(7) The Marshall Library of Economics

The main thing about the Economics library is that it's quite boring. On a site full of eccentricities such as the History Faculty, or modern state-of-the-art like structures as the Law Faculty, the standout feature of this library is that it doesn't have a standout feature, perhaps other than an inventive library bin outside.

At least it looks nice in the sun

Bit dull

A bin for your library books. Thoughtful.

When I first got to the library it was really rather busy. I found myself a seat near a window at the back of the first floor. It seems that economists are a hard working lot - although I was surprised when, at 3 o'clock, the girl working opposite me shut her laptop, closed her books and proceeded to have a 20 minute nap on the desk. It was a Friday afternoon.

There's even a display cabinet about book defacement

It was a surprisingly large library, with two main floors for working on and what appeared to be a large amount of extra storage space ('staff only' unfortunately, so I couldn't explore). 

Look at all that beautiful concrete

There was a good amount of sunlight coming through, even though all the windows had blinds, but this made for a comforting, warm atmosphere - not something you can always get in a library.

Getting late

Yet another view 

These were the kind of books that I expected to be reading when I applied for a history degree. 

(6) Whipple Library (History and Philosophy of Science)

Today's library of choice is the Whipple Library, which sounds like a kind of ice cream. It's located along Free School Lane, behind some imposing wooden doors that falsely claim that it's the laboratory of physical chemistry. This is about as close as I've been to a lab in the two years and four months I've been at Cambridge.

What is this thing called Science?

After making my way through a maze-like series of staircases going up, down, left and right. I finally found the library itself.

Maybe it's just around this corner?

Are we nearly there yet?

The Whipple library also operates a system of leaving bags behind when you enter the library, only they provide lockers rather than the inadequate shelving space of the divinity faculty library.

Sensible 

Once inside I found myself a seat closest to a radiator on the lowest floor (it's really very cold at the moment). The library is quite small, but it's set over a few levels with gaps in the floor/ceiling and so feels pretty open.   

Nice

Despite the pleasant working conditions, the fact that I had eights hours sleep last night and my overwhelming love for writing essays (one of these three may not be quite as true as the others) by 11 o'clock I found myself starting to doze, so I went for a stroll around the library to wake myself up. 

Lovely

On my walk I discovered a few interesting objects, such as a plastic model of human skin and a bizarre contraption that might have something to do with light. 

I don't know what this is

The library was surprisingly busy - possibly because the students taking HPS are accustomed to the long working hours of a natsci or medic and have carried this work ethic over to this module, even if it is more 'arts'. I didn't manage to get any photos of the upper floors of the library because there were too many people looking studious and it would have been weird.

The upper floors were airy, with a tall white ceiling, large windows, and well-spaced out desks.

All in all, a really good library. It would have been nice to have stayed longer but a) despite my strategic location next to a radiator I had lost circulation in all but three of my toes, and b) I was really hungry. Nonetheless, the Whipple Library was a great place to spend a productive and not entirely unpleasant four and a half hours on a Monday morning.

(5) The Divinity Faculty Library

For my first library day of 2015, I'm visiting the divinity faculty library, the strange UFO-like building that looks as though it landed on the edge of the Sidgwick site by accident and figured that it might as well stay there.

Theologians commission futuristic building so no one can accuse them of studying an obsolete subject? 

For over two years now, I've gazed at the divinity faculty from my lectures with interest. Now it's my chance to reverse this, as I chose a seat with the inspiring view of the back of the history faculty.

See all those gullible history students who still believe that lectures are useful

The library has a 'no bags' rule and requests that everyone leaves their bags and coats on a shelf by the entrance, which seems a little bit eccentric, but I didn't want to make a fuss, despite the inconvenient fact that there were far more bags than shelves

Strange...

Inside, it's very modern and circular. A small ring of computers is surrounded by a medium sized ring of desks, which in turn is encompassed by a large ring of bookshelves in a rather aesthetically pleasing manner, which a few more desks dotted behind the bookshelves.

These lamps were probably the best I've encountered

I took a spot on one of the desks around the edge. They're spacious, clean, come with an exciting and flexible lamp, and even have a helpful translucent screen up the middle so there's no need to get distracted by whoever happens to be sitting opposite you. Unfortunately the screen isn't quite high enough to prevent awkward eye contact from occurring every so often. Best just to keep your head in a book...

Looking inwards towards the central ring

10/10 for the desks and lamps

In conclusion:
Nice layout, convenient location, lovely desks, but why can't we just take our bags to our desks with us?