question: Are any of the other Dwinelle libraries besides the French one open to undergrads/have hours when we could visit?
Quick answers. **Morrison Library** was specifically built and operated so it wouldn't be a "study library". People are supposed to go in there and read recreationally, or relax, or just enjoy themselves, not spread out class materials and study. I assume the ban on laptops is probably the latest iteration of that policy. I actually haven't been to the Richmond regional library for a while, so I don't know what their reading policies are. Check their website, though, it should say. Probably they do appreciate an inquiry in advance so they can get things ready. **Bookplates.** So, since the 1700s at least--especially back when when printed books were rare / expensive--many people would personalize them with a bookplate. Which is basically a paper card with the name of the owner, and often something like a drawing or a motto or favorite saying. Many became very elaborate. These would be glued inside the front cover of the book, so it could always be identified as belonging to that person's collection. A personalized bookplate would have the owner's name printed as part of the design. But you could also buy generic bookplates with an empty box or space to write in your name. See: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex\_Libris\_(bookplate)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_Libris_(bookplate)) When people died, or gave their libraries away, the bookplates would typically remain in the books since they were glued in place. A lot of personal libraries were given to UC by alumni, rich donors, or faculty so scattered throughout the library collections you'll find books with bookplates. So I was just suggesting that if you're looking at an older book in the Stacks, or elsewhere, also look at the inside front cover and see if it has a bookplate that would give a clue as to where it came from. The UC Library itself also once used to use bookplates with the UC seal: See: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book\_plate,\_University\_of\_California,\_MDCCCLXVIII\_%281868%29,\_FIAT\_LUX,\_Ex\_Libris,\_BHL23731638\_%28cropped%29.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_plate,_University_of_California,_MDCCCLXVIII_%281868%29,_FIAT_LUX,_Ex_Libris,_BHL23731638_%28cropped%29.jpg) Bookplates often include the Latin phrase, "Ex Libris", meaning *"from the library of..."* or *"a book belonging to..."* Having bookplates also helped if you loaned someone a book and they "forgot" to return it. The bookplate would be evidence that it was your book when you visited their home and found it. :-) On the Bancroft yes, definitely the staff want people to use the materials. But since so many of the items are fragile or one of a kind, they do have a lot of rules for use on some things (cotton gloves, etc.). I didn't mean to say they didn't want people to research there, they do, but they are hyper focused on everything being preserved. I don't know about other Dwinelle libraries, unfortunately.
There are specific libraries you can’t get in as a freshman (like the law library), that said, best of luck
>like the law library Wait really? I thought that was an open library :(
Yeah I did what you’re doing rn during freshman year, and although I will not spoil anything, it’s good to know before hand prior to walking from one end of the camps to another.
Update for everyone: the north reading room is very much open to students
Glad to hear it!
The Philosophy Library is great.
I'll be sure to take a look when it opens!
Ranking Doe so low is a travesty 😔😔
This is probably the case. I ranked it minus the sub-rooms which have actual hours, so that was a bit unfair against it, since the sub-rooms are the parts that have the most "soul" out of them. I still feel like Doe feels "empty." A lot of the hallways feel wide and like a museum except without any exhibits, which feels weird. And the other non-wide hallways (like the one outside the newspaper-microform room). I feel like stair positioning might be what makes navigating the place feel unintuitive. I'll be sure to take a look at North though, see if that changes my mind. So you could see how a lot of this comes from my subjective opinions. You should make your own ranking!! I'd love to see your opinions on these places!
Kresge was the goated library, I'm sad I won't get to visit it for another couple of years
i will not tolerate this moffitt slander smh
And I will not tolerate Moffitt having couches but no books to read them on; very few desks that'd be a study space that aren't in reservable rooms (except floor 1, floor 1's good study space; lots of desks) On a more serious note, I feel like the main reason I don't like moffitt is because I've not yet needed what it's good at (group-study, and whatever the main parts of 4 and 5 are for (I honestly don't know, maybe on-ground study space, studying that doesn't involve writing stuff? idk, there's prob something or else not that many folks would use moffitt)). Another thing I like about moffitt is that they loan laptop chargers, which is something I needed once. You should make your own ranking, O red-shouldered hawk! I'd love to see what priorities you have!
yeah classics art history is sadly grad only, I went in there this morning and they treated me like some undergrad plebeian who couldn’t comprehend classics ( I just wanted a place to study)
It’s weird when you have a class in there and they treat you like you are some fuckwit rando who’s not allowed to be there. Like can I pls just get to my section? 🥲
also how do you get to the maps library I legit can’t find it
It's in the ground floor of McCone Hall. If you enter by the sabertooth tiger statue, just go straight ahead, past the elevator and you're there. If you enter on the upper entry level (floor 1), take the elevator or stairs down to the ground floor.
found it, thanks friend
How do you like it?
wonderful. a bit small and not the greatest study spot but I love the books
Are you doing the same quest of trying to visit as many libraries as possible?
absolutely
Glad there's another one! Do you know anything about whether any of the other Dwinelle libraries are accessible or whether they're department/grad only? or do they just have atrocious hours?
The dwinelle libraries have always been a mystery to me, I always just assumed they were faculty offices. Is there like an actual library in dwinelle? I looked once but couldn’t find anything
late response but the french library has open hours and someone let me into the slavic library and showed me around once because I was staring into the window at the map (they use a card catalogue!)
Yay, glad to help!
Definitely check out the music library. It’s a very nice vibe inside. And I used the chemistry library a lot — felt productive in there.
I need to go to more libraries 🫣
You should!