Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

This is Bobst. It is a good place to work on your papers. Great weekend getaway. Free wi-​fi and restrooms. Better come early cause it might get crowded.

It could be a four star if it was clean! restrooms are disgusting!!! Ughhhhhhh
Seems never been cleaned!

I love Bobst library — its design, layout, and books.
One complaint is that it does not enough have study places — both private and common study. Printing services frequently shut down is another drawback.

I give it three stars because of the uncomfortable studying conditions. The library is always freezing and the hand-​dryers are freezing too. There aren’t enough public computers for students at all times. A pro of studying here is that the studying respect the quiet zones. I just wish it wasn’t so cold all the time!!! Also, while it’s aesthetically pleasing, I don’t see the point of the big hole in the middle of the building. It’s like the library modeled itself after a Twizzler with a giant hole in the middle.

Why is there a giant gaping hole throughout the center of the giant galactic space station… you could seat at least 100 more people with that space. Architectural fail NYU.

UGHHHHHH.
I’m going to be so deep in the hole when I finish my MA here, and yet I can rarely ever find an empty desk, a clean corner, a functioning printer, or a goddamn stapler in this place. It’s a poorly designed library. Thank god there’s that awful metal screen that spans the atrium, or else the ground floor tessellation would make me want to throw myself over the railing, too.
But seriously though, it’s so obnoxious that you have to physically come to the library to pay your overdue fines – you can’t pay them online. I also love that the people working at the desk will not tell you that you have fines on your account when you check books out. At least I’m *mostly* on top of my game so I don’t have library holds against my graduation.
Oh yeah, and the ground floor reference desk librarians will treat you like an idiot if you ask for something that’s actually in the Lower Level 2 reference collection.

Had a lot of fun and good times working and studying in this library. Here’s a secret if you want to get past turn stiles but lack the id. Tell guard you are there to use the U.S. Government depository collection and by federal law they need to allow you access. Or tell them you wish to use the United Nations documents collection. There’s other special collections open to the public as well… beautiful views of the park from inside.

Can get a bit crowded, especially during midterms and finals. But the views from the upper study areas are nice (if you can find a seat…). I think the library could use a little café or something, keep the students hopped up on caffeine ²⁴⁄₇.
Some floors are more recently renovated than others, which is a bit strange.

NYU Librarians are so rude!
It’s really a nice library, though, and has a great view of the city! But the librarians are not nice to students!

This review is for the lack of security cameras & pickpocketers in the library!
College students beware: THIEVES are allowed in BOBST & they will pick up your laptop, wallets & bags right underneath your nose!
And of course NYU security is oh so helpful (not!)
Damn, can’t even trust a «prestigious» university like NYU.

No where is there a better place to put In work than at Bobst. Long hours study, research, hang out, and group study session are just easier at Bobst.
Why go to a coffee shop when all that you need as a student is at your disposal. If
You are visit they offer free wifi if you register your laptop on ITS.
Pull up a chair, plug in, sit back, get work done.

I’m a senior at NYU and my experience has been Bobst is great for doing research, but not so great for studying because of the lack of study space unless you go at the right times. I prefer standing while I work so I tend to use 6^th floor, south, or the east and west sides of the 4^th and 5^th floors. The north sides have really nice views of Washington Square Park. I’m convinced the building designer used a prison as a model and didn’t think of maximizing space since there’s a huge hole in the middle of the library whilst students struggle to find tables for studying. When it comes to research, Bobst is great and has tons of resources including renting laptops, quantitative analysis software access, printing, iMacs, very fast Wifi, microwave on LL2, among other things. The hours are great too as the upper floors are open until 1am and the lower levels are open ²⁴⁄₇.

After coming here for grad school from a cash strapped state school, Bobst is awesome. So many iMacs! So many resources! So many floors! People are actually quiet and focused on their work! Seriously, this cannot compare to a state school experience. (I will regret that after I graduate)
I like how the smelly foods are allowed on LL1, otherwise light snacks and covered drinks are allowed on the other floors – to hell with them if it says no food allowed. I’m also glad I’m not the only one who get a serious case of acrophobia when I peer down, the cages doors don’t help at all. It’s also awesome that Bobst has the Quick Search option for those times when I am too lazy to find something myself OR when I cannot locate an item at all. 10^th floor also has a graduate lounge where miserable grads can go hang out and talk, but it’s usually too distracting for me.
HOWEVER, I had the misfortune today of having to deal with the most disagreeable security girl ever. Sorry not sorry I don’t speak mumbling. She kept on mumbling to me with annoyance after I set off the alarm but I couldn’t understand her, which caused her to repeat herself out loud and clearly with annoyance. This entire procedure took way too long because she could not open her mouth to speak. I was really annoyed at the end from her rude treatment. I just don’t understand why students want to take jobs in customer service if they know they cannot properly deal with people! Is there some kind of law in NYC that is affirmative action for poor workers? For every 7 employees, 1 needs to be terrible at their jobs?
I pay hella money to go to this school (hell I’m indirectly paying her wages), I would like to be treated with respect.

What can I say? You can rent out laptops and reserve study spaces and rooms. Why not like it?

I go to a different school, but highly recommend buying the pass if your address qualifies under the «NYU community» b/​c you get an annual pass for the same price as NYU alums! You can connect to the Internet by retrieving a guest password, which lasts one week, downstairs. It’s motivating being around so many other students and you’re surrounded by a ton of places with good coffee and food!

Going to Bobst is probably one of the best things that you can do for yourself.
The atrium is beautiful and there are twelve upper floors and two lower floors.
Although seemingly intimidating and scary at first, doing your work at Bobst will increase your productivity many times over (that is, if you come here with the intention of getting work done and not just sitting in some corner with your laptop taking up bandwidth by watching Netflix).
The reading rooms on the even numbered floors are great because they are completely silent, which contribute to productivity. Usually people chat a little bit in other places, but they are considerate enough to keep it at a low murmur.
By the lockers in LL1 there are couches that are more comfortable than the wooden chairs you’d find in the stacks (floors 2 – 10), but there are only about a dozen of them.
The downside to LL1 is that people come here to chat with their friends or Skype with family members, which can be annoying. There is a designated area where you can chat with people and eat, which is typically busy and it can be difficult to find a seat here.
The elevators are fast, which is great. My only issue with Bobst is that there is only one gate which you’re supposed to use to exit, which can be bothersome during rush-​hour times.

I’m giving 4 stars not because I like going to this place, but because its nice place to study compared to other places.
good:
–herman miller chairs that are expensive but have like 12 different ways to adjust the chair. your back should never hurt sitting in it.
–10 floors to study, some with a view, some without. the view is overlooking washington square park.
–the basement level has huge desks with a single wall in front so you can put all your books and paper on it. its also open 24 hours.
–the cool dyson hand dryer in the bathroom.
— filtered tap water to fill up your water bottle.
not so good:
— no vents in the bathrooms. ppl like to take dumps here, and the smell never leaves. be prepared to hold your breath when u walk in. can’t speak for the ladies though, but my whole life, I thought girls did not poop. until last week.
–finals time: when finals hit, if u come after 12pm good luck trying to find a seat. u will have to walk around for 15+ minutes.
–some places don’t have outlets. but maybe thats a good thing cuz ure there to study.
would I go back? well yea cuz i have to. but not for much longer!!!

Oh… so this is what I get for paying a lot more in tuition!
I can’t really complain about this place because my undergrad had a really crappy two story library with no where to sit. I walked into Bobst and was truly breathtaken. The stairs kind of creep me out when I’m walking up them, because I always feel like I’m going to fall off… despite the metal railings.
I love getting work done here; the rooms are super quiet, and there’s always a place to sit. I know the library isn’t a place to socialize, but it would be nice having like an open area for people to talk when they want to. Maybe I haven’t found this magical area yet.
Sofas next to the lockers in the basement is my go-​to napping area. If you see me, feel free to say hi, fellow Unilocalers! (And please let me know where there’s a better place to nap for 30 minutes in between classes… commuting sucks.)

Excellent library with a pleasing, open panopticon-​like interior design that creates a light-​filled central space, amazing views and seemingly endless study spots with something to suit any mood, from underground quiet rooms you can hole up in to sunlit reading rooms overlooking Washington Square park, to large desks scattered in the stacks. The 2 lower levels were somewhat recently updated and the new furniture and computer stations are spacious and snazzy. I spent countless hours here studying during my postbacc pre-​med in 2008 – 2010 (shout out to Professor Halpin) and also returned for a spell to study for Step 1 (luckily my med school has privileges here). It can be a zoo around finals, but you’ll find somewhere to sit if you keep searching.

Am here ALMOST everyday, and I LOVE it! Glad this is part of my NYU grad school experience.
The library is easy to navigate, the librarians are friendly, I can always use the microwave in LL1 and actually enjoy my food (my library in undergrad didn’t even have vending machines), study rooms are actually quiet and spacious, and there are tons of elevators (or I just take the stairs — either way, it’s really accessible). I can always find a quiet place to study/​read alone or with a group of friends.
I got nothing but good things to say about this library. The ONLY complaint I have is. why the hell are New School kids here??? Can someone explain that crap to me!!! With the exception of New School kids here, I’d give Bobst five stars.