As a lifelong bookworm and aspiring English double major, I know a thing or two about libraries–and Caltech has some pretty awesome ones. I’m almost always found working in one of our many libraries, and each one has a unique atmosphere.
Our most frequented library is Sherman Fairchild Library, which has 3 floors and a basement. It’s your typical college library setup, where each floor gets quieter as you go up, and we have study rooms on the top two floors. The third floor has a nice balcony with many potted plants (for when you need to touch grass after a long study session), while on the first floor, there’s also some shush booths and a quiet nook for puzzles and games!
The most underrated library (in my opinion) is at the top of Caltech Hall, which has a gorgeous view overlooking the north and south sides of campus. It’s especially pretty during sunsets, and is typically really quiet. I’ve taken several final exams there, and it’s great to be able to take a quick brain break by contemplating the mountains. Also, the first floor houses our TechHub, which has 10 top-of-the-line 3D printers that we can use for free! I took full advantage of this in my first term here, when I probably spent every other day printing trinkets. It also has poster printers and sewing machines.
As a geobiology major, I’d be remiss without mentioning the North Mudd library. With many rooms stuffed with shelves arranged in what feels like a maze – and the very English architecture – I feel a little bit like I’m in Harry Potter. As it’s housed in one of our main GPS buildings, it’s home to hundreds of books on geology and several geology references (while writing this, I’m sitting near a giant geological time table).
Last but definitely not least, I spend most of my time in the Venerable House library. I was recently elected to be our librarian, which among other duties, comes with taking care of our library. We have lots of textbooks from the Core curriculum, as well as a receipt wall made of orders from Red Door and Broad Cafe. We also have a birthday wall, composed of pictures from my favorite Venerable House tradition of celebrating people’s birthdays at midnight. There’s always someone there to talk to–be it about how our days went, what new campus events are happening, or for some help on a homework set.
These are my favorite four, but many buildings on campus have gorgeous libraries as well (I’ve studied in at least 3 more, and there’s definitely lots of others to explore!) I love how each one has its own unique personality.
