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
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
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…).
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!).
 |
| 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 |
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 |
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!
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