John M Olin Library

Trying to study at home but ended up rolling back into bed or playing computer games, I had to admit that studying at home may not be a good idea for me. To increases chances of doing some work, I decided to get out of my pajamas and go to the library.
I’m not alone. The place is full of students during exam seasons. Make sure to get there by 9 am to get a seat, and stay there to keep it. There is a Whispers Café selling coffee and bagels if you want to take a tea break. Food is banned inside the library, although it seems common to see people subtly reaching in bags, getting a small pack of biscuits or energy bars and silently eating them…
To me it’s not just a place of collections of books and documents, but a place to help me build better habits and overcome procrastination. You are much less likely to get distracted by the internet in the library and work more productively. Great study environment, free printing and scanning services and couches to take a nap in, all in all it’s a great library.

Agree with previous review; Olin Library has an excellent collection of books and media in different languages. Staff is always available to assist with your research.
I only wish people would read the sign of no food or drinks. Oh an a new concept for some, this is a library, so please keep it quiet.

As a visiting student from Stanford once wistfully said to me as we were sipping coffee in Whispers Café, «Damn, I wish our library was half this nice.» Olin library is the Hermes of collegiate architecture. It blends so well the balance between old school and new. The myriad windows let light pour in, except the A and B stacks that are underground.
Here are some Turds and Gems of the Library:
Basement Security TURD: My Freshman year, I fell asleep at an independent study desk in the B stacks with my cellphone, Ipod, and headphones splayed out in front of me. I woke up fifteen minutes later only to find all of those things were stolen. There’s an urban legend that a homeless man lives down there. I guess he could’ve taken them, because I doubt it was a Wash U student.
Basement Couches GEM: Under the stairs in the B Stacks are 8 multicolored single couches. Push two of them together and you have an oasis. OK, so maybe it’s just a mini bed but it’s great for naps between classes or nights when you’re sexiled.
Ginkgo Room GEM: On the first floor just past the stairwell is a quaint green room with two fireplaces and a view of the ginkgo trees leading up to Brookings Quad. The chairs in there are comfy and it’s almost always empty.
Rare book collection GEM: Located right next to the Ginkgo Room, this is a real treasure. In here you will collections of rare books and miscellaneous texts. The people working in there are so bored form never interacting students that when you do eventually wonder in, they practically beg you to look at the artifacts. When I stumbled in there, they let me handle an original letter by Da Vinci, 500 year old Flemish bibles, and an over 2000 year old cuneiform tablet. Awesome!
All in all, Wash U students are very privileged to have such a great library. And hey, even if you’re not a student, it’s a public library where all are welcome.

There’s a spot in this library that is always free, has a power outlet, and has an ottoman.
I like to think that this spot is just for me. It also gives you a good view of people in the central stairway.
I’m not a creepy stalker. Don’t look at me like that!
I’ve actually never used the resources. This was just one of my favorite spots to study at. It boggles my mind how many people (mainly my fellow part-​timers) attended this school and never even set foot in here.
Now that I don’t have an account anymore, I can’t get wifi access here, so there really isn’t much point for me to just hang out anymore.
That and I’m getting old.
Oh well.

I really wish I could love Wash U’s main library. But I don’t. Maybe it’s because I’m always a visitor and never a student.
The library itself is expansive, and there are plenty of places to sit and study. They also have rooms for quiet study, but groups take precedence over single people studying. They do have free wi-​fi for visitors, but it is occasionally spotty, so it helps if you take an ethernet cord along. Visitors cannot use the computers, and they do not have printing privileges. But uniquely, a visitor can request a pass to scan stuff and then save that stuff on a jump drive so it can be printed or accessed at home. That’s pretty neat.
My last grip is that it’s in the middle of campus, and parking is always a huge pain. You can either run out numerous times to feed the meter or park in a parking garage for $ 1/​hour. Here’s a link to some of the parking places on campus:
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Olin Library is the main branch of the Washington University Library System and is open to the public as well. The students of WashU really have something to boast about with over four levels of media and books available at their disposal as well as full-​time staff committed to helping with research.
In all the papers I’ve written, I’ve never had difficultly getting the materials I needed. Even if, for some random reason, Olin doesn’t have the book I need, they subscribe to MOBIUS (a organization of libraries in Missouri), which can get me what I need in a matter of days.
The library is always at a comfortable 65 degrees at all times, so if you get cold easily, I’d bring something to put on. There is almost always a place to sit, but be prepared to fight for a seat the week before and during finals.