Geisel Library

The library, designed in the late 1960’s by William Pereira, is an eight story, concrete and glass structure near the center of UCSD.
It was named Geisel Library in honor of Audrey and Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) for the generous contributions they have made to the library and their devotion to improving literacy.
The lower two stories form a pedestal for the multi story structure that rises 110 feet above the ground in addition to two subterranean levels.
The best part (or most entertaining part to me) is that the entrance is a canyon of one way mirrors leading to the second floor. People inside the library can see people on the outside checking themselves out in the mirror as they walk in. I would be too much of a voyeur to get much studying done.

I never go here to study because there’s too many people and I just get distracted easily. Only time I come here is for the books on reserve for my classes. I probably socialize here more than actual studying. Study rooms can be reserved online and they’re good for group projects

This place is a great place to study. I mean, it can crazy and stinky here during finals and midterms season, but especially on the second floor, it’s a great place to do group study. Make sure to reserve rooms.
This library looks like a giant broccoli.

I spend over 20+ hours a week here both for work and to study. I think that Geisel is a great facility, they have a wide range of books and lots of computers to use. I like how the higher up you go, the quieter it is. Hours are pretty good, at least one part of the library is open 24 hours except Friday and Saturday nights.
My only problem is that the bathrooms can be dirty sometimes. They are also relatively small in the tower. Other than that, I love coming here to study!

What keeps me coming back, you ask, Unilocal?
Well, maybe because I have some reading to do and I procrastinated…
Anyhow, Geisel has expanded in many ways over the 4 years of my experience at this University. There is always an issue of «not enough seats» during finals week, but they are doing everything they can from buying more furniture to accommodate the ever growing class size!
As of 2016, they are currently building an indoor café area so that students don’t need to venture too far from their seats or purchase off campus (or mediocre PC) food!
I also recently discovered that the West Wing 1^st floor has amazing conference rooms (reserve for group projects!) and also foam rollers?! Wow.
And walking treadmills, puzzle assortments, Dr. Seuss display when you need inspiration…
The only thing I would complain about is the lack of cables they have here for the conference rooms. Definitely not Apple friendly and who brings around their own VGA cable to connect to the monitors?!
Anyhow, a must visit when you come to UCSD. The higher you go, the more quiet it gets!

From my years at UCSD, these are the trends that I’ve noticed for geisel. 1^st floor west is the korean floor both americanized and international. You’ll think you’re in korea if you’re on this side. 2^nd floor is just packed all around and really loud with different people. 4−5^th floors don’t really know too much about them except theres not that much space available. 6^th floor is packed with all the greek people. Bathrooms here are extremely nasty. 7^th floor similar to 4−5^th floors. 8^th floor is pretty spacious and extremely quiet but will be packed during midterms and finals. 2^nd floor is ²⁴⁄₇ except for fridays/​saturdays. Wish the library interior could be upgraded cause it seems so plain and boring. But meh it’s still a great place to go to if you need to study but know that if you plan on studying here during finals, glhf because it’s gonna be packed

Didnt get a chance to go in because of construction so just got to admire the architecture. Nice place and surroundings with walk-​up.

Has been my home for 3 years. Haha.
First floor is good for hanging out with friends, but if you wanna study HARD, go on 6−8^th floor.

The parking sucks here, be careful how you park here. Why do I see signs around here that you need a permit? It was very difficult to get here to get a parking spot to have a place to come enjoy and go to a quiet place to read and cool off in this extreme heat. I thought parking is free here at UCSD always on the weekends!

One of the only places on campus that you will actually see people. No joke. For a campus that is pretty isolated and pretty barren, it was always nice to see people studying, socializing, sleeping here. I will say it gets extremely packed during the day with commuters and off-​campus people dilly-​dallying between classes on the 2^nd and 1^st floor, but going on any of the higher floors will always have desks/​tables.
One great perk about Geisel is their overnight hours, which is 24 hours on weekdays on 2^nd floor East. They also open it up 24 hr on the west side as well for finals weeks. Also, this library is great for people who don’t want to buy textbooks because you can borrow almost any textbook required for 3 hours (or overnight after 9 pm) to get your work done.

I’ve studied here before. Why did I come here to study? Simple, it was because studying helped me pass my classes. It was practically cheating since I was able to recall the facts I read. Spice is the variety of life. Why go elsewhere when you can «cheat» on the 4^th floor (that’s where all the cool kids went) but I studied on the 1^st floor.

Practically lived here my undergraduate career. Even though this place may smell like people who haven’t showered in days, I still consider this place home haha. As you progress through undergrad you will constantly change places to live. However, ²⁴⁄₇ geisel will always stay and be there. Even if the toilets are sometimes clogged, food sometimes spilled, people pretty much shouting in there, geisel will always get 5 stars from me: p
Also it’s model was used in the inception movie.

I hate this place #finals but actually it’s really pretty
The glass is tinted so you can’t look in during the day but can see inside at night –it’s pretty cool. As you go higher, it gets quieter except during finals week. People study but there’s a bit of chatter everywhere. Go to 2^nd floor for the art exhibits and the dr. Seuss collection!

One of the most beautiful libraries to be found, thanks to the same architect who brought San Francisco the TransAmerica pyramid.
The archives include artifacts from the library’s namesake, the original Dr. Seuss, who in life and death is a benefactor. Random House has partnered with the Library to bring an unpublished new book to the public soon: «What Pet can I Get?» Children, and people who love children, and anyone who loves being like a child, anticipate its release.
One needs an advanced degree to figure out the campus parking system. It’s a hierarchy out there, with faculty, students, and visitors clutching passes and circling for their approved and coded parking areas. There is an easy approach however for John Q Public. Use the high rise parking garage and feed the kiosk at the elevator. Plastic only/​no cash. A printed day pass for your dashboard is $ 8.
Free WiFi is available. The Silent mode for study on the upper floors is strictly observed. There are Quiet floors that tolerate subtle noise, but don’t push it. There’s serious work being done here. I tried to sit at an 8^th floor window and l’il old me soon felt like an autumn leaf under a magnifying glass waiting to combust. The 6^th floor was busier but a table set back from the glass — without sacrificing the panoramic view — was more hospitable for a long stay.
O that view. About 2 years ago, the Natl Endowment for the Arts assisted Korean installation artist Do Suh in his project to build «Fallen Star.» He created a blue house, and with engineering muscle, appropriately perched it precipitously atop the Engineering building. It can be seen from the Library, and is reportedly a tribute to the feelings of foreign students who have come so far from home to pursue their education.

My second home — I spend way more time in here than I wish I needed to, but it’s a great central place to meet up and study at. I love that the 2^nd floor is so social because it’s the perfect place for group projects and situations where people need to be allowed to talk. S&E is where I spend most of my time and I love it — lots of tables and a printer conveniently located in the center. I just wish there were more computers, less computers under maintenance, and more computer labs (last year’s lab is no more)

Geisel. The mothership of knowledge. The building that inspired the infamous building collapse in the snow scene in Inception. The mirrors that attract your eyes like magnets because you cant help but check yourself out, but in the most discreet way possible because people inside are probably watching you check yourself out.
This building is located at the end of library walk next to the silent tree of solidarity. As you move from the first and second floor up, each floor gets quieter and quieter. So judging on what type of study environment you prefer and how long you have to study, you can customize your library environment by floor.
The first and second floor of geisel are open to talking, so when midterms or finals week hits, its not even a library anymore. There is no point in getting legit studying on these floors during these times because it just becomes a social scene. People are literally just talking or laughing or going crazy on that finals high.
6^th floor is also pretty noisy at times. This is where all the greek people converge. I avoid this area at all costs.
7^th floor is my favorite. Im studying here in the summer in the 7^th floor study rooms to take practice mcat exams. Its quiet, the view is pretty amazing, and the room has the perfect amount of air conditioning. Im not freezing, nor am I suffocating. During school I recommend to reserve rooms because there’s nothing worse than being all settled in a study room and you get kicked out by someone who reserved it. You can reserve only once a day for a max of three hours. Team up with a couple friends to book the same room for the whole day.
8^th floor is where all the hardcore premeds and silent studiers convene. There are no group study rooms and they have more cubby like desks. If you talk or even sneeze, people will give you the stink eye. So if you’re a loud person in general, dont come here. Go to the first floor homie.

This is the most beautiful library I have ever seen in my life! I am so privileged to be able to study here. I really can’t review the whole library because I haven’t even explored all of the floors yet, it’s so big, but all of the staff I have encountered have been really helpful.
The undie run crowd runs through the first floor every Wednesday night of finals so get your cameras ready!

If i could I would give Geisel 3.5 stars, BML is by far my favorite library on campus or was my fave library to study on campus, but Geisel is so much more convenient to get to…
The upper level floors are okay, I know they are super quiet, but for some reason the quiet here doesn’t work for me as it does for BML. Perhaps it’s the fact that the windows are distracting or the fact that people walking around is distracting or when people pack their stuff to leave or unpack their things it’s really loud and echoes.
Oddly enough, my favorite area to study in Geisel was the lower floor, by the visual arts area? I can explain how to get there, but am not sure what it’s called. You walk in through the main doors, turn to the left until you get to the social sciences part of the library, then walk down the stairs, and turn to the right and voila, computers and bathrooms and tables with outlets. LOVED that area.
WATCH OUT DURING MIDTERM AND FINALS, GEISEL SMELLS LIKE DEATH and I used to avoid like the plague. (I blame the fact that CLICS is gone and closed). People sleep there and it smells like old panda and god knows what else… study at home, hide your stuff, and go elsewhere. You’ll thank me later.

We had our eshoot here after taking our photos at our first location, Salk Institute, and it was a perfect location to end our day.
The massive library boasts many photo ops and thankfully our photographer, Jason Perryman, took full advantage.
We had a lot of fun and the students were nice enough to move away and not photo-​bomb our photos as well as congratulated us.
If you ever want to have an architectural-​themed eshoot, I highly recommend Geisel Library.
But then again, it’s just my opinion.

It’s getting old and dingy, but the memorable architecture is a definite must-​visit for any UCSD visitor. It was featured in the movie «Attack of the Killer Tomatoes» —
The 8^th floor has a nice 360 view of the campus (lots of trees) and is known as the super quiet zone. I studied here for a few finals… it’s so quiet you get deathly stares if you even just unzipper your backpack. =P Ok, slight exaggeration.