Ye Olde Libraries of Columbia

Good morning again, everyone! On this sunny Sunday in Morningside Heights, I woke up early (yet again…) to walk down to Trader Joes with a friend. Nothing like an 8am grocery run to liven one up, eh?


Barnard Library in Lehman Hall

But I thought I’d get a head start on this first. I can see in your (virtual, imaginary) eyes that you all are simply dying to know about the libraries here. Actually though, I may sound sarcastic, but I consider this no small matter: libraries are the source of your research, they set the intellectual tone on campus, provide space to study, and offer you limitless opportunities to increase your knowledge. Hence comes my undying love of them! So, without further ado:

(Some of) the Libraries of Columbia University

Barnard Library
Obviously, as our home library, this is going to make the top of the list! (Although, to be perfectly honest, I’m not ranking them here). It is conveniently located right in the middle of campus, across from the Diana and between Barnard Hall (general classrooms) and Altschul (the science building). It has, obviously, lots of books (including many that are unavailable in the Butler stacks), but it also has a fabulous Zine library, a ton of periodicals (including fun ones, like the Ballet Review), and top-notch study spaces. If you want a relatively calm place to work, this is the place to be!

Butler Library


Butler Library Reference Room

This is the major undergraduate library at Columbia, centrally located opposite Low Library (which is no longer a library!), and I personally rather like it. For one thing, it has a very wide range of study spaces, from the big, elegant Reference Room to an assortment of carrels, to balcony alcoves with tables and armchairs. For another, you can always find fellow sufferers there when the going gets tough—even on Friday nights, you can count on seeing plenty of students there, plugging away. Another major plus: it’s open 24/7, which matters a lot more than you might now imagine…

Avery Library
You need to be in the mood for hanging out around hard-core artsy, sophisticated grad students to enjoy Avery, but if you are, it’s the best. Technically, it is the art and architecture library, but anyone can go in there as long as you are quiet and don’t try to eat. The upstairs is gorgeous—lined with books and quaint mezzanine walkways—and the downstairs, though considerably less gorgeous, has tons of workspace. It doesn’t have great hours, but to make up for that, it is connected to Brownies, one of the less-expensive independent cafes on campus (also, where you can imagine that your proximity to grad students will make you cool like them…).

Avery Library

Science and Engineering Library
This is one of my recent discoveries, and I am a big fan! Being a history kid, I always feel like a bit of a poser working in there, but the fantastic lighting and open, modern architecture makes it worth it. It’s located in the Northwest Corner building (“NoCo”), right above Joe Coffee (see my earlier post for an explanation of my undying love for Joe). It’s ideal for late nights studying because a) the lighting so is cheerful, which you really can’t say of Butler, b) it’s only open until 3am, so you can’t get sucked into working ALL night, and c) it’s directly across the street from Barnard, so the walk home is painless.

Once again, this list is not inclusive, but it gives you a sense of the library options available on campus. No matter what sort of study environment you are looking for, you can find a library that will cater to it, and exploring the options is a fun activity on it own (the nerd just came out full force…busted!).

I hope your decision-making process is going well (especially given the impending date!). This may be my last post, but I will continue thinking of you all, and I look forward to seeing you around campus next semester! Enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Chloe

 

No Matter How You Study, Barnard Has a Place for It

A view of Columbia from the Barnard Library

While I’d consider myself one of the Barnard Library’s biggest fans (I mean, they even have a zine collection!), some days the library isn’t where I feel like studying. In high school, I never really studied in only one room, but preferred to move around my house. At Barnard, there are plenty of places I can go to study and get work done depending on what I am doing that day.

If I’m looking for silence, but need a change of scenery, I like to go to the study room on the third floor of the Diana Center. There are large windows there, so it’s pretty bright and great for keeping me awake. As is the coffee from Liz’s Place, also located in the Diana Center. There are some comfy chairs there also, if I’m not in the mood to sit at one of the desks or tables, which is often. (If I’m studying in my room, I almost always preference my bed, over my desk, so the non-desk options often win me over.)  



If I want to get work done, but don’t mind a little bit of noise, I usually head to the Altschul Atrium which is on the first floor of Altschul Hall, which houses most of Barnard’s science departments and labs. This space is supposed to be more of a fun, no studying zone because (there’s a foosball table!), but it’s often not very crowded and always full of light. There’s also a piano, so every once in a while, a student might come in and provide some nice studying music! 





Diana Center Reading Room. Photo courtesy
of www.dwell.com.

As a first-year, you’ll be living in the Quad, which has it’s own study room, Brooks lounge. I liked studying there my first year year. It felt very collegiate and was in the same building as my dorm room, which meant I could stay as late as I wanted (needed?) without having to think about when a building was closing or the weather outside.

 



One great thing about Barnard is that everything is relatively close together, so you can stay in the Diana Center till late and not have to worry about a long walk back to your dorm. I guess if I’m being totally honest, I liked that the Brooks lounge felt like an extension of my hall, and I could head there in pajamas and be in like company. (:





Barnard offers plenty of places that lend themselves for studying, whether they be designated “studying zones” or just somewhere you feel comfortable and productive. I’ve had fun exploring different places that work for me, and I’m sure you’ll find the space that’s best for you too!

 

Margeaux