A Definitive Ranking of Cornell's Best Libraries | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

A Definitive Ranking of Cornell's Best Libraries

6.3k
A Definitive Ranking of Cornell's Best Libraries
1. Mann 

It's a no brainer that Mann takes first place, and for many reasons. Manndibles, the private group and individual study rooms, and natural/bright lighting make this library less dull and that much easier to stay awake and motivated to keep cranking out homework. Also it's the only library besides Olin with a bustling social scene.

Pros: Athletes in CALS are known to study here (hello hockey players!), so plenty of eye candy to indulge in on your breaks from Blackboard. 

Cons: It's known as Club Mann for a reason. Be forewarned that the second floor breeds group work and socializing. I'm convinced that some people go to Mann to be seen. 

2. Olin

Despite being a huge concrete eyesore, Olin is one of the best libraries. Come here to get work done in the many floors and rooms or socialize at Libe with a coffee break. Watch out that you don't get trampled during finals week.

Pros: Libe Café, lots of study spaces available, helpful librarians, every book you could ever imagine.

Cons: Graduate students leaving their books in the stacks and/or kicking you out of their individual study desks. This always seems to happen when you have the most amount of work to get done. 

3. Uris  Home to the famous "Harry Potter library" this is the place to go when you actually want to get work done. Oddly enough, also a  super convenient place to people watch. The computers on the main floor are great when you have 30 minutes to write an assignment and print it before your next class (oops).

Pros: It's open 24 hours and is the ideal place to pull an all-nighter on campus. 

Cons: People sleep in the Cocktail Lounge, so watch out for drool on the desks. 

4. Law  
Filled with graduate students of the Cornell Law School, this library looks straight out of a movie. Guaranteed to get you plenty of likes on Instagram if you snap a pic of the chandeliers and huge windows. Great place if you have a lot of reading to do, but not much else.

Pros: Conveniently located for those who live in Collegetown. Also super beautiful on the inside with great views. Very legit. 

Cons: Good luck getting inside with the new keypad system. If you manage to maneuver your way in, good luck staying there: law students get pleasure from kicking undergrads out whenever they can.

5. Catherwood  Conveniently located on the ILR quad on central campus, Catherwood is one of the best places to procrastinate on campus. Super stressed vibes on the top floors, but gets more chill as you move downward.

Pros: Super comfortable individual window seating that is perfect for naps in the middle of the day. Love the desks attached to Catherwood's super cozy chairs as well. 

Cons: Usually very crowded and filled with ILR students, who can immediately tell you aren't in ILR when you walk in. Not a super welcoming environment.

6. Africana  Less well known, but newly renovated, the Africana Library is Cornell's most underrated library of the bunch. A great place to meet up for group projects or studying for prelims, you can't go wrong if you bear the Ithaca tundra to trek out to the Africana Library.

Pros: Quiet and uncrowded. The place to go if you're in Greek life and your house loses wifi late on a Sunday night, or you're wearing a groutfit and don't want to bump into anyone you know. 

Cons: It's in the middle of nowhere off campus, so it's kind of a hike to get there unless you are fortunate enough to have a car on campus.

7. Everything else: Kroch, Engineering, Fine Arts, Music
These are all kinda meh. Only recommended if you cannot secure a spot in the top six during finals week.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

7 Jobs Your Roommate Has

She's got your back with everything that college throws at you.

21
Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey in scrubs sit against a wall, smiling and enjoying a break.

If you are anything like my roommate and I, you have a friendship with your roomie. You’re lucky to have gotten a roommate that is easy to get along with and more importantly cool to live with. Whether you found her on Facebook or went random, a roommate is a big part of life in college. This list goes through some of the jobs that a roommate has that help you get through college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

35 Things I Wish I Learned In My Freshman Year Of College

Just some relatable college student advice! Yes, you aren’t the only one!

328
Towson University
YouTube

Freshman year can either be the greatest year, or the roughest year. It depends on your transition and how you adjust. For me, freshman year in college was one of the best years of my life. However, looking back, there are a few things that I wish I learned.

Now that I am a sophomore, I can finally do things a little differently. Here are a few things that I wish I learned my freshman year of college!

Keep Reading...Show less
Woman in field with a red heart-shaped balloon under a colorful sky.

Being single can be great and awful at the same time. Yeah, it's awesome to have time to yourself to figure out who you are and make your own decisions. It would also be nice to have someone to go through life with, but it needs to be the right person. I haven't found that person yet and here's a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times "Parks and Recreation" Summed Up Your Library Experience

"I've only slept nine hours over the past four days, so I'm right on the verge of a nervous breakdown." - Leslie Knope

5373
Parks and Recreation excitedly gathered around a laptop at a table in an office setting.

The library. Club lib. The place every college student goes when they want to try and be a productive member of society. Who better to explain your experience than Parks and Rec?

1. When you've finally found the energy to leave your dorm room and walk into the lib like

Keep Reading...Show less
Taylor Swift in orange dress playing a moss-covered piano on stage with bright lights.

A three-and-a-half-hour runtime. Nine Eras. Eleven outfit changes. Three surprise songs. Zero breaks. One unforgettable evening. In the past century, no other performer has put on an electric performance quite like Taylor Swift, surpassing her fans ‘wildest dreams’. It is the reason supporters keep coming back to her shows each year. Days later, I’m still in awe of the spectacle ‘Miss Americana’ puts on every few days in a new city. And, like one of Taylor’s exes, has me smiling as I reminisce about the memories of the night we spent together.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments