The library has entry ramps, a main door, and bathrooms that are wheelchair accessible. Most of the library is on a single floor, accessible to all patrons. The lower-level housing the bulk of our research books - built in the 1970s - is not wheelchair or elevator accessible. There is a way in with a ramp in the back of the building through the parking lot, but we understand that is not ideal. Library staff would be happy to assist you in locating and retrieving books of interest to save you the inconvenience, and we encourage the use of our online catalog reservation service by all. The Memorial Room, a display of the college’s history, has a small flight of three stairs to access that might be difficult for some patrons. Please let a library staff member know if there is anything we can do to make your visit to the library more comfortable.
The building has dimmable lighting in every room, enabling patrons to modify the intensity of the lighting to their comfort level. If you need help with the light switches, please ask at the Circulation Desk. The building also has lots of natural light streaming in from large windows throughout the building, so the Lower Level and Memorial Room may be more comfortable for you if you are sensitive to light. These two rooms tend to be dimmer and more warmly lit.
Group Study is available in the Shapiro Wing, available during normal library hours. There are multiple seating options available to accommodate many different learning preferences: booth seating, casual lounge chairs, rockers and couch, collaborative seating for groups, and carrels for individual study and Zoom classes. We also have moveable whiteboards available for collaboration with classmates. This room experiences moderate-volume conversations and heavy foot traffic.
Booth seating.
Rocking chairs and couch.
Table and chairs with movable white boards.
Table, chairs, and study carrels.
Round booth seating and chairs.
Individual study carrels.
The Lobby and Memorial Room, available during normal library hours, are equipped as social spaces. We have soft lounge chairs and rocking chairs, as well and high-top tables for eating and working with friends, in the Lobby. The Memorial Room has armchairs and low tables, meant more as a casual reading room among the historical artifacts and books. These areas are usually moderate-volume, but not loud like a cafeteria. There will be heavy foot traffic in the Lobby as a service area, but the Memorial Room is usually a quiet spot. Equipment noise from the Circulation Desk and Print Center may filter into these social spaces.
Memorial Room reading chairs and coffee tables.
Lobby seating areas with book displays. Includes rocking chairs and high-tops.
Lobby seating areas with book displays. Includes rocking chairs and high-tops.
Library Circulation Desk with nearby rocking chair and high-top seating.
Silent Study is available in two areas of the building.
The Cooke Wing is available during normal library hours. Silent study carrels along the walls provide distraction-free work, and large, movable rectangular tables with chairs allow students to spread out. This room has very low noise, and conversations are discouraged. There is a door that can be closed if the Lobby noise is bothersome. This room experiences fairly low foot traffic. This room is equipped with a drop down screen, podium, Zoom cameras, and hanging microphones for events - please do not be alarmed by them! They are all OFF unless there is an active event taking place, in which someone will be working at the podium. Please refer to our calendar on our homepage for when events will be in the Cooke Wing.
The Lower Level is also available during normal library hours. This area is equipped with smaller tables and has PCs along the wall in distraction-reducing carrels. This room has very low noise, and conversations are discouraged. This room has generally low foot traffic, except by those looking for books in the movable book stacks. Some mechanical / processing noise from the shifting of books or preservation of archival materials may occur.
Long study tables and chairs with silent study carrels in the Cooke Wing.
Long study tables and chairs in Silent Study Cooke Wing.
Long study tables with chairs and carrels in Silent Study Cooke Wing. Podium and Projector available only for large campus events.
Silent Study chairs, tables, and PC workstations in study carrels in the Lower Level.