Joanna Jou

With Berry being the newer part of the Baker-Berry Library complex, it consists of four floors with various study spaces that are differentiated by noise levels; as you go up, the quieter it gets. 2nd Floor Berry (also known as 2FB) is home to the Jones Media Center and Evans Map Room, which assists with anything media-related and houses an extensive collection of geography-related materials; these study spaces aren’t just limited to just media or map related purposes, which makes them very accessible for all and any purposes. My favorite part of 2FB is how it is a common space for small group gatherings whether that is to meet for a project/assignment, to study with friends, or to simply see a familiar face.

Although located farthest from the center of campus along Tuck Mall street, the Engineering and Computer Science Center is one of the newer buildings on campus as it just opened in 2022. I enjoy studying in this building because it is usually very quiet and is a great space to maximize productivity and is also a bit more modern; not a lot of students come here because it is very far unless you live in the River dorms, but I find the walk to be worthwhile. Additionally, ECSC is home to the Computer Science department and connects parts of Thayer School of Engineering into one building with various spaces for design (Digital Applied Learning and Innovation Lab aka DALI Lab), entrepreneurship (Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship), and research all under the same roof; this makes it more accessible/convenient for students interested in the intersection between engineering and computer science, and opens more options for co-curricular activities involving design thinking.

3FB has been my go-to study space for my first round of midterms that I just got through this week; this is generally known to be one of the more quiet spaces, but also sometimes a little more lively depending on the day. What’s more distinctive on this floor is the individual cubicles and desks all around 3FB, but also the group study tables and private group study rooms, which contribute to the facetime-y (Dartmouth slang for being outgoing and social) nature sometimes seen on this floor. Whenever I come up to 3FB, I always look for the individual cubicles that centralize my productivity while limiting distractions.

This is the main lobby of Baker Library also known as “Blobby," which is the most well-known as almost everyone passes/enters the lobby especially in the winter if you don’t want to walk on the sidewalks as you can just cut through the library. Blobby is a very multi-functional space as it usually is very lively, so you can either spend most of your time socializing with other students as they pass by, or strictly intend to study. This versatile hall connects you to the Tower Room (the upper level of Baker), the Orozco Mural (basement of Baker), the 1902 Room (to the left side of the Baker entrance), or the East Reading Room (to the right side of the Baker entrance), and connects you to Berry Library. In all, Blobby serves various functions and purposes that illuminate its purpose of livelihood.