Where else can you snack, laugh, cry, get free Wi-Fi and use a giant whiteboard?
Whether you’re meeting up with friends to study, flying solo, or meeting up with a new friend to “study,” the library is here for you.
Pros of Studying at CPL
- You can bring snacks, buy snacks, or order snacks to be delivered.
- There are lots of outlets, comfy chairs and big tables.
- There are whiteboards and whiteboard markers.
- There are computers, including laptop docking stations with extra monitors.
- You can make noise (up to a reasonable volume).
- You can move many of the tables and chairs around to meet your needs.
- We’re open pretty late, seven days a week.
Cons of Studying at CPL
- As long as “studying" means socializing (and not hanky-panky)—none!
So, where are the best places to meet up and study?
For Giggling Groups
Group study rooms A-C and G-I have the best sound masking. While not sound-proof, these areas are most likely to keep your conversation between you and your friends and least likely to have a librarian come to shush you.
The booth areas in the Teen Space and Children’s Library are also good spots, since they are both classified as “social” on CPL’s sound zone map.
For Seriously Snacking Students
Need a pizza to feed your team? The booth areas are great for eating because they have nice big tables, and there is a big trash can nearby that’s just right for a pizza box, with paper towels for cleaning up. The trash can in the Teen Space is right by the printer, and in the Children’s Library it is by the video games. Paper towels are also available at any Information Desk.
For Lovers of Natural Light
Try the table in the pergola, next to the window where you turn left into the Teen Space, or the tables outside of The Lab, just past the DVDs and video games.
If you don’t need a table, there are two big couches in the Teen Space with ottomans and power outlets for your devices. There is another large couch behind the main computer area, near the fiction bookshelves.
For Those Flying Solo (Or with Friends but Not Really “With” Them)
Try the comfy chairs by the fireplace, the green wingback chairs by the DVDs, or the blue chairs by the fiction bookshelves (they spin!). There are movable laptop tables scattered throughout the library if you need a flat surface for your things, and you can adjust the positioning of your chair to meet your needs.
Other great options include the one-to-two person study rooms in the southeast corner of the library, the wooden study carrels in that same area, the smaller tables in the Teen Space or the tables between the nonfiction bookshelves. The smaller tables in the Teen Space can also be pushed together to make a larger surface.
For Those Who Need Peace and Quiet
Just past the Lucky Day bookshelves, before you reach the group study rooms, there is a closed door leading to the last truly quiet place in the library: Silent Study. There is natural light, dividers between seats and a peaceful view of one of our courtyards. In this room we ask that you silence any sound from typing, wear headphones for any audio and exit the room if you need to talk.
Still Can’t Find a Spot?
Library staff are happy to help. We may have an idea you haven’t thought of, and when the library gets really full we can sometimes open up the Community Room or Friends' Activity Room for extra space.
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