Hidden Study Spaces, Just in Time for Midterms!

With midterm season underway and constant reminders of imminent finals, stumbling across an empty reading room is often a welcome discovery.

Questioning the students and faculty behind the circulation desks yielded the consensus that hidden gems of underused library facilities are a rarity on campus, but there are still places to study where an open seat and quiet atmosphere are guaranteed.

It seems that undergrads have the best chance at an empty room if they are willing to venture to the grad schools. The first floor of the Bauer Laboratory (pictured above) provides a light-filled, modern space, close to the Science Center and with few disturbing fellow studiers. The Loeb Library at the Design School and the main room of the Fung Library in the CGIS building similarly see comparatively low student traffic. The Gutman Library at the Graduate School of Education usually has a fair amount of free chairs, so don't let the walk to Brattle Street deter you.

Devout Lamonsters can try the Larsen Room, Farnsworth Room, or Woodberry Poetry Room (all on the third floor) for lesser-known sections of the always-popular library.