The W.E.B DuBois Library serves as a landmark representing UMass Amherst’s campus.
Serving to many as the focal point of campus to UMass Amherst students and faculty alike, the library is the source of many productive study sessions, coffee breaks, and late-night homework.
Putting the rumors of deathly loose bricks falling or a sinking library due to the weight of the books aside, the library can be a solid ‘homebase’ for students studying throughout the days (and weekends). Rest assured that these murmurs are just tall-tales, and the building is up to date (and structurally sound).
Standing over 20 stories high with 23 accessible floors, it’s safe to say that there are ample spots to sit back and get to some studying! After self-reflection and interviewing some UMass students in the flesh, I’ve compiled a list of the frequent favorites.
Whether you are a dedicated regular or have never had the privilege to step through the automatic double doors of DuBois, check out these favorites!
- Floor 23
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Oh floor 23. I could write a sonnet about floor 23.
Marked as “The Best View”, take the elevator up to the highest academic floor to gaze out the window for an aerial view of the UMass campus.
There truly isn’t a bad spot if you can snag a seat on floor 23. Although not a designated “quiet” floor, 23 is a great place to focus and get work done without being disturbed.
Often when the weather is nice, you will see high school students and families walking around floor 23 as many tour guides give floor 23 a shout out for ‘best view on campus’. If the sound of people walking or quietly whispering throws you off your game, 23 might not be the ideal place for you.
23 is definitely one of my comfort places on campus and has been my go-to floor since my freshman year.
Every place has its own drawbacks and although floor 23 is practically perfect to me, some UMass students that I talked to brought up some great points.
“The elevator always takes so long when leaving the 23rd floor. It stops on every floor and is packed to the brim.”
Ok. You got me there. Yes, this is 100% an issue. When leaving this floor during a busy class day, be prepared to get comfy on the elevator as it stops on every. single. floor.
“When I need to grind out work, I got to 23”
Another student shared a similar sentiment as me. Overall, I feel like 23 is the best option when you are looking for a quiet place to get some work done and enjoy the views of our beautiful campus.
- LL (Lower Level)
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This one is for my social butterflies.
The lower level is the perfect place to do solo work, group projects, or just hang out between classes with your friends. The LL is also home to the student printers which come in handy when having to print last minute documents for classes.
A big plus to the Lower Level is the multitude desktop computers that are available for students to work on. Whether its coding programs, statistical systems, or using programs like Excel that are downloaded on all UMass desktops, the LL is a great resource for students.
The LL has group study rooms available to be checked out for groups of 3 or more working together. *Side Note* These rooms are NOT soundproof (think office cubicle not soundproof studio). I fear that many students are unaware of this fact, and I have heard quite a few wild stories that I don’t think were intended to be shared with the masses.
A service desk with library employees is also on the LL, just next to the campus printers. If you ever need help, the faculty at the service desk are wonderful and will always try their best to help you in any way they can!
- Floor 2 (Recess)
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Okay, so floor 2 is kind of a 2-for-1 deal. Floor 2 has two sides:
1.Recess
This is where – in my opinion – the most fun happens within the walls of W.E.B DuBois. Recess is a program that the library created for students to have a spot to decompress and have some fun during the school year.
With shelves full of board games and long tables, the space is designed with the students in mind.
The library always has fun events taking place on the 2nd floor Recess space. Usually accompanied by cookies and coffee, trivia nights, pin making, and holiday craft events are commonly held by library staff on floor 2!
Last year during finals, my roommates and I made cute little pins to put on our bags with the help of the awesome librarians. It was a great way to take a study break with the hecticness of the semester coming to an end.
2.Quiet Study
There is another section of floor 2 which houses the quiet study floor.
From experience, the quiet study floors are not my personal favorite. This has more to do with my own clumsiness and inability to be quiet than an issue with the floor itself.
If you like to study in complete silence, floor 2 quiet study is the place to be.
Another perk is that if you’re able, the quiet study is just one story above the entrance, meaning you can skip the long elevator line and go straight to studying.
- Floor 9
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Floor nine comes in at number four overall because although I like to study there, I am lucky to ever even get a seat!
Combining group and individual study, floor nine is the place to be if you want to collaborate with peers or just sit with friends while studying. That being said, it is usually pretty busy and there isn’t a surplus of seats, so you have to hit it at just the right time.
- Floor 17
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*Disclaimer* I have NEVER studied on floor 17 but it was so popular with other UMass students that I felt I would be doing a disservice to not include it on this ranking.
“Floor 17 is so underrated. It is NEVER crowded and is a great place to focus and get work done.”
One UMass student highlighted that floor 17 hasn’t been discovered by the general public yet and there are no worries to be had about finding a seat.
From what I’ve gathered from the student opinions, floor 17 has a vibe similar to 23 with less foot traffic.
I’ll definitely be checking it out in the coming weeks.
More information can be found on the library’s website, including which floors are quiet study, contain restrooms, and other fun activities that are available.
The W.E.B DuBois Library is one of the not-so-hidden gems of our campus, but if you do a little exploring, you’ll be gatekeeping your go-to study spot in no time!
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