A ton of memories from my time long ago as a NYU student. Many, many days/nights and overnights spent at the lower levels of Bobst especially during the finals days before exams, projects, and papers. Life didn't seem that easy at the time but relative to what my life is now (mortgage, car payment, utility bills, etc,..) I would have much guidance for my younger self. Bobst always seemed to have enough places to hide and get away from everyone and everything. The walls of Bobst always did a great job of masking the chaos right across the street in Washington Square and elsewhere in NYC. That was always Bobst's greatest benefit, a place of solace in this great city which seems impossible. Back in my day, Bobst was also a place of knowledge but these days the Internet has probably taken on greatly some of that responsibility. A recent visit led me to revisit some memories, and aside from some minor alterations, the heart of Bobst still lives on. read more

Hands down the #1 BEST library you will ever find. With 12 gorgeous floors with different architectural designs and study layouts, you are bound to find a floor that fits your needs. You'll often see protests happening right inside the library, especially since the atrium is huge - very cool! There are no other nearby libraries that are open 24/7 for students, with security guards helping to find you a sleeping space @ LL-1 in case you needed it (check out near where the lockers/classrooms are @ LL-1). One of the guards would always announce over speaker "Good night" in 15 different languages and go out of his way to genuinely look out for every student's safety and wellbeing. Someday I will find these people and feed them some home-baked cookies as a thank you! Cons: - There is a TON of theft every day, so make sure to take your backpack/laptop with you wherever you go... even if you are leaving for 2 seconds to use the restroom. - Usually quite cold, so bring extra sweaters. - Stay away from the 8th and 9th floors, unless you wanna hear screaming couples getting busy in the individual rooms. - You might find dead bodies of huge flying cockroaches @ LL-1. - Sad that there were multiple suicides inside this building, but I'm glad that they were able to renovate the building with gates on all floors to be safer for all. In spite of the cons, I absolutely love this library and everyone in it! Will forever be grateful to have had the opportunity to fully experience the most beautiful place in the world. read more

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I needed a new place to study desperately. so i came to find a good new study spot. but here I am on Yelp... quiet environment with lots of other fellow studiers, good place to study... and write reviews read more

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NYU Library, It was a really beautiful library from inside. I didn't have the chance to see the main library because " that only allow international students" and not students from other states which doesn't make sense. It seemed like a really big library probably 10 stories or so. read more

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I learned from a classmate that Columbia students have access to this library. If this applies to you, go to the library privileges desk and register for a semester pass. You also need to ask for a WiFi pass. There are plenty of study spaces for individual and group work. I appreciate the shared access because this gives me an option for quiet and group study closer to my home. Take advantage if you can! read more

I'm an alumni and needed to study in the library for a day and was not only ignored and not helped. They also told me that being an alumni does not matter. NYU talks about having such an amazing alumni network and community but I've seen quite the opposite. read more

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. read more

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!!! read more

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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. read more

Love this library! Huge! Filled with lots of great study spaces. From the classic tiny nooks to the large open table areas, you can pretty much find any type of study environment here. They've got a lot of spaces near large windows, too, with lots of natural light. One of my favorite spots to study in the city! Definitely recommend! read more

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library - Libraries Near Me - New York, New York

Bobst, you and I have a love/hate relationship. Thanks for always being there and always being open and welcoming although I do wish you'd stop being so welcoming to the undergrad students who come in droves around midterms and finals time and forget to shower for what smells like weeks on end. That's not really your fault though. Thanks for providing individual study rooms and rooms for meeting with study groups that are easy to reserve online. And thanks for letting me bring food and beverage from outside. You do suck however for having too little seating space, for computer labs that close too early and most of all for your ridiculous late fines. Really? $30 in fines for returning a laptop and mouse 10 minutes late? Because the crazy tuition you suck out of me every semester just isn't enough? I love you but can't wait to never step foot in you again. read more

A massive library on the Washington Square southeast corner, a huge atrium that reaches to the top floors, and many stairs, elevators, and a big open space in the center. Downstairs, plenty of study space, classrooms, and computer labs. There's an art & history exhibit to the left of the entry area, too. Automated check-out is helpful. Reference room in the back. Lots of study spaces all over the library, too. Stacks are a bit strange, but once you get the little directory, you can get one from the front. read more

Why am I writing a Yelp review for my alma mater's library? Shrugs. But lots of memories were made here and some studying too. The lobby is beautiful, even with the gates that were places to prevent students from jumping off... The cafeteria has two microwaves, a few vending machines, a TV, and plenty of seating. It's gets super busy during lunch hour and dinner, obviously. My only complaint is that the bathrooms get disgusting quick. Even though I always see workers coming in and out, people just don't know how to be sanitary and flush! I always get nostalgic walking by Bobst and stop by from time to time when I can when I need to get some work done. Yes, you need an NYU ID to get in or you can get a day pass if a friend signs you in. Or you can become a member, yay! read more

Bobst Library is worse than a credit card company because: 1) Submitting on-loan whiteboard markers 15 minutes late will result in a $30 fine. 2) Submitting a book late results in a $32 "restocking fee" plus the $1/day charge. 3) Anyone can recall one of your books at anytime and you have no recourse other than to pay $1/day to keep the book. At the end of the day, it cost me $62 for the privlilege of reading Transforming China: Globalization, Transition, and Development. I'm going to write a letter to someone about this. read more

The first time I walked into this library I shit my pants I don't have bowel control issues It's just a cool fucking library Never checked anything out, haven't had the need as I am Grad in Jazz Performance (not too much research here folks!) but I love to go in there and just......stare. Up at the staircases and enclosed rooms and rooms of books, down from the 12th floor to the Atrium (hello, Vertigo!) I don't like that you can't check out Audio/Visual materials, but the Avery Fischer room is pretty cool. Something eerie about it, almost like a 1950's view of the future/laboratory kind of eerie, but that makes it cool. read more

The bane of my existence when I went to NYU. They never had the books I needed for class, or the books were always in some other location, and the librarians are not well-trained. I agree with the person who says that the atrium takes up too much space. Space that could have been used to hosue the books I needed for class. Also, it's not very well kept in there. I did enjoy many a late night reading in the highly uncomfortable lounge couches, so it gets one extra star for that. But BOO to NYU for taking away the little lounge just off the entrance. Yes, some homeless people hung there, but they didn't hurt anyone. No one is trying to break into this school and if terrorists heard that NYU considered itself a security risk they would laugh so hard they'd forget to bomb something else. I guess NYU does have its purposes. Seriously, the more NYU takes away its public spaces the more the school sucks. Bobst is just another example of that. read more

Hey NYU, let me get this straight: I donated $5,000 to the Stern endowment after graduation and all you give me is three visits a year to Bobst? And I can't check out any books? Since this IS NYU, I suppose that's to be expected... It is impossible to get a computer in either of the lower levels or in the reference area. Pet peeve: undergrads in the reference area playing Farmville or all up on Google Talk. Some of us have work to do. The individual study rooms on the lower level are great for group project meetings, if you manage to book one. I would sometimes use the vacant study rooms on one of the upper floors, although there are no whiteboards. 5th floor behind the stacks: great place to get work done as it is a low-traffic area. Does anyone else remember Bobst Boy? Be sure to check Craigslist to see all of the people looking for action in Bobst...never a dull moment... read more

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. 10th 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. read more

i wish they had more comfy chairs & the vending machines are expensive but they're open 24/7 & the security staff is nice. it's least busy late at night but otherwise can be a little hard to find a good spot to study in during the busy daytime hours (especially if you're looking for a completely silent space that you don't need noise-canceling headphones for). great resources, fast elevators, plenty of outlets to plug in chargers, many different types of spaces to study/work in. also the flooring in the lobby is cool. beware of the bathrooms on the east & west sides of the building floors 2-9; they can get a little crunchy. read more

Ok so I go to NYU, so I have to review dear ol' Bobst. I have mixed feelings about Bobst. On the one hand, I spend so much time here studying that it kinda feels like a second home. On the other hand, Bobst is a prison, it looks and feels and smells like a prison and the thought of spending another 3 years here intimidates me to no end. There's a correlation to how much I like Bobst to the number of coffees I've had. It's like a test of character when you walk into Bobst. Are you gonna succumb to the pressure of Bobst or will you let your inner strength win out. It definitely builds character. And that's what we go to college for right? read more

IF you have access-- as student or alum, you can read from a magnificent collection of academic tomes. In my day, Bobst was FAR better than the previous NYU (Humanities, at least) library, housed in the "Main" Building, below ground and without undergrad access to books, which had to be ordered by a subterranean request method. Also, there were drawers and drawers full of index cards, no computerized catalog, and it was so labor-intensive that it felt like a victory just to get your book in your hand, not to speak of reading it. At one point, when students tried to "liberate" the library, by destroying the extensive card catalog, Prof. Robert Raymo, medievalist and later a dean, single-handedly prevented that would-have-been disaster. read more

Good place to get some learning done. I've studied many subjects here from computer science to art history. Also the bathrooms can be convenient when you're drunk in the neighborhood and really need to pee. Probably sober too. You need an NYU ID though.... Probably pretty easy to counterfeit if you try. NYU does their card programming through HID Global. read more

I have an honorary library pass here even though I don't go to NYU (okay, I'm not even in school anymore). That's because I love this library. It's huge, with glass walls so that when you're standing on the top floor you can see floors and floors below you. You can come here at all odd times of the week/day/night, and find crowds of people studying and reading. Yes, I'm a true dork underneath it all, but there are some nights when I turn off my cell just so I don't need to feel obligated to leave. read more

Not my favorite library BUT it is in a good location next to Washington Square Park. The chairs are comfortable to study/work in and the quiet rooms are truly quiet. The bathrooms are terrible and poorly maintained. If you are from another school or organization that has reciprocity, you can get an ID card that grants you entrance. For first time users, best to sign up your laptop on the first floor library computers before you wander elsewhere. read more

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library - Atrium - Libraries Near Me - New York, New York

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Not that the Library's bad. It's not. It's actually pretty amazing, especially with those protective plexiglass walls they put up after flinging yourself from the tenth floor balcony became the hot new thing. And there's great selection and a vending machine in the basement that sells sandwiches. My one star rating is based on the sad fact that a school that charges up to (and some cases beyond) $50,000 dollars a semester still thinks it's appropriate to charge their debt-crippled alumni $175 or more for access to Bobst. I've never, EVER heard of a school doing that before. I just got off the phone with some minion who told me that because of how very very long it had been since my graduation, I no longer qualified for alumni benefits, but I was OH SO WELCOME to make a donation of $100 for 30 days of reading privileges (no borrowing, please!). I graduated in 2008. The dark and distant past, to be sure. Where's an FBI corruption sweep when you really need it? read more

Bobst, you're my dirty sin. I want to give you a 5 but I'm afraid to. I don't know why, some supernatural agency drives me from doing so because I know if I had no work you'd be nothing but another building to me. I hate being in you yet something compels me deeper inside to the lower levels... Is it the Macs... or is it the super kind security guard who's there every late night checking my ID.... Or is it the way you tenderly tell me it'll all be okay. Night after night I spend inside you I sometimes wonder if I'm making a mistake. If I need to find another home, another girl. And yet you coax me back in; I'm always back for more. Bobst... You twist me around your finger; I'm your master and your slave. Bobst, I love you. read more

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! read more

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library - 8th floor - Libraries Near Me - New York, New York

The five stars are given to its studying area :D You won't believe it. I have finished the LL.M. program, while today, my first time studying here. I feel strongly regretful that I have not been here more often. On the 8th floor, the floor-to-ceiling bay window offers fabulous view (washington square), you could even see the tip of the Empire Building! ha, the lighting helps to keep your head clear here (compared to the law school library which is more like a semibasement, in which you may feel depressed for no reason). I never tried borrowing books here though. read more

I only took out books once here in my entire college career. The only reason why I went here was to chat with a friend who worked there and the Avery Fisher Center on the second floor. Oh, and I had to come here to study or meet friends. And I met Chevy Chase here so that's not so bad. I was nursing an ankle that I had just sprained drunkenly the night before coming in from UPenn's Spring Fling (me and my floormate took the 5:30am train in from Philly drunk, I sprained my ankle in the Philly station while getting napkins for my McDonald's meal and got help from the girlfriend of the guitarist from Converge to make it to the bathroom). It was quite the night. Anywho, back to Bobst. A couple things about this place that in the past two years or so has really made it kind of a weird, tragic place. A couple of suicides have happened where they jumped from the stairs into the main lobby. And, a student lived here on one of the basement floors. As in lived here. Bottom two levels are 24/7, and Avery Fisher, which granted its not like you're watching a movie sitting on a comfy couch, has thousands upon thousands of movies to watch for free until about 10 at night. Don't feel like paying for rentals? either trek up to the New York Public Library or just take time and watch stuff here. You can also browse an incredible amount of audio cds for research. I didn't find the books that helpful. I was doing some research on art as well as Irish history, and I found that Bobst didn't provide much, and agreeing with other reviews, it really has a lot of items just checked out. It is a nice space though, and hey, if you really want thorough stuff, go to the New York Public. Because the best function for this library is to study really. read more

As a grad student at the New School-everyone is bitter because we have to trek down fifth ave to Bobst if we want to go to a real library. The New School Libra is a subterranean lair of dustiness and I bet has like 300o books maybe. So the New School shells out the big bucks to NYU and we get to go to Bobst. Treated with mild disdain and have to go through a separate turnstile I mean way to make me feel worse than I already do. The atrium is nice BUT i could have told them to enclose the overhang things LONG before they did. Looking down into the atrium at the black and white tiled floor is a recipe for some serious vertigo. I did not like walking down the stairs I would take the elevator. That being said they have LOTs of books here-I found the few I was looking for over a two year period. You can feel the seriously deep thought going on and the mild panic that most everyone is going to be up to their eyeballs in debt after 4 years here. I don't love the NYU shade of purple. read more

I'm a visiting student from a SHARES institution and get free access to Bobst. Definitely don't know the library that well yet but it's been a great, quiet place to get work done. Free wifi that requires a few steps to access for guests and needs to be renewed every week. Lots of places to work, whether you want to be in an open space with lots of sunlight or a cubicle in a tucked away corner. Ground level has a beautiful marble floor and gold-colored architectural railing design when you look up (apparently added to prevent students from jumping, after a bunch of suicides). Bathrooms on the upper levels all seemed kind of small and dirty, but the one in the basement was clean, bright, and seemed almost new! read more

This library reminds me of a big metropolis. The windows and dark bars remind me of skyscrapers and, well, an anonymous place. There are various spaces to sit and do group work, but generally I find this place uncomfortable. It's often crowded, there's a buzzing from the lights - but if you're looking for anonymity and a place to hide, this is the place to go. read more

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. read more

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

This place is huge. There are so many books it can sometimes be overwhelming. I'd say this is a great place if you are looking for information but it is just a little too big with too many people to study. Also sometimes people can get a little nutty not to mention the rumors about people who actually "live" in the library. Like they don't have homes. A great library to get books and info and help finding it but not a great place to study. Pull up a chair at the Think Coffee around the corner, blast some music and read about all that stuff you were supposed to learn over the last semester. read more

I remember my first encounter with Bobst Library as a high school senior visiting NYU for the first time. I was completely enchanted. I felt like Belle stepping into the Beast's library in "Beauty and the Beast." This was before the renovations made the lobby look like a bizarre modern art piece, when you could see shelves and shelves of books stretching all the way to the top of the building. As a lover of books, I envisioned myself as a student here spending all my time devouring any literature I could get my hands on. Fast forward to my time as an actual NYU student, and I hardly come here at all. I simply have a hard time studying here. The silence, the numbers of intent students and subsequent lack of space all drive me away, especially during exams. I'm sure many an NYU student can recall a time when they had to sit on the floor to study because there were no longer any chairs or tables open. I also really hate the lingo that has emerged from the library's constant inhabitants, i.e. "Bobsting" And once you learn about the library's tragic association with student suicide, you'll feel a lot less magical walking through the lobby. That being said, I still love coming here during vacations. I got most of my summer reading through Bobst, which has an unbelievable selection of literature, both classic and contemporary, to satisfy any mood. I think the only books I HAVEN'T found much of here are children's books. Bobst also partners with Parsons and Cooper Union's libraries, amongst others, so NYU students can borrow from another location if Bobst does not have what you need. A part of the fun of Bobst is wandering and weaving between the shelves searching for your book's call number. It's fun seeing all the other titles that come up along the way because I honestly do not know what method they use to organize the library. The Bobcat system takes some getting used to. Sometimes I will search for a title and several seemingly-identical results will pop up, wherein one result the book is not available, but it is available if you click on the next result. I have wondered if the library will be able to streamline this in the future. I recently discovered the movie-viewing room in the Avery Fisher Center, which is fantastic. You can rent a DVD for several hours and watch it in a private cubicle using a computer and headphones provided by the library. They have a huge selection of films here as well and both light and dark rooms depending on your preference. It's easy to love Bobst, but I would advise also spending some time away from the library to return and truly appreciate it. read more

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. read more

I only go here when im ready to be treated like a second class citizen, and when im in the mood to witness an NYUer jumping to their death. Even from the basement they seem to find a way.. nice to run into old people their tho they crack me up.. And we giggle over the depression permeating around us ps ( i spent like 5 hours getting books, and the next day an NYUer requested them.. and i got charged.. even tho they were due back in JULY thats sum nasty shit o and i cant even look at electronic materials from my laptop. (retarted) read more

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

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 yelpers! (And please let me know where there's a better place to nap for 30 minutes in between classes... commuting sucks.) read more